Today I’m going to show you how to grill tomatoes. There is nothing better than a ripe, juicy tomato, except a tomato that has been grilled. Tomatoes are actually really easy to grill, you just place them over a hot fire with a bit of oil and seasoning, and there you have it. Well, there is a bit more to it, so let’s get to it.
First you will want to get yourself 6 large ripe tomatoes. To find a good tomato look for one that is bright red, and when you squeeze it gently it is slightly yielding. You don’t want one that is pale, or mushy or hard when squeezing.
Once you have your tomatoes, slice them in half crosswise. You are going to want to season the tomatoes before grilling. You can season them however you want, but I like to use olive oil, garlic, coarse salt and black pepper. For this recipe, I’m going to add a bit of grated Parmesan cheese at the end.
Set up your gas or charcoal grill for direct grilling over high heat. While the grill is heating sprinkle some coarse salt and black pepper over the sliced tomatoes. Take about 6 cloves of garlic and mince it. Add the garlic and 3 tbsp of olive oil to a sauté pan. Cook until it is golden brown than transfer it to a bowl.
Once your grill is ready, oil the grate. Place the tomatoes cut side down over the heat. If you want you can add wood chips to the coals to add a smokiness to the tomatoes. Grill for about 3 to 5 minutes than turn over with tongs. Take the garlic you sautéed and spoon it over the tomatoes. Continue to grill for another 3 to 5 minutes.
Once they are done, transfer the tomatoes to a platter and grate some Parmesan cheese over them. Serve immediately. That is how to grill tomatoes. It really is that simple. You can use different seasoning as well to add unique flavors to your tomatoes.
Now you may be wondering about cherry or plum tomatoes. You can’t really grill them the same as a large tomato because they are so small, but you still can grill them. Here is how you would do it. Get yourself about 24 cherry tomatoes, or 12 plum tomatoes. In a large mixing bowl toss the tomatoes with oil and minced garlic. Sprinkle in some coarse salt and black pepper too.
Set you grill up for high heat just as above. Since these tomatoes are small you are going to need a vegetable basket or grill wok, here is the one that works really well for this. Pour the tomatoes into the grill basket and grill for about 6 to 8 minutes. Make sure you toss the tomatoes around with a pair of tongs all during grilling. The tomatoes should be browned and blistered once they are done. Transfer them to a platter and sprinkle with a bit of oil and grated Parmesan cheese. That is how to grill plum or cherry tomatoes.
image courtesy of woodlywonderworks/flickr