Pan Con Tomate

This is probably my favorite way to eat fresh tomatoes when they’re perfectly ripe! The good news is that it’s also the simplest recipe you can imagine. The key to this is to make it and eat it immediately so you get the various textures and temperatures of the dish. You can fancy this up by adding some fresh herbs and melted cheese - but honestly, once you taste it in it’s simplest form, you won’t want to change it in any way!

Serves 2

• 1 large tomato  

• 2 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided 

• 1 small garlic clove, grated on a microplane.

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 

• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes 

• Two six inch pieces of baguette sliced lengthwise 

• Flaked sea salt, like Maldon

Place a cheese grate in a mixing bowl and grate the tomato on the largest grating setting - ensure the tomato and juice both go into the bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil along with the grated garlic, kosher salt, and red pepper flakes to the bowl and stir to combine. Set aside.

Heat a grill pan or sauté pan over high heat. Brush the inside of sliced baguettes with the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil. Place the baguette cut side down in the pan and grill until it’s slightly charred. Be careful not to burn. Remove from the heat and evenly spread the tomato mixture onto the grilled bread. Finish with a sprinkling of sea salt and serve immediately.