This bruschetta's wearing a flannel

It's summer-fall (after all...)

Let’s get this out of the way early: There are no new recipe ideas. Let me show you.

My prompt-to-self was a tomato recipe that’s a summer-fall cusper. Where I live in New York, the tomatoes still eye you at the farmers market until the end of October, but cravings are veering for something richer. Maybe not yet tomato soup, but no longer just tomato salad. 

The brainstorm started with Pan Con Tomate because it’s one of the hardest parts of leaving summer, but the Catalan classic of grated tomato on garlicky toasts is too light for this moment.

Maybe it needed heft from beans, soft and mild, like the Pan Con Tomate plus White Beans from I Dream of Dinner. 

And could it use smaller tomatoes since big, beefy ones that are also delicious are harder to come by? (Big tomatoes generally have more water and therefore less concentrated flavor; cherry tomatoes from the supermarket in December will still be pretty good.)

When the tomato on the garlic toast shifts from grated to chopped, you get bruschetta. My mom’s skips rubbing raw garlic on bread in favor of a garlic oil for more delicate, all-over flavor. While we’re warming oil with garlic, could we put more seasonings in there? Chile, herbs, sure. 

But the olive oil would make this more salad-y than silky. (Tested a batch to confirm.) Butter is a richer fat—and dairy generally is an unsuspecting friend to tomatoes. (See also: Tomato-butter pasta.)

Browning the butter’s milk solids would give it toastiness that might be cool next to the effervescence of the tomatoes. Precisely part summer, part fall. It might be like a brown butter vinaigrette where the acid is tomato water instead of vinegar….?

There comes a moment in every free association when I wonder: good or gross? Did this go too far? That’s when you just gotta bring your ideas to the kitchen and see.

That there is garlicky, spicy, herby browned butter PLUS tomato juices.

Bruschetta Beans

(with Brown Butter)

Serves 4

• 2 pints cherry or other small tomatoes

• Salt

• 1 ½ cups cooked white beans (one 15-ounce can or cooked from ½ cup dried beans)

• 2 garlic cloves

• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter 

• 5 thyme, sage, or oregano sprigs

• Pinch of chile flakes

• 1 ice cube

• Crusty bread

1. Halve 2 pints cherry or other small tomatoes and transfer to a large bowl. Season generously with salt (like 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal Kosher) and stir to combine, smashing some of the tomatoes with your spoon as you go. Drain and rinse 1 ½ cups cooked white beans (one 15-ounce can or cooked from ½ cup dried beans). Stir the beans into the tomatoes.

2. Finely chop 2 garlic cloves. In a small skillet or saucepan, melt 5 tablespoons butter with 5 thyme, sage, or oregano sprigs over medium. Stir until the foam and sputtering has calmed and the butter looks and smells golden and toasty, 3 to 5 minutes. Turn off the heat, add the garlic and pinch of chile flakes and stir until you smell garlic.¹ Add the ice cube and shake the skillet until the ice cube melts and emulsifies with the butter.

3. Scrape the butter over the tomatoes and stir to combine. Season to taste with salt. Serve with sliced or torn crusty bread for mainlining bites and sopping buttery tomato juices. (Refrigerate leftovers and bring to room temperature or gently warm in a skillet.)

Bruschetta Beans Ali Slagle's 40 Ingredients Forever

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• Cherry tomatoes: Something juicy and tart, like 1 ½ pounds big tomatoes, chopped, or even nectarines, peaches, or grapes (also chopped).

• White beans: Another legume, like chickpeas or lentils, or anything mild and hearty, like roasted winter squash or mushrooms.

• Garlic: Another sweet aromatic like finely chopped leeks, shallots, scallions, or a little onion, cooked until softened and fragrant.

• Butter: I can’t say there’s a substitute here besides, um, bacon fat. You could make this with olive oil (which I tried), but it might be a little unsubstantial.

• Herb sprigs and chile flakes: Leave them out, or use dried herbs or fresh chiles. 

• Crusty bread: Eat the Bruschetta on its own or over grains, salad greens, sautéed kale or broccoli rabe, or pasta. 

THINGS TO ADD

• Spices: Ground turmeric or fennel seeds would be great, as would a cinnamon stick. Cinnamon and tomatoes are so good together (h/t the baked rice with tomatoes in Ottolenghi Simple).

• Cheese: Tossed with seared halloumi or paneer, grate over Parmesan, or swoop ricotta or cottage cheese on the bread before adding the Bruschetta. 

• Acid: If your mixture is seeming dull and more salt isn’t working, your tomatoes might be lackluster and the Bruschetta probably needs more acid. Add a little lemon juice or red wine vinegar. (If it’s bitter, it needs sugar.)

• Seafood: Stir in some drained tinned fish or cooked shrimp or crab (or lobster…?).

• Basil leaves: If you’ve got ‘em, flaunt ‘em.

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Editing and recipe testing by Caroline Lange

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1. If you feel fancy, remove the herb sprigs here then crush the crispy herbs on top of your Bruschetta. Or leave them in and let them wilt, which is what I did.