6 Cloves garlic; (optional),
-up to 8
6 Ripe full-flavoured
-tomatoes; up to 8
Spanish extra virgin olive
-oil
Sea salt
1 Loaf Italian bread
Put peeled cloves of garlic and the ripe tomatoes into suitable sized
bowls. Assemble the garlic, tomatoes, olive oil on the table and put
the sea salt into a small dish. When ready to serve, cut the bread
into thick slices and toast each side (alternatively the bread could
be char-grilled on barbecue or a ribbed grill). Put the hot toasted
bread into a bread basket.
The idea is for guests to help themselves. Simply take a slice of the
toast, rub very lightly with a cut clove garlic (garlic is optional).
Halve the tomato, then rub the cut-side onto the bread, including the
seeds and any fleshy tomato bits. Drizzle with the olive oil then
sprinkle with a little sea salt.
Note. Thinly sliced Spanish cured ham is sometimes added to the tomato
bread, but it is also good with grilled pancetta. Crusty Spanish or
Italian bread rolls can also be used to make the Tomato Bread. To use
the bread rolls, slice them into halves and toast on a ribbed grill
pan or on a barbecue grill.
Yields
1 servings