I'm the type of person who usually needs an after-work snack -- maybe it was all the years of being granted an after-school snack when I was younger. Sometimes it won't be the best snack, like some chips or a Lil' Drum, but when I have fresh produce on hand, I'm inspired to make something a little healthier and less likely to fill me up too much before dinner.
A couple of evenings last week when I got in from work, I made myself the tastiest, yet simplest, snack with the heirloom tomatoes I collected at the farmers' market last weekend. All you need to make these are a leftover baguette, heirloom tomatoes, good olive oil, coarse salt, and a fridge full of your favorite cheese.
Slice the baguette and lightly toast the slices. (I found four slices to be plenty for one snack.) Drizzle the slices with olive oil.
Top each slice with a piece of cheese and a slice of tomato. Sprinkle with salt. Here, I used ricotta salata (a firm ricotta cheese) and slices of yellow and red heirloom tomatoes. (Don't worry about cutting into whole tomatoes just to make this snack. Save the leftovers for a salad later on.)
If you have cherry tomatoes, quarter them and pile them on top of the baguette slices with chunks of cheese. Here, I used feta. There's no need to sprinkle these with salt if you have a nice, briny feta or other salty cheese.
You'll love this simple snack that showcases the various textures and flavors of ripe summer heirloom tomatoes!
Do you usually need an after-work snack? What sorts of things do you snack on?
Do you love summer tomatoes as much as I do? How do you use them?
Remember, if you make something with anything you've grown, gotten through a CSA, or found at a farmers' market, you can email me a link to your post (and a picture if you'd like) by Friday, and I'll include it in my weekly farmers' market roundup. I think it's so beneficial to share recipes and ideas for what to do with abundant summer produce!