Glorious Tomatoes

Looking for a delicious appetizer for the Super Bowl? This one isn't very traditional for the big game day, but I'll share some true "game day" snacks soon. For now, enjoy these little tomatoes. They taste glorious!

Glorious Tomatoes

4 Roma tomatoes, sliced

bunch basil leaves

1/2 cup diced red onions

5 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled

3/4 cup blue cheese, crumbled

1 sourdough baguette

2 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/2 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1 shallot, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup fresh herbs (use whatever you have available as long as it's fresh - parsley, cilantro, basil, thyme, rosemary, etc)

salt and pepper

First make little crostini from the baguette...

Slice the baguette into thin pieces and arrange on a baking sheet. 

Toast in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes or until just slightly golden, but not completely toasted. Meanwhile, melt the 2 tablespoons butter with approximately 2 tablespoons of the crumbled blue cheese. Remove the toasts from the oven and brush with the butter/cheese mixture. 

Bake for another 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Next make the fresh herb vinaigrette...

Place the mustard, shallot, garlic, and fresh herbs in a food processor. Process using the pulse function until the herbs and onions are well chopped. Add the vinegar and blend. While the food processor is running, drizzle in the olive oil to form the vinaigrette. Add salt and pepper to taste.

This is what your vinaigrette should look like. It should be a bit thicker than a typical vinaigrette salad dressing.

You're probably starting to notice that I use basil as much as possible. I use it in this vinaigrette and later to garnish. I often mix in various herbs... whatever is available fresh. I'm hoping to get several herbs growing in my yard this spring (we'll see how well that goes - i don't exactly have a green thumb and we have a dog that loves to dig in my flowers).

green onion, rosemary, basil, cilantro, and Italian parsley

Finally, assemble the glorious tomatoes...

Start with one toasted blue cheese crostini. Top with a slice of Roma tomato (if your tomato is larger than your toast, you can cut it in half). Sprinkle with salt & pepper. Drizzle some of the vinaigrette over the tomato. Sprinkle with some blue cheese crumbles, crumbled bacon, red onion, and thinly sliced fresh basil.

I typically do this in assembly line fashion... start by topping all of the toasts with tomato, then going down the line adding all the vinaigrette, sprinkling toppings over the whole tray, etc.

Enjoy!


adapted from Cooking with Mickey and the Disney Chefs