Grill/Barbecue

Grilled Tomatoes with Blue Cheese and Pine Nuts

by:
July 26, 2010
0
0 Ratings
  • Serves 4
Author Notes

When you think of summer grilling, tomatoes probably aren't the first thing to come to mind, but they take beautifully to a little char and smoke. This recipe is loosely inspired by a tapas dish from Gourmet magazine -- Roasted Sweet Onions with Cabrales Blue Cheese. A few summers ago, I adapted it for tomatoes, and it's been a favorite ever since. What I like most is the contrast of flavor and texture in each bite. Large, firm tomatoes (beefsteak or meaty heirlooms) work best since they hold up nicely on the grill. They taste equally good served warm or at room temperature, making them a nice make-ahead dish that can be served as tapas or family style on a large platter. —EmilyC

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
  • 2 large, firm tomatoes, cored and sliced horizontally 1/2" to 3/4" thick (beefsteak or meaty heirlooms work well)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil (for coating the tomatoes before grilling)
  • kosher salt and pepper, to taste
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons sherry vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon finely chopped anchovy, from one small anchovy fillet
  • 2 ounces Cabrales (or other blue cheese), crumbled
Directions
  1. 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.
  2. Preheat grill to medium, or alternatively, prepare grill pan indoors.
  3. Brush tomatoes with olive oil on both sides to fully coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Go light on the salt if you're using a particularly salty blue cheese.
  4. Grill tomatoes until lightly charred on each side, about 2 minutes total. Flip the tomatoes every 30 seconds to make sure they don’t burn.
  5. In a small bowl, whisk together extra virgin olive oil, sherry vinegar, and anchovy. Taste for seasoning and balance.
  6. Off the grill, top each tomato slice with crumbled Cabrales and drizzle with the anchovy vinaigrette. Top with toasted pine nuts.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • boulangere
    boulangere
  • EmilyC
    EmilyC
  • Sagegreen
    Sagegreen
  • Loves Food Loves to Eat
    Loves Food Loves to Eat
EmilyC

Recipe by: EmilyC

I'm a home cook. I love salads. Two things you'll always find in my refrigerator are lemons and butter, and in my pantry good quality chocolate and the makings for chocolate chip cookies.

5 Reviews

boulangere June 7, 2012
Mmmmmmmmmm
 
EmilyC June 7, 2012
Thanks B! Just thinking about this dish makes me SO excited for peak tomato season. You can never have too many ways to prepare good tomatoes.
 
EmilyC August 1, 2010
Thanks, Sagegreen! I've only tried sherry vinegar, but I think any type of balsamic would work well here.
 
Sagegreen August 1, 2010
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?
 
Loves F. July 26, 2010
Yum! This sounds great!