Recipe

Grilled Heirlooms with Blue Cheese and Pine Nuts

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Photo by EmilyC

This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Recipe Using Heirloom Tomatoes
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EmilyC's Notes: Despite the short ingredient list, these grilled tomatoes are full of flavor. The dish is inspired by a tapas recipe from Gourmet magazine for Roasted Sweet Onions with Cabrales Blue Cheese...
Despite the short ingredient list, these grilled tomatoes are full of flavor. The dish is inspired by a tapas recipe from Gourmet magazine for Roasted Sweet Onions with Cabrales Blue Cheese. A few summers ago, during peak tomato season, I adapted the recipe to showcase heirlooms, and it's been a favorite ever since. Large, firm heirlooms (e.g., Mortgage Lifter) work best since they hold up nicely on the grill. The grilled heirlooms taste equally good served warm or at room temperature, making them a nice make-ahead dish that can be served as tapas or a side dish.

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Serves 4

2 Heirloom tomatoes, cored and sliced 3/4 to 1-inch thick Ask a question about this ingredient

2 tablespoons olive oil Ask a question about this ingredient

kosher salt and pepper, to taste Ask a question about this ingredient

2 ounces Cabrales (or other blue cheese), crumbled Ask a question about this ingredient

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil Ask a question about this ingredient

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar Ask a question about this ingredient

1/4 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted Ask a question about this ingredient

Toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium-low heat, shaking the pan often to ensure even browning. When lightly toasted and fragrant, remove skillet from heat and transfer pine nuts to a plate to cool.
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Preheat grill to medium, or alternatively, prepare grill pan indoors.
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Brush tomatoes with olive oil on both sides to fully coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
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Grill tomatoes until lightly charred on each side, about 1 to 2 minutes total. Flip the tomatoes every 30 seconds to make sure they don’t overly brown.
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Off the grill, top each tomato slice with crumbled Cabrales and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and sherry vinegar. Top with toasted pine nuts.
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3 Comments on Grilled Heirlooms with Blue Cheese and Pine Nuts

EmilyC added about 1 year ago

Thanks, Sagegreen! I've only tried sherry vinegar, but I think any type of balsamic would work well here.

Sagegreen added about 1 year ago

This looks lovely. I would probably change up the vinegar, because I am not a big fan of the sherry, but maybe a white balsamic or riesling other type? Any suggestions for alternatives?