IT’S THE HEIGHT OF TOMATO SEASON AND TOMATO BREAD PUDDING IS A MUST-COOK!
Farmstand Tomatoes are at the peak of perfection right now
We’re just back from a wonderful two weeks in Europe. The one thing that made us happy to be back was Tomatoes! Yes, Chewing The Fat’s already shared several ways to use them this season. (See our landing page and you’ll see what we mean: https://chewingthefat.us.com/) But we couldn’t wait to make this incredible dish: Tomato Bread Pudding. With its crispy, crunchy croutons, two Italian cheeses, and a heavenly creamy tomatoey filling, it’s a wonderful dinner party dish. It’s always the hit of the evening when we serve it. I wait all year to make fresh tomato dishes. Sorry no ‘tomato on the vine’ can compete with the flavor and goodness of a great summer tomato. I will admit grape and cherry tomatoes are fine substitutes in the off-season. But of all the tomato dishes we’ve been gorging ourselves on, this recipe for Tomato Bread Pudding is right at the top of our list.
TOMATO BREAD PUDDING ISN’T THAT INVOLVED BUT IT DOES REQUIRE TIME.
The tomatoes have to roast, the Italian bread has to toast and the marvelous custard goes into the oven for about an hour. So allow yourself some time and reward yourself with an unforgettable use of tomatoes. The original recipe came from Gourmet (RIP). It used plum tomatoes but my farm stand has beautiful round red tomatoes that I substituted. If anything, I’d tuck even more tomatoes into the dish. And if they don’t fit, ripe, red tomatoes make a wonderful addition to a breakfast of bacon and eggs. Here’s the recipe:
TOMATO BREAD PUDDING
August 4, 2024
: 10
: 15 min
: Do not be put off by the cooking time. The prep is easy and the result is worth every minute it takes to make
A truly superb side dish featuring Tomatoes, the stars of every summer season.
By: Monte Mathews
Ingredients
3 pounds ripe red tomatoes, halved crosswise. Slice the bottoms to get rid of the stem and to help them sit up straight on the baking sheet.
1 1/2 teaspoon Herbes de Provence
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 head garlic, left whole
10 cups cubed (1-inch) country-style Italian bread (1 pound)
2 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
8 large eggs
2 cups coarsely grated chilled Italian Fontina (9 ounces)
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Directions
Step 1Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in middle. Butter a 3-quart shallow baking dish (about 13 by 9 inches).
Step 2 Arrange the tomatoes cut side up in a large, heavy 4-sided sheet pan. Sprinkle them with herbes de Provence, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
Step 3 Cut off and discard 1/4 inch from the top of the garlic head to expose cloves, then put on a sheet of foil and drizzle with 1 teaspoon of oil. Wrap garlic in foil and roast in a pan with tomatoes until tomatoes are browned but still juicy and garlic is soft, 50 to 60 minutes. (Leave oven on.)
Step 4 Cool garlic to warm, then force through a medium-mesh sieve with a rubber spatula, discarding skins. Reserve purée
Step 5 Toss bread cubes in a large bowl with remaining oil until coated, then spread out in a large 4-sided sheet pan and bake until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in pan.
Step 6 Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Whisk together milk, cream, eggs, garlic purée, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Stir in cheeses. Transfer the bread to the baking dish, then pour the egg mixture over the bread. Add tomatoes, pushing some down between bread cubes. Bake until firm to the touch and golden brown in spots, 50 to 60 minutes. Serves 10. But be prepared to have guests clamoring for more.
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Take it from a very satisfied consumer of this delish-dish…it's a wondrous and surprising side-dish… or meal (I coulda eaten "the whole thing," but propriety (and the presence of other guests) prevented me from doing do.
Take it from a very satisfied consumer of this delish-dish…it's a wondrous and surprising side-dish… or meal (I coulda eaten "the whole thing," but propriety (and the presence of other guests) prevented me from doing do.