Tomato Travels (and Pan con Tomate Recipe) – Part 2
By Kira Hamman
Costa Brava, Catalonia
The Costa Brava is a gorgeous stretch of Mediterranean coast north of Barcelona that is characterized by rocky beaches, sparkling waters, and laid-back locals.
Menus are printed not in Castilian (the language you and I think of as Spanish) but in Catalan, which makes ordering at the charming outdoor cafés tricky even if you think of yourself as a Spanish speaker.
Nevertheless, take a seat, order a pitcher of sangria, and moments later your table will be graced by not only a frosty drink but by a plate of pan con tomate, bread with tomato. Rather like the ubiquitous bread basket our country’s restaurants offer, pan con tomate usually comes whether you order it or not. Unlike the bread basket, though, pan con tomate is delicious.
Naturally, I took it upon myself to discover exactly what this treat is and how to make it, which led to many expansively gestured “conversations” with long-suffering waitstaff. It turns out that the trick is to rub the tomato on the bread, leaving the yummy pulpy stuff and throwing out the skin. Mmmm!
Here’s my version:
Pan con Tomate
- 1 crusty baguette, sliced into ½ inch thick rounds
- Several ripe tomatoes
- Several cloves of garlic
- Olive oil
- Salt
Toast the bread if you like. In the restaurants it’s usually not toasted, but I kind of like it that way.
Cut the garlic cloves in half and rub the bread with them. This works better if it’s toasted, which is one of the reasons I like it that way.
Slice the tomatoes into thick slices and vigorously rub one slice onto each piece of bread. The bread should turn pink but not get soggy.
Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Serve with sangria.
Bon profit!
July 17th, 2008 at 8:49 am
Sounds delicious!