Recipes: Tomato crumble

TOMATO CRUMBLE

Serves 4 to 6.

Note: I've used sweet, fruity red heirloom tomatoes (such as Brandy Boy) and good locally grown tomatoes in this crumble, both with great results.

• Olive oil

• 21/2 to 3 lb. summer tomatoes (see Note)

• 3 tbsp. chopped fresh basil, plus sprigs for garnish

• 1 tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary, plus sprigs for garnish

• Freshly ground black pepper

•³/₄c. fresh bread crumbs, made from day-old peasant white bread, including the crust

•³/₄c. grated Parmesan cheese, preferably Parmigiano Reggiano

•¹/₂c. pine nuts

• 6 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into small dice

Arrange a rack at center position and preheat oven to 375 degrees. Oil a shallow 2-quart baking dish and set aside.

Stem tomatoes, then halve horizontally. Squeeze halves lightly to extract juice, then scoop out seeds. Cut into 1-inch chunks and drain chunks in a colander for 20 minutes. (The amount of liquid that drains from the tomatoes will vary depending on the variety of tomato.)

Spread the tomato chunks in the baking dish. Add the basil, rosemary, salt and several grinds of black pepper, and toss.

Mix together the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and pine nuts in a large bowl. Add the butter and mix well with your hands until mixture is crumbly. Spread the mixture on top of the tomatoes.

Bake the tomato crumble until the topping is crisp and slightly browned and juices are bubbling, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from the oven. Do not worry if there is liquid in the pan; you can spoon it out or leave as is. (The crumble can be prepared 3 hours ahead. Cool and leave at room temperature. Reheat in a preheated 350-degree oven until warm, about 15 minutes or longer.)

Nutrition information per serving:

Calories285Fat24 gSodium682 mg

Carbohydrates11 gSaturated fat10 gCalcium201 mg

Protein9 gCholesterol40 mgDietary fiber2 g