Grilled bread slathered with garlic scape butter and top with the season’s best tomatoes: tomato toast is summer food at it’s best (with no fuss).
So for three out of the past 4 weeks, I’ve been travelling; once for work and then two glorious weeks of technology-free vacation. Sadly, I missed my CSA, but made many trips to my favorite Island farm: Morning Glory Farm, as well as the Vineyard Farmer’s Market. The Island was still picking peas thanks to the wet, cool Spring, so I was pretty happy to return home to corn, tomatoes and all of the best summer crops. While I was gone, garlic scapes were included in the CSA. I was bummed to miss out on such a treat so I picked up a few yesterday when I got my share. When I had a look at the beautiful tomatoes in my share, this tomato toast recipe came into my head.
This is summer food, people. Almost no cooking and the stars are the fresh tomatoes and the garlic scapes. Scapes are the buds of a garlic plant and they are cut off to promote growth of the bulb. They taste just like garlic, but a little milder. This butter will take your garlic bread to a whole new level. And don’t save it just for bread: use it to saute vegetables (I’m using it tonight for zoodles); put a dollop on a fresh grill steak; rub it on a chicken before roasting… (eat it with a spoon?!)
The other star here is the tomato. Pretty, isn’t she? Tastes even better. And don’t skip the salt. It makes the tomato taste oh so much better.
It’s summer. Don’t fuss. Looking for more fuss-free food? This tomato salad, Asian slaw, and chicken souvlaki are all super easy.
- 4 garlic scapes, coarsely chopped
- ½ pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ½ tsp. Kosher salt
- Zest of half a lemon
- 4 slices crusty bread
- 4 large slices ripe tomato, the best you can find
- Maldon sea salt, or other flaky salt
- To make the butter, put the scapes in the bowl of a mini processor and process until finely minced.
- In a small bowl, combine the butter, minced scapes, Kosher salt and lemon zest.
- Scoop butter into ramekins and chill until ready to use. (Butter can be made ahead. Remove from refrigerator and allow to soften a bit before proceeding.)
- Heat a grill or grill pan and toast the bread on both sides until well toasted (you want some dark spots).
- Spread some butter on each slice of bread. Top with a slice of tomato and sprinkle with a little sea salt. Serve immediately.
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