Just like berries convey the delights of early summer, tomatoes sing a midsummer melody about dancing in warm summer rains. Sure, today, we can get tomatoes all year long, thanks to greenhouses, hydroponics and a plethora of other methods, but nothing beats the flavor of a fresh, in season tomato. Tomatoes come in a wide range of sizes, colors, shapes and flavors. No one type of tomato is like another, especially those heirloom varieties, that have recently grown in popularity. Frankly, heirloom varieties are a personal favorite, especially on a tomato sandwich, but we’re still quite early in tomato season for any of that.

For now, we’ll focus on smaller varieties of grape, pear and cherry tomatoes. There is no better recipe to highlight delicate sweet and tart dance of these little tomatoes, than a Blistered Tomato Bruschetta, served on a grilled slice of sourdough.

Lets get eating this snack.

Blistered Tomato Bruschetta (makes 6-8 servings)

• 2 cups assorted Grape, Pear and Cherry Tomatoes; my local grocery store carries a “Flavorful Medley of Snacking Tomatoes”, which I use to make this recipe.
• 3 Tbsp Olive Oil from Garlic Confit
• 2 cloves of Garlic, fresh, crushed
• 4 cloves of Garlic Confit, crushed
• 1/8 tsp ground Pepper
• Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1/8 tsp flakey sea salt
• 6-8 large Basil leaves, washed and chiffonade
• drizzle of balsamic glaze (optional)

Grilled Sourdough

• 6-8 thin slices of sourdough bread, I bake my own, so that’s what we use. (Link coming soon)
• 4-6 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil, lightly brushed onto both sides of each slice of sourdough bread

Getting it together.

1. In a large cast iron pan, over high heat, add olive oil and heat to rippling, add tomatoes. Cover. Cook over high heat for 4 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally. This creates a char on the skin of the tomatoes.
2. Reduce heat to medium, add garlic, ground pepper and crushed red pepper, if using. Continue cooking until tomatoes burst and the juices fill the pan, roughly 10 minutes. Allow to cool some, while grilling your sourdough.
3. To grill the sourdough slices, place slices on a prepared grill or grill pan over high heat, sear slices for roughly 2 minutes per side.
4. Assembly: one slice of grilled bread, a few scoops of the blistered tomato bruschetta, sprinkle of basil chiffonade and a light drizzle of balsamic glaze, if using.

Enjoy!