4Q Consulting, LLC | Restaurant Consulting NYC | Late Summer Heirloom Tomato Gratin

Late Summer Heirloom Tomato Gratin – grab a hold of the end of summer with this simple easy side dish.

This is an exquisite dish and very easy to pull together. In fact, you can prepare it ahead of time and warm it just before serving. Although they can overlap slightly, the tomatoes should essentially bake in a single layer, so make sure you have a large shallow dish, or use 2 small ones. If you have access to heirloom tomatoes, use them. The visual impact is a WOW, not to mention the flavor is amazing.  In the Restaurant, these can be made individually as side dishes.

• 3 Large Ripe Tomatoes, Preferably Heirloom, Cored and Sliced 1/2" thick
• 3 Garlic Cloves, minced
• 3 TBSP EVOO, plus extra for greasing pan
• 1 Cup Coarse, Fresh Bread Crumbs
• Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 1/3 Cup Finely Grated Good Parmesan Cheese
• 1/4 Cup Roughly Clipped Basil

Place the tomato slices between 2 paper towels and let stand for 45 minutes to an hour. This will remove some of the liquid and keep the gratin from being soggy. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F with a rack in the center position.  Brush a large, shallow gratin dish or earthenware casserole with a little olive oil.  Arrange the tomato slices only just slightly overlapping in the dish. Season lightly with salt and pepper and scatter half the basil over the top.  Heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and sauté only until the aroma is released, about 45 seconds. Remove from the heat and stir in the bread crumbs and a pinch more salt and pepper. Scatter the bread crumb mixture over the tomatoes and top with the Parmesan cheese.  Bake for about 15 minutes, until the crumbs are golden. If desired, let stand for up to 1 hour, and reheat in a low oven for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Just before serving, garnish with the remaining 2 tablespoons of basil.

Enjoy!

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All original content copyright Noelle E. Ifshin, 2012-2013.