I love how fruits and vegetables appear and vanish with the seasons. This dish was inspired by things I had in the fridge, plus tomatoes I picked up at the market. You can use any kind, just make sure they are ripe and have a good acidity to them, it's the key to balancing the richness of the brown butter and pine nuts. I have ideas below also for less than perfect tomatoes, as well as green ones.
Wash and dry your tomatoes. I like to then give them a slight chill but putting them in the fridge for a half hour.
Place the tomatoes on a cutting board stem side down. Using a sharp knife (you can also use a serrated knife but the edge won't be quite as clean), cut 1/2-inch thick slices top to bottom. (You can always cut them the regular way if you prefer, but I find these more difficult to core and not as elegant).
Remove any bits of core from your slices and then arrange them on a chilled plate around the fresh basil and and place a few pine nuts on each slice.
Brown the butter (place it in a glass bowl with a plate on top and microwave for 2 minutes, check, then continue cooking in 30 second intervals until it's nutty smelling and browned, you can do this on the stovetop too but I find the microwave easier and cooler in the summer).
Sprinkle the tomatoes with salt and serve with Shabazi and the brown butter. You can serve these either on the side (as pictured) or on top, up to you and the tastes of those you're eating with.
You may not get a lot of juice to sop up since you're using a sharp knife and salting immediately before serving, but this dish is still great with warm focaccia.
Recipe Note
Variations & Ideas:
If you end up with tomatoes that are a bit flat tasting (low acid), try brushing them with brown butter mixed with white or red miso and Lula N.41, then giving the slices a brief broil to char them a bit. Serve with a squeeze of fresh lemon. This works with perfect tomatoes also you just may not need the lemon.
Make a vinaigrette with Riviera Herbs, fresh garlic (which is coming into season right now here), olive oil, and red wine vinegar. Marinate tomato slices in this dressing for a few hours at room temp. You can also make this the day ahead and place in the fridge, just allow them to warm before serving so that the olive oil liquefies. I like a bit of Smoked Salt N.8 to finish.
Something fun to do with green tomatoes. Make a remoulade with labneh, Blue Grass N.12, hot sauce, and some fresh or prepared horseradish. Spread this on a large plate and top with paper thin slices of green tomato (cut them cross-wise in this case), then toasted buttered breadcrumbs and a bit of fresh lemon. It's like a fried green tomato salad.
