simple tomato bread with flaky sea salt
Nothing screams summer to me more than a perfectly ripe, squishy, melt in your mouth tomato. That's because tomatoes are at their peak mid-late summer. Not winter, not spring, but summer, right now ... today.
Only until a few days ago, I had no idea that many of the tomatoes you see in the off-season or in major grocery stores chains are guaranteed to be harvested by slaves. You heard me right. Slaves. Right here in our own country. I bet you thought that didn't happen here anymore. I certainly did not. But it does and it needs to stop.
Thanks to the good work of food blogger and philanthropist Nicole Gulotta , the virtual food community is helping to spread the word today because of an initiative she started called: food bloggers for #slavefreetomatoes. You can find more details on this epidemic on her philanthropic blog the giving table. And, if you would like to take action right now head here and sign a petition. Promise me you'll do it. It's just a few seconds out of your day, and you'll be helping to make the world a better place.
Want to know how else you can help? Only buy tomatoes (or any fruits or vegetables for that matter) when they are in season. Make sure you know where your tomatoes came from. The closer to your home the better. Your local farmers market ... great! Your backyard ... even better!
Since today is all about #slavesfreetomatoes, I felt like the best way to celebrate the tomato was to let it shine all on it's own. Because seriously, what's better than a fresh tomato, raw or roasted, with nothing else but a little bit of flaky sea salt. Add that on top of a piece of super crusty bread and you have one very popular summer snack or party app.
I've been serving this as a starter / finger food for dinner parties ever since grape tomatoes started popping up at the farmer's market. It is so easy to make, so simple, and such a tasty way to start a meal. A perfect, ripe, local, {slave free} tomato never fails to impress.
simple tomato bread with flaky sea salt
serves
6-8 as a starter
ingredients
a pint of local {slave free} red grape tomatoes
a pint of local {slave free} yellow grape tomatoes
very good olive oil
a loaf of your favorite bread (I used an Italian bread, but a baguette or whole wheat loaf will work great as well)
flaky sea salt
pepper
optional: red pepper flakes
directions
- Pre-heat the oven to 400º
- Place the yellow and red tomatoes on a foil lined baking sheet. Using a fork, puncture holes in each tomato. This will prevent the tomatoes from bursting and making a mess in your oven.
- Then, generously drizzle them with olive oil and a tiny bit of salt and pepper. Be sure to not over-salt because you are going to add more salt later.
- Cook the tomatoes for about 45 minutes, or until they start brown and become juicy. Remove the tomatoes and allow them to rest.
- While they are resting, cut your loaf in half lengthwise, brush a little olive oil over the bread, and place in the oven. Cook for about 5-7 minutes, or until your bread is crusty (not too browned).
- Remove the bread, and place the tomatoes on top. I like to use a fork and smoosh them into the bread so all their juices get soaked up by the bread. Finish by adding a little more flaky salt, pepper, and the optional red pepper.
enjoy.