Mallorcan Tomato Toast is delicious as a meal or party appetizers.
Think about your travels for a minute and I bet you can remember a certain dish from a region/country that can make you smile and your mouth water.
“Food is an effective trigger of deeper memories of feelings and emotions, internal states of the mind and body.” – Harvard University Press
And another effective trigger is Karen Kaplan’s new book Open Faced: Single-Slice Sandwiches from Around the World. I opened it to a recipe for Mallorcan Tomato Toast – a gorgeous Spanish open-faced sandwich – which I immediately wanted to make. The recipe on its own transports me back to such amazing good times in Palma, Mallorca, Spain, where I was married. So, to relive the past in the most luscious way possible I made Mallorcan Tomato Toast. Oh, a favorite is born!
Mallorcan Tomato Toast is just one of many mouth-watering globally-inspired recipes from Kaplan’s book. Inside you will find 65 other savory recipes ready to transport your taste buds on an international journey.
You will discover bitterbrote (Germany), tartines (France) molletes (Mexico) and smorrebrod (Scandinavia) to name just a few.
I recently attended a media meet-and-greet with Karen Kaplan at Melissa’s Produce. Karen a former Bon Appetit editor and world traveler who is a font of information about every aspect of food shared with us her discoveries about the commonality of the open-faced sandwiches around the world. According to Kaplan, the toppings people put on their bread is a window into the culinary soul of their country. I’d never thought of it that way but realized in all my own travels, I’ve certainly observed the unique combinations when tasting open-faced sandwiches everywhere I’ve gone.
Karen assembled these simple and deliciously varied recipes for us, then urged us on to make our own sandwiches, using our own favorite ingredients and imaginations. We sampled many, each more delicious than the last.
Here are a few of the open-faced sandwiches we sampled at Melissa’s Produce:
Roast Beef with Horseradish – Cornichon Cream page 72 (Scandinavia)
Crab and Corn Salad page 103 (Russia)
Hummus with Greek Salad and Yogurt page 119
Ratatouille tartine page 19 (France)
Can you imagine your guests’ delight if they were presented with these gorgeous bites as a meal? Or, perhaps even better, as Karen suggests, letting your guests build their own open-faced sandwiches as a way to build a party, and take your friends on a fascinating journey into the culinary souls’ of the worlds’ cuisine.
Today’s Recipe: Mallorcan Tomato Toasts
Always start with the best and freshest ingredients.
This simple recipe is delicious on its own or it can be the base for anchovies, jamon, cheese and whatever else you might find lurking in your refrigerator.
Mallorcan Tomato Toast is perfect for supper with a salad or serve it as an appetizer with Mini Spanish Potato Tortillas. Karen suggests a white or rose from Mallorca, or the Rioja wine region to enhance your Spanish experience.
Mallorcan Tomato Toast
Ingredients
- 4 slices country bread thick cut
- 4 tomatoes juicy, vine ripened
- extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
- coarse salt for sprinkling
- 1/2 cup oil-cured black olives pitted and chopped
- 1/2 cup capers rinsed, drained and minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves minced
Instructions
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Grill, broil, or toast bread. Arrange toasts on a platter or individual plates.
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Using a very sharp or serrated knife, cut tomatoes into paper thin slices. Discard core and end pieces.
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Arrange tomato slices from 1 tomato across surface of each toast, overlapping if necessary. Using a spatula, press tomato slices into toast to release juices into bread. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt.
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Mix olives, parsley, capers, and thyme in a small bowl. Divide mixture among toasts, spooning over tomatoes, and serve.
Whether you like your sandwich rustic or refined, simple or sophisticated, the recipes in Open Faced are easy to make and ideal for weekday cooking, weekend entertaining. And if you love to travel, even if it’s in your mind or on your plate, this book is for you.
…and then, she paused for thought
Disclaimer: I was given a copy of Open Faced to review. All opinions are my own.
Yum
Looks beautiful and simple to make… must try!
Thanks Cheri, it is so simple and delicious. Perfect party fare.
Mmmmmm, they look like great party treats! I need to find a bakery for good crusty bread. Did you make the bread?
I have been making a lot of sour dough bread lately because I was given starter and it is multiplying like rabbits! This book has helped me rediscover my love of bread with fun toppings.
That looks totally delicious. I love open faced sandwiches of any kind. And especially the ones they make in Spain and Italy. Just too good!
Thanks Simone, I couldn’t agree with you more.
As always, your dishes are as beautiful as I’m sure they are delicious! I’ll bet your homemade sourdough is amazing. I can’t wait to try these recipes ~ hmmm, which to make first?!?!
Thanks Sue! There are so many great recipes to choose from.
It’s interesting that tomato toast is a Spanish thing because it’s also a Southern U.S. thing. My mom used to eat tomato toast when it got real hot outside. My mom’s Southern version has lots of mayo and gets sprinkled with some sort of seed if I remember correctly Maybe mustard seeds. GREG
Wow, that is really interesting. I haven’t heard of that version. But I am a Midwest girl and we were big on BLTs.
I wish I could have gone to this event. The photo of your sandwich – open-faced, that is – looks beautiful, in fact. And it’s mouth-watering!
Thanks, Valentina, you would have really enjoyed the event and this unique book.
Definitely a Mallorcan version of Italian bruschetta! I’d love this! One of my absolute favorite types of food. I fell in love the Spanish version of pan con tomate, too! Lovely pics, Cathy!
Yes it really is. So many variations of this classic in many cultures.