How To Pair Cheese And Tomatoes For The Ultimate Toasty Treat

Pizza may be the universal champion of cheese and tomato pairings, but when the produce is fresh and the weather is hot you should be stepping away from the oven and making some tomato toast. The crunch of toasted bread combined with the sweetness of a tangy, meaty tomato is the kind of thing that convinced mankind to put down the hunting spears and start growing crops in the first place. It's simple, elemental, and undeniable. You don't need any special gear; you don't need fancy techniques or a lot of time; and it will still knock the socks off almost anything else you'll eat during the year. The one thing you do need, however, is the right combination of ingredients. Grab a bland tomato that isn't ripe, or an underwhelming cheese, and you might as well be eating the bread by itself.

The centerpiece for tomato toast is the produce, which should be where most of the flavor is coming from, with everything else there to prop it up. There are two important things to look for when it comes to the type of tomatoes you choose for toast: They should be heirloom tomatoes and as fresh as possible. Non-heirloom varieties like beefsteak tomatoes have mostly been bred for characteristics like uniformity and durability, not taste, so heirloom breeds are the most likely to deliver big, sweet tomato flavor. If you can't find heirloom, tomatoes that are smaller, with a deep coloring and strong smell will taste best.

It's also important to get your tomatoes from the right place. The grocery store may be convenient, but even when tomatoes are in season, supermarkets usually ship in produce that has been picked far before optimal development so they travel better. There really is no substitute for a tomato that has fully ripened on the vine, and those usually come from farmer's markets.

On the cheese side you have a few great options depending on how you want to prepare your tomato toast. If you're melting the cheese, fresh mozzarella is the way to go. It melts well with a creamy fat to balance out the tomato, and its mild flavor lets the tomato shine. If you prefer not to melt cheese, there are two angles to take. For a lighter, fresh flavor, spread some whole milk ricotta on your toast before layering on the tomato to deliver a richness and subtle milky taste that will turn the whole thing into a Mediterranean dream. If you prefer the cheese to stand out a little more, and you want something a little sweet and salty ... Spanish Manchego is ideal. Grated or crumbled over the tomato, it will add an umami savoriness and nutty notes that will give your tomato toast incredible complexity. Just remember to keep the fromage light, because the star of tomato toast is in the name. Now grab some crusty bread and get toasting.