Tomato Towers With Blue Cheese Bacon Recipes

BACON-TOMATO CHEESE TOASTS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Core the tomatoes and thinly slice. Place in a colander in the sink and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt; let drain for at least 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 10 minutes; transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate. Pour off and reserve the drippings, leaving 1 tablespoon in the skillet; toast the bread on one side in the drippings until golden (do this in batches, adding more drippings as needed). Place the bread, toasted-side down, on a baking sheet.
• Combine the cheeses with the mayonnaise, scallions and parsley in a bowl. Spread the cheese mixture on the toasts, reserving about 1/3 cup. Crumble the bacon on top. Shake any excess liquid from the tomatoes; distribute the zucchini and tomatoes among the toasts. Dot with the reserved cheese mixture and season with pepper. Bake until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve warm.

AVOCADO-TOMATO SALAD WITH BACON AND BLUE CHEESE

Steps:

• Put the tomatoes in a large bowl and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper; set aside until juicy, about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and let cool slightly, then crumble into bite-size pieces.
• Pit and peel the avocado; cut into 1/2-inch pieces and toss with the lemon juice in a large bowl. Add the tomatoes and gently toss. Drizzle with the dressing and top with the bacon, chives and blue cheese.
• Puree 1/2 cup each crumbled blue cheese and sour cream, 1/3 cup buttermilk, 1 small garlic clove (smashed) and 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar in a blender. Transfer to a bowl and stir in 1/4 cup more blue cheese, 2 to 3 dashes Worcestershire sauce and/or hot sauce, and 1 tablespoon chopped parsley. Season with salt and pepper. (Makes about 2 cups.)

BLUE CHEESE STUFFED TOMATOES

Steps:

• Slice the top third (stem side) off each tomato. Cut a small slice off each bottom so that the tomatoes are flat and able to stand up. Using a melon baller or small spoon, remove the inside of each tomato to hollow out the center. Place the tomatoes on a plate or platter. Sprinkle the tomatoes with 1/4 teaspoon salt.
• Mash the cream cheese in a bowl with a rubber spatula until it is soft and malleable. Gently fold in the blue cheese, being careful not to overmix and break the blue clumps. Season with pepper. Use two small spoons to fill the tomatoes with the blue cheese mixture. (How much will depend on the size of the tomato; small tomatoes should get about 1 teaspoon of the mixture. You can also transfer the mixture to a pastry bag or resealable plastic bag with the corner cut off and pipe the cheese mixture into each tomato.)
• Toss the chives and bacon together in a small bowl. Top each tomato with the mixture. Drizzle hot honey over the entire plate. Serve.

HEIRLOOM TOMATOES WITH BACON, BLUE CHEESE, AND BASIL

Steps:

• Cut 1 round from each bread slice with cookie cutter.
• Cook bacon in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat until crisp, then transfer to paper towels to drain. Pour off bacon fat from skillet and reserve fat (do not clean skillet).
• Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons oil in skillet over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then toast 3 bread rounds, turning over once, until golden brown, about 3 minutes total. Transfer toasts to a rack to cool and season with salt and pepper. Toast remaining 3 bread rounds in 1 1/2 tablespoons more oil in same manner.
• Cook shallot in 2 tablespoons reserved bacon fat and remaining 3 tablespoons oil in a small heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add vinegar and simmer, whisking, until emulsified, about 1 minute. Season dressing with salt and pepper and keep warm, covered.
• Crumble bacon. Arrange bread rounds on 6 plates and divide tomato slices among them, stacking slices and sprinkling some basil and bacon between slices. Sprinkle cheese and remaining basil and bacon over and around tomatoes. Spoon some of warm bacon dressing over and around tomatoes and season with salt and pepper.

BROILED BLUE CHEESE TOMATOES

Steps:

• Set an oven rack 4 to 5 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven's broiler.
• Melt butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Stir in panko bread crumbs and garlic powder until well combined and cook until bread crumbs are very lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Cut tomatoes in half lengthwise and place on a baking sheet, cut sides up. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Broil tomatoes until warmed through and lightly browned, about 3 minutes.
• Finely chop blue cheese if there are any large chunks. Sprinkle on top of tomatoes, then top with bread crumb mixture. Broil until cheese is melted and bread crumbs are golden brown, about 1 more minute. Watch carefully, as bread crumbs can burn quickly.

TOMATO AND BLUE CHEESE SOUP WITH BACON

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Spread the tomatoes out in an oven-proof dish. Sprinkle with the garlic and some salt and pepper. Place in oven and bake for 35 minutes.
• Heat the butter in a large pan. Add the leek and carrot and season with salt and pepper. Cook over low heat, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes, until softened.
• Stir in the broth and baked tomatoes. Bring to a boil, lower heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
• Add the blue cheese, cream and parsley. Remove from heat and let cool slightly, then transfer to a blender and process until smooth, working in batches if necessary. Taste and adjust seasoning.
• Ladel into warmed bowls and sprinkle with crumbled bacon.