Chew on This | Basil Tomato Stack

Ahhh, summer's bounty. Right from my backyard. 

I gave Mimi a bag of our tomatoes and this was one of the simple, and simply delicious, dishes she made. (To be on the up and up, 'simply delicious' were her words. I'm not inclined to eat a fresh, beautiful tomato. Not my thing.) Anyway. There's creamy cheese. Plus herbs. Well, herb - basil. And toasted pine nuts. And a dressing that will knock your socks off (That stuff I'd drink from a glass, if offered.)

You could serve this Basil Tomato Stack as a starter salad. How impressive - visually and otherwise. Or for lunch with some crusty, warm bread - nice. Take advantage of your own garden's bounty, or someone else's, while the tomatoes are abundant and perfectly ripe and while the basil is bush like! 

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Here's our recipe:

Basil Tomato Stack

(serves two)

2 large tomatoes, sliced 1/3" thick

4 ounces crumbled goat cheese (or feta cheese, if preferred)

1 T toasted pine nuts

salt and pepper

Dressing:

2 T fresh lemon juice

4 T extra virgin olive oil

1 clove garlic, finely minced

1 T basil, finely chopped

3-5 whole, fresh basil leaves for garnish

In a small bowl, whisk together all of your dressing ingredients and set aside.

Assemble your Basil Tomato Stacks by placing a tomato slice, each, on two serving dishes. Sprinkle each slice with some goat cheese. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with a bit of your dressing. Repeat- continue to layer on tomatoes, cheese, seasoning and dressing until you have stacked four tomato slices on each plate. Top each stack with a bit more cheese and toss on some pine nuts. Garnish plate with a few whole basil leaves and drizzle a final dose of dressing on top. Enjoy!