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I love using fresh, in season ingredients in my cooking. When fruits and vegetables are in season, they’re cheaper and more flavorful,, so of course I’m going to take full advantage of that!
We got an overabundance of heirloom tomatoes from a local farm this year and I am experimenting with them making tons of recipes before they go bad!
What’s an Heirloom Tomato?
An heirloom tomato is generally a tomato that grows from a plant that has been past down through several generations of a family. Most plants have the potential to be designated heirloom. This is loosely defined as those plants grown by generations of gardeners, whose saved seeds produce plants with consistent traits. But heirloom tomatoes offer an intense flavor that put them in a class of their own.
These tomatoes come in a variety of colors. While often referred to as “black” tomatoes, most of these heirloom tomato varieties are more of a maroon or purple-brown color. Black tomatoes tend to have an earthy, almost smoky sweetness to them, with a bit less acid than red tomatoes.
There’s also these small yellow tomatoes called Sun Sugar Tomatoes. Although called yellow cherry, these little tomatoes are orange at their peak, making almost more bite-sized bursts of sweetness than you can imagine on each plant.
But don’t worry. If you don’t have any heirloom tomatoes hanging around, any grocery store variety tomato will work. Just make sure they’re fresh.
Ready to get cooking?
Heirloom Tomato Toast
Ingredients
- Sliced heirloom tomatoes
- 1 large slice of sandwich bread
- 1 tablespoon cream cheese Philadelphia regular worked well for us
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh chives rinsed and chopped
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Olive oil to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Toast bread slice brushed with olive oil until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Take out of the oven and cool completely. Alternatively, you can use your toaster.
- Combine cream cheese and chives in a small bowl. Season with pepper to taste.
- Spread herb cream cheese mixture onto cooled bread slice leaving a 1/2-inch crust around the edges.
- Top with sliced heirloom tomatoes and a sprinkle of coarse salt (optional), pepper and chives. Slice and serve immediately with a drizzle olive oil, if desired.
Other recipes you may like:
Garlic and Black Pepper Lemon Pasta with Spinach and Cherry Tomatoes
