Pan con Tomate

Cuisine: Spanish

Cook Time: 15 Minutes

Serves: 4

When unexpected guests turn up, this tasty treat is sure to come to your rescue. Quick and easy, its flavorful taste lingers for a long time. Learn how to make a dish that is equal parts crispy and juicy with just a few ingredients.

Ripened tomatoes
Rustic or unleavened bread
Garlic
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Chives

The perfect appetizer for every occasion!

Cut the loaf of bread into slices of medium thickness and toast on a baking sheet at 250 °F until it turns brown evenly. Flip halfway through.
Wash 2 tomatoes and dry them. Cut them in half, get rid of the stem and skin, and grate them into a bowl on a box grater. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt to it. Adjust portions if necessary.
Chop a clove of garlic and rub it on the toasted bread. Spoon the tomato pulp on the slices of the garlic toast and top it with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle salt on it as per taste.
Optionally, add a slice of Serrano or Iberian jamón or a juicy slice of cheese.
Garnish with chopped chives and serve.

Chef Tip: After the drizzle of extra virgin olive oil on the sliced bread, place it under the broiler until it turns brown, crisp, and begins to char around the edges. This level of crispiness is needed to balance the juicy tomato so that the snack does not turn limp.

The next time your kids ask for a new snack, try this recipe out. Watch their eyes light up as they gobble up this delectable and healthy snack while handing over the favorite parent trophy to you!

Quick Bites

Fun Fact

• The name translates as bread with tomato, and that's basically all it is.

• Special variety of Tomato called tomate de colgar are used and in English, they’re referred to as hanging tomatoes or winter storage tomatoes.

Historical Fact

• Pan Con Tomate originated in northern Spain, in the region of Catalonia.

• Few theories suggest that Pan con Tomate developed from bread drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with salt that had been present in Mediterranean cuisine since the time of the ancient Greeks.

Nutrition Fact

• Extra virgin olive oil is one of the best oils. It is the least refined type of olive oil because it’s pressed mechanically rather than processed with heat or chemicals that change its properties.

• Tomatoes are part of the nightshade family of vegetables. While they’re packed with nutrients like vitamins C and K, plus potassium and folate and the antioxidant lycopene, some people claim they cause pain and inflammation.