I knew I had to have an accompaniment with my beef tenderloin and with all the different varieties of heirloom tomatoes around, why not cook them my favorite way? A few of these heirloom tomatoes are from my garden and some from my sous chef Chuck Taylor.
Pick out some small or medium heirloom tomatoes.
Prepare topping:
1 cup of Panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup chopped fresh Thai Basil
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
freshly cracked black pepper
Kosher Salt
Cut tomatoes in half and place them in a baking dish
Toss the Panko crumbs with the Thai basil, olive oil and Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper
Drizzle a little olive oil on top
Season with salt and pepper.
6 heirloom tomatoes, sliced thin
Lay the sliced tomatoes and a rack over a cookie sheet to catch the drippings. Drizzle with Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place in a preheated 200 degree oven for a couple of hours or until dry. The dried tomatoes can be stored in olive oil in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks.
They are great on pizzas, salads or serve with cheese and crackers!!
My family grew some delicious heirloom tomatoes this year, with seeds from Baker Creek. We’ve eaten tons & tons fresh, but since we’ve got so many, I developed a really simple Thai-inspired eggplant-tomato curry (with a little organic beef) that features cherry tomatoes (in our case, old world Riesentraube tomatoes) added at the last moment, so that they retain all that’s lovely about a fresh tomato. As it happens, I posted this on my blog today; check it out at http://eatwithjoy.wordpress.com/2011/08/07/sunday-recipe-summer-thai-curry/. Growing your own=the recession-friendly option! Otherwise, I think we’d have only the stuff from cans. I’m definitely going to try these–they look delicious!
Beautiful tomatoes. And love the crunchy panko topping. I’ve got some beefsteak varieties ripening in my yard. Definitely going to have to save some for this dish.
Wondering where I can find Thai basil. I’ve read that there is a mild licorice flavor.
I’m not a fan of licorice. Would regular sweet basil work as well?
@ susan – Thai basil should be in any Asian market that sells produce, it has a purplish color. I highly recommend trying it over fish, chicken and soups as a late addition, finely chopped. The pungent basil flavors have an overtone of anise that is not overpowering and subtly works with the flavoring of many dishes.
If you’re short of Thai Basil, ypu can find are other pungent, spicy types of basil such as those used to make pesto. Ask around, or plant some seeds.
I never use spice blends or prepared sauces, so fresh herbs are my #1 go-to.