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Make fresh tomatoes the stars of your summer dishes Wednesday Aug 10, 2016 at 12:01 AM By Jan Roberts-Dominguezfor the Mail Tribune It's time to enjoy local sun-ripened tomatoes. They are truly one of the season’s blazing triumphs — plump, colorful, aromatic and juicy. My favorite short-term approach hasn’t changed in umpteen years: two slices of a whole-grain bread, toasted to perfection, slathered with a silky layer of mayonnaise then piled high with tender sheets of lettuce, crisp ribbons of bacon and thick slices of juicy tomato still warm from the afternoon sun. Beyond a bounty of BLTs, there’s gazpacho by the gallons, decadent pinwheel platters of juicy tomato slices with fresh mozzarella, and endless bowls of plump Sun Golds. Life is good. Indeed, there are plenty of fresh options to occupy your appetite, and I’m going to share a few of my favorites. One is a bruschetta preparation in which I roast some garlic and turn it into a flavorful puree that I spread on toasted bread before adding tomatoes. Then I drizzle on an intense balsamic vinegar reduction and tiny drops of fresh pesto. It’s a heavenly approach, but it’s not a recipe to be taken lightly. There are a few extra steps that you’ll need to take to achieve perfection. Your reward will be a satisfying round of groans from your fellow diners. I keep last-minute preparations to a minimum by making each of the components — the Roasted Garlic Puree, balsamic vinegar reduction and pesto — ahead. All three mixtures will keep in the refrigerator for weeks. Then it’s a simple matter of assembly.   Classic Tomato Bruschetta with Roasted Garlic Puree Makes 8 generous servings 8 (½-inch thick) slices good-quality crusty Italian-style bread About ¼ cup Roasted Garlic Puree (recipe follows) 3 vine-ripe tomatoes (medium-sized), chopped and drained 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil Pinch of salt Freshly ground black pepper 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar reduction (recipe follows) About 3 tablespoons pesto, either commercially prepared or homemade Grill or toast the bread until nicely browned on both sides. Depending on the size of servings you want, either leave the bread slices whole or cut each one into halves or thirds. Spread each piece with a thin layer of the Roasted Garlic Puree. Combine the tomatoes, olive oil, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Toss gently. Spoon the mixture onto the grilled bread slices. Drizzle each piece with some of the balsamic vinegar and pesto, then serve. ROASTED GARLIC PUREE: Place 15 to 20 peeled garlic cloves on a sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle with a bit of freshly ground black pepper and a pinch or two of salt. Gather up the edges of the foil to enclose the cloves without completely sealing the package shut (if it’s tightly sealed, the cloves will steam rather than roast and won’t develop as rich of a flavor). Place the packet of garlic over a medium-hot bed of coals (or in a gas grill, or in a 350-degree oven), and roast until the cloves are soft, about 20 to 25 minutes). Let the garlic and oil cool, then scrape it into a blender and blend until the mixture forms a puree, adding a little extra oil if necessary (you can also scrape the roasted cloves and the olive oil onto a plate and mash with a fork). Mixture can be prepared several weeks ahead and refrigerated until needed.  BALSAMIC VINEGAR REDUCTION: To turn an average balsamic vinegar into a very rich and flavorful one, pour 2 cups of balsamic vinegar in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add ½ cup coarsely chopped yellow onion, 1 coarsely chopped clove of garlic, 2 teaspoons of sugar, and about 10 or 12 peppercorns. Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer until the mixture has reduced down to about ½ to 1/3 cup and is thickened and somewhat syrupy. Let the mixture cool and then strain through a fine sieve (press the onions and garlic with the back of a wooden spoon to squeeze out all of the juicy balsamic vinegar). Store the reduction in a tightly closed jar. It will keep for months. Use it to drizzle over tomatoes and fresh mozzarella, or to jazz up a vegetable saute or to drizzle over roasting vegetables. Makes 1/3 to ½ cup.   Panzanella with Backyard Tomatoes and Jan’s Homemade Croutons Makes 4 servings. Panzanella is basically bread salad. But in this case, I’m bringing together your tomatoes of the season and my extra-flavorful and toasty homemade croutons. Consider making extra batches of the croutons, because with a cache of homemade croutons in the freezer, you’ll find yourself reaching for them to jazz up dishes beyond simple tossed green salads and soups: Crumble them over cooked vegetables for a toasty finish; incorporate them into stuffings; and layer with cheese and eggs for a most extravagantly flavored strata. 2 pounds sun-ripened tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and diced ½ cup minced red onion 2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon leaves 1 teaspoon salt Several generous grinds black pepper Jan’s House Croutons (recipe follows) 2 cups trimmed arugula Wedge of good-quality Parmesan for shaving After dicing the tomatoes, place them in a sieve and let them drain while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. In a bowl, combine the tomatoes, onion, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, basil, tarragon, salt and pepper. Add the croutons and toss well. You can let the mixture sit for just a moment, then add the arugula and about ½ cup of shaved Parmesan, tossing briefly again to coat the leaves. Divide the tomato mixture among 4 plates. Top each serving with a few more shavings of the Parmesan and serve immediately.   Jan’s House Croutons Makes 1 quart of croutons These zesty-garlicky wonders are easy to make and complement a vast range of salads and soups. They freeze fabulously, so when you have the time, just make up a big batch and toss ‘em in the freezer for future hits. 1 loaf of a good-quality artisan bread, such as ciabata, olive, Italian or French ½ cup (1 cube) butter 4 to 6 large cloves minced or pressed fresh garlic 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce 1 teaspoon soy sauce ¼ teaspoon Tabasco or your favorite hot pepper sauce ¼ teaspoon salt Cut a portion of the bread into enough 1-inch (or slightly smaller) cubes to measure 1 quart. Place the cubes of bread in a large bowl. Melt the butter with the garlic, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, Tabasco and salt. Slowly drizzle the melted butter over the cubes of bread, tossing the cubes in the bowl so that they all get a dose of the seasoned butter. Spread the cubes out evenly on a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake in a 375-degree oven for about 10 minutes, or until richly golden. Remove from oven and cool. Store unused croutons in a plastic container for several days, or freeze for up to 4 months in resealable freezer bags. Variations abound: Sprinkle on a bit of Parmesan cheese ... outstanding! I’ve used different forms of bread and gotten terrific results, including sourdough English muffins, baguettes, asiago cheese bread, rye bread and roasted garlic bread. The trick is to make sure that whatever bread you use has substantial texture. A light-textured bread doesn’t hold up under salad conditions; it gets soggy too quickly.   Caesar Salad with Summer Tomatoes and Jan’s House Croutons Makes 8 servings. My tomatoes form the first layer, over which the Caesar Salad mixture is piled. This keeps the salad greens from becoming diluted with tomato juices and everything comes together in a more tantalizing way. If you want a dynamite Caesar salad, remember to use only the very crisp and tender center portions (the heart) of the romaine lettuce. This means that for a salad serving more than 4 people, you’ll have to buy 2 or more heads. Reserve the dark green outer leaves for another night’s meal. About 5 large sun-ripened tomatoes 4 large heads of romaine lettuce (or 4 hearts of Romaine) Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste Caesar Salad Dressing (recipe follows) Jan’s House Croutons (see previous recipe) 1 cup freshly shaved Parmesan Core and slice the tomatoes and divide the slices between 8 large salad plates. Overlap the tomatoes slightly to form an attractive pattern on the plates; set aside. Wash the lettuce leaves, dry them thoroughly, then break into 2- to 3-inch long pieces. Place them in a bowl and cover with damp paper towels and return to the refrigerator to chill. When ready to serve, add the lettuce leaves to a large salad bowl and sprinkle them generously with salt and freshly ground pepper. Toss with most of the dressing. Add the Parmesan and a generous amount of fresh croutons and toss until all the lettuce and croutons are evenly coated, adding more dressing if necessary. CAESAR SALAD DRESSING: Bring a fresh egg to room temperature for about 15 minutes, then place it in a small bowl. Pour boiling hot water over the egg and allow it to stand for 90 seconds in the hot water (this is called “coddling”). Drain the water off the egg, then crack it into a bowl and combine with ¼ cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of minced fresh garlic, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, several dashes of Tabasco. Whisk until well blended, then whisk 1 to 2 teaspoons of anchovy puree (or 1 smashed anchovy fillet) into the mixture. Slowly whisk in 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil. The dressing may be prepared several hours ahead and refrigerated (whisk well before using).   Jan Roberts-Dominguez is a Corvallis food writer, artist, and author of “Oregon Hazelnut Country, the Food, the Drink, the Spirit,” and four other cookbooks. Readers can contact her by email at [email protected], or obtain additional recipes and food tips on her blog at www.janrd.com.