Have tomatoes? Do as the Spaniards do: Make Pintxos.
It’s tomato season! Whether from the farmers market, your local grocer or plucked right off your own backyard vines, fresh tomatoes are versatile and delicious. This month, we’re partnering with Sara Forte of Sprouted Kitchen to share tips, insights and recipes featuring tomatoes.
Pintxos (pronounced “peen-chos”) are essentially small crostinis rubbed with garlic and topped with all sorts of cured meats, cheese, grated tomato (pan con tomate) and other delicious things. They are incredibly popular and nearly ubiquitous in restaurants and bars in the Basque region of northern Spain (consider them tapas’ big brother in the north), and they are easily adaptable for a summer snack.
This recipe recreates the traditional Spanish flavor with the tomato and garlic, while also adding a bit more color by incorporating seasonal summer squash. After rubbing the bread with garlic, the tomatoes step into the limelight: This recipe uses the tomatoes in a fresh salsa with grilled yellow squash to top each toast. The grilled squash and jalapeno give a bit of smokiness and some nice texture to pair with the tomatoes.
You could make this salsa a couple hours in advance, but the texture begins to soften over time – so don’t wait too long. Enjoy the gentle crunch of the tomatoes and the soft squash together along with a nutty manchego cheese. And a glass of Spanish vino.
Live.Love.Lux Tip: When toasting crostini, get that golden crisp every time with Perfect Taste™ Convection in your Electrolux wall oven.
Pintxos of Toasted Bread, Manchego, Yellow Tomato and Grilled Squash Salsa
“This makes for a medium/hot salsa, to turn it down a notch, simply pull out some of the jalapeno seeds after grilling before you mix it into the salsa.” — Sara
Ingredients
2 small yellow crookneck squash
1 jalapeno
1/2 lb. baby yellow tomatoes
1/4 cup minced red onion
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
Juice of half a lime
1 French baguette
2 cloves garlic
6 oz. Manchego cheese, cut in thin slices
Extra virgin olive oil, as needed
Sea salt, to taste
Instructions
Preheat the grill to medium heat. Halve the squash and oil it and the jalapeno. When the grill is hot, grill the squash and jalapeno for 5 minutes on each side. Remove to cool completely.
Halve the tomatoes, quartering any larger ones and collect them in a mixing bowl. Add the red onion, cilantro, lime juice and a pinch of salt. Stir to mix. Once the squash and jalapeno are cool, chop them into small pieces and add them to the tomato mixture. Stir to mix and taste for seasonings. Add a little oil if the mix seems dry. This can be done up to a day in advance, in that case, wait to salt just before serving.
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Slice the baguette into 1/2” slices on a diagonal. Rub a light coat of olive oil on each side. Bake them for 6 minutes to just toast. While warm, rub the top of each toast with the garlic clove.
Put a slice on manchego on top of each slice of bread then top that with a scoop of the salsa and serve.