Tomato Toast

With freshly made mayo

The perfect way to kick off a summer season of grilled meats and seasonal veggies is with one of my favorite snacks: Tomato Toast. I know many tomato varieties don’t fully come into bloom until later in June and July, however, we are now blessed with a multitude of heirlooms and local varieties at markets everywhere that possess the same sweet and acidic flavor as lose late summer nightshades. Take for example the Kumamoto tomato - a hybrid breed of tomato grown year-round that tastes almost as good as some late summer varieties.

While this recipe may seem simple, it’s the combination of various elements and execution that makes it works so well. The grilled bread adds a smokey flavor and textural piece that fully awakens the palette. As I have said in the past, mushy food, no matter how flavorful, is never going to be memorable. The olive oil-laden mayo is perfect with sweet tomatoes - a store-bought substitute will not work. The addition of a touch of bacon fat to the bread sends a message that we are thinking about a BLT but without the slippery lettuce and dry toast.

Make sure you store your tomatoes at room temperature prior to slicing. In general, I like to store all of my tomatoes at room temperature until they hit the perfect ripeness. The only exception to that rule is if they are getting too ripe before you need to use them, feel free to place them in the fridge.

If you can’t grill your bread, I suggest toasting it in a pan with olive oil. After toasting, place the bread directly over a flame on your gas burner to give it a touch of char for the smoky effect. It will only take a few seconds, and you can do this on both sides.

For the housemade mayo:

• 3 large egg yolks

• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

• 1 small clove of garlic, finely minced or grated

• 1.5 cups extra virgin olive oil

• 1 dash of Tabasco hot sauce

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

To Make:

Combine the egg yolk, fresh lemon juice, Dijon mustard, garlic, and hot sauce in a bowl (if mixing by hand) - or in a food processor base. Fully combine until smooth and pulled together, then slowly drizzle in the olive oil until emulsified. If you need to stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl, or give your arm a rest, feel free to so do.

It is essential you use freshly cracked pepper to season.

Remaining Ingreients:

1 loaf of round rustic fresh bread from a bakery or a baguette

2 tablespoon olive oil for grilling the bread

2-3 medium-sized ripe tomatoes

3 oz fresh mozzarella or burrata cheese

1 small chunk fresh parmesan

1 tablespoon minced shallot

1 teaspoon balsamic or sherry vinegar

1 teaspoon fresh chives

1 teaspoon fresh oregano

To Assemble:

Slice the bread into large 1-inch thick slices, brush both sides with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and grill until lightly toasted.

Slice the tomatoes and season with sea salt or kosher salt.

Brush the bread while it’s still hot with the freshly made mayo. Top with slices of the mozzarella cheese.

Place the slices of tomato atop the cheese and finish with the vinegar, finely diced shallot, freshly grated parmesan and fresh herbs.

Enjoy!