beefsteak tomatoes | Bewitching Kitchen

Got 10 minutes to spare? Here’s a side dish to awe your taste buds. The latest Fine Cooking magazine has a full article about tomatoes, perfectly timed when farmers markets are overflowing with those in all shapes and sizes. Normally I don’t buy beefsteaks, favoring smaller types like Campari, grape, and cherry. But this recipe called my name loudly.
GRATIN OF BEEFSTEAK TOMATOES
(slightly modified from Fine Cooking, August 2011)

3 beefsteak tomatoes
1/4 cup Panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Asiago cheese
2 Tbs fresh parsley, minced
1 tsp Herbes de Provence
slight drizzle of olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Cut the tomatoes in 1/4 inch thick slices, and place them with a little overlap on a broiler-safe type of dish.

Mix the bread crumbs with the cheese and the herbs and sprinkle all over the tomatoes. Season them with salt and pepper (Asiago cheese is salty, use less salt than you normally would); drizzle a small amount of olive oil over the tomatoes (use a spray bottle if you prefer), place the dish under the broiler for 3 minutes or until it starts to get golden on top. Serve right away.

ENJOY!

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Comments: This recipe may very well change my mind about keeping beefsteak tomatoes around the house. They stand up to the broiler nicely, and the salty/cheese crust on top is a nice complement to the juiciness of the tomatoes underneath. Phil said that he could imagine this dish on the menu of an American steakhouse, next to a substantial T-bone steak, grilled medium rare. We took a more humble route, and served them with flank steak, and grilled zucchini slices. Summer dining: simple, light, and quick to put together.