Simply Marinated Tomato Crostini

When tomatoes are in season they need almost no manipulation. The marinade is simply a little salt, maybe a mild onion like shallots or red onion, some lemon and drizzle of good Extra Virgin Olive Oil. When tomatoes are not in season, the marinade is still simple but I’ll maybe throw in some fresh herb like parsley or add in a little distilled white vinegar to give the crostini a little bit of a pucker. No matter the season, these tomatoes are perfect.

Let’s talk about everything we need to have in place in order to make these crostini.

• Cutting Board
• Sharp chef knife and bread knife
• Sheet pan
• Mixing bowls
• Serving Trays

Ingredients:

• Tomatoes – When tomatoes are in season, head to the nearest farmers market and grab them up. When not in season, check for where the tomatoes are grown. Always aim to buy local. If you live in NYC and the tomatoes say they’re from mexico.. That’s one hell of a long trip and the tomatoes won’t be as flavorful and chances are they will be more expensive. Also look for tomatoes that have consistent coloring throughout. Patches could mean they were ripened off the vine in order to ship them.. These are a little flavorless too. They should also feel heavy and be smooth, no wrinkles. And lastly, smell it. If it smells like a tomato, it’s good. If you smell nothing, keep picking.
• Red Onion/Shallot – These two alliums are rather mild in flavor and that’s what we want. The tomatoes need to shine. They’re more like costars.
• Lemon – Lemons are my preferred acid for damn near most things. It has a light and fresh flavor but also has a great pucker. If you don’t have lemon, you can sub in white wine vinegar, champagne vinegar or rice wine vinegar.
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Pick a good one. It should say Extra Virgin and grown,pressed and bottled in one country. It should also be cold pressed, meaning no heat was used to make it. Evoo should also have a best by date. This oil does not get better with age, fresh is best. If you’re ever presented with the opportunity to taste before buying, definitely do so. If it tastes good to you, its good 😉
• Kosher Salt and Freshly Cracked Black Pepper. Tomatoes love salt.. Point blank. Freshly cracked black pepper lend these crostini their very subtle heat.
• French Baguette. This is my fave for crostini. Bagiettes are long and thin with a crisp crust and a deliciousy chewy inside

Ok this is the fun part where we put it all together. This recipe is so simple, no measurements needed. Toast your bread and in the meantime ,Cut the tomatoes in halves or quarters. Miince or dice small your onions. Add in the parsley, then Season with a healthy dash of Kosher Salt and black pepper and dress it with fresh lemon juice and Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Taste and adjust seasoning as you see fit. Serve on top of toasts, sit back and watch as the entire platter is devoured so make sure you have enough to make more 😉

Not making it today, Prep it.

There’s not that much advance prep that needs to be done for these simply marinated tomato crostini but there’s always ways to make our lives easier. Your best bet here is to wash, thoroughly dry and store your produce the day you buy them. Slicing and freezing the bread is also a great time saver too.

• Wash tomatoes in a solution of 3 parts water to 1 part white distilled vinegar for about 5 minutes. Drain them in a salad spinner lined with kitchen towels or paper towels. Spin dry and transfer them to another container/bowl. No need to refrigerate them. Eat them within 5 days.
• Wash lemons in 3 parts water and 1 part vinegar and towel dry. Store them on your countertop.
• Slice the baguette when you get home from the market, place them in a ziplock bag and stick in the freezer until ready to use. When ready to eat, no need to defrost just increase the cooking time by up to 5 minutes.