Summer is on its way out, but at least here in DC, fresh local tomatoes are still around for a while yet. As much as I like to be creative with my cooking, some combinations of ingredients are too easy, too delicious to pass up.
My favorite combination at the moment? Tomatoes, basil, and cheese.
It’s classic. It’s simple and fast to make, yet I could eat it every single day and it would take a loooooong time for me to get tired of it. If I think of pure summer, distilled into food form, tomatoes and basil would be it.
I also love recipes that speak for themselves, where the proportions are just a matter of taste, the steps are few and flexible, and all that matters is good ingredients. As it so happens, these sorts of dishes are also my favorite way to showcase summer tomatoes and basil.
There’s still time to enjoy these seasonal flavors before the weather cools and we move on to new foods. When the season is gone, it’s gone, and you can’t find a tomato quite so sweet and juicy, or basil quite so aromatic, again until next summer. So, enjoy them now while you can. Here are several variations on a theme that let you keep enjoying this combination without feeling like you’re eating the same meal twice.
- Plain and simple. Cook pasta, top with sliced tomato, basil, grated mozzarella, and a touch of olive oil. The easiest possible dinner.
- Even simpler. Arrange thick slices of tomato and fresh mozzarella on a plate. (Or, if you can find/make it, burratta!) Sprinkle with fresh basil and olive oil.
- Pesto. In a food processor, combine a lot of basil with olive oil, garlic, parmesan, and pine nuts until you get a nice, thick-yet-just-pourable consistency. Mix pasta with sliced tomatoes, top with pesto.
- Pesto, Take 2. Stir some leftover pesto together with soft ricotta cheese. Mix with pasta, top with thin tomato slices. Rich and delicious – this is my most favorite new discovery.
- Simple sandwich. Use two thick slices of good bread. Spread one slice with a thin layer of pesto. Stack with slices of tomato and mozzarella. Toast the sandwich, or eat it cold. This is the classic “we’re a restaurant with a vegetarian option” sandwich, but it’s still simple and delicious!
- Bruschetta. Take a few slices of good artisan bread per person. Mix together some fresh diced tomato (you’ll probably want to drain off the juice – save it for later cooking!), olive oil, minced garlic, fresh chopped basil, and crumbled feta cheese. Broil the bread for a few minutes until it just starts to brown; top with bruschetta mixture and eat quickly.
- Pizza. Make dough, or get some at the store. Don’t bother with sauce – just spread with tomato slices, your favorite cheeses, roasted garlic, basil… and bake.