La Tur with Oven-Roasted Tomato Petals

Name: La Tur with Oven-Roasted Tomato Petals
Yield: serves 4
Ingredients: 4 large, ripe beefsteak tomatoes (about 2 pounds); 2 sprigs thyme; 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced; 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper; 1 (8-ounce) round La Tur; Best-quality aged balsamic vinegar, for drizzling

December 14, 2011

One of my favorite cheeses from Piedmont, you can tell La Tur is special from the moment you see the little round presented in its ruffled paper wrapper. This is a very well-balanced cheese, young, made from goat, sheep, and cow’s milk. Cutting through the soft rind you find a slightly tangy, nearly mousselike interior, and each round feeds four perfectly. Roasted tomato “petals” make a colorful and velvety pairing, richly drizzled with the best balsamic you can afford. If you can buy 100-year-old balsamic, do it—celebrate your good fortune. If, like me, you can only afford something a bit younger, don’t let it hold you back from ending an evening with this dish. Serve with a plain baguette or slices of peasant bread; nut-or herb-flavored breads will compete with the flavors.

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