Michael Van De Elzen shares a summer recipe. Photo / Supplied
Michael Van De Elzen shares a summer recipe. Photo / Supplied
Fresh Tomatoes with Herby Crumbs
This is another simple way of using tomatoes when they are at their sweetest in summer. Use yellow, red, beefsteak, roma or little cherry tomatoes — it doesn’t matter, they just need to be juicy and sweet!
Prep time: 20 minutes Cook time: 30 minutesServes: 6 as a side
Fresh Tomatoes with Herby Crumbs. Photo / Supplied
12 tomatoes in a variety of colours and sizes
6 cloves garlic, peeled
1 cup chopped italian parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
3 cups sourdough or similar bread, cut into small pieces
¼ cup grapeseed oil
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
½ teaspoon flaky sea salt
¼ teaspoon cracked pepper
½ cup finely grated parmesan
3 tablespoons olive oil
Baby spinach, basil or rocket leaves for garnish
Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F) fan-bake. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
Cut the larger tomatoes in half and arrange them in a single layer on the baking tray. Dot the smaller tomatoes in the gaps.
To make the herby crumbs, place the garlic, parsley, thyme and rosemary in a food processor and pulse until smooth. Add the bread and grapeseed oil and pulse again until you reach a coarse crumb (you can do this in smaller batches if you want, as it will be easier on your food processor). Transfer to a bowl and stir in the mustard, salt, pepper and all but 2 tablespoons of the parmesan.
Generously cover the tomatoes with the herby crumbs and bake for 30 minutes or until the tomatoes just start to split.
To serve, place the tomatoes on a platter, drizzle with the olive oil and garnish with the reserved parmesan and baby spinach, basil or rocket.
Good from Scratch by Michael Van De Elzen. Photo / Supplied
Extracted from Good From Scratch by Michael Van de Elzen, photography by Babiche Martens. Published by Allen & Unwin NZ. RRP $49.99. Out 12 September.
