As a longtime former resident of Catalonia, Spain, I was very glad to see the Catalan specialty “pa amb tomàquet” (bread with tomato) featured in Claire Hopley’s Sept. 14 column, “Delectable breakfasts to power your day.”
It is indeed hard to come across so many ripe tomatoes in the Valley and not want to make this beloved dish with them. Unfortunately, in the column, this dish was called “pan y tomate,” when it is commonly known in Spanish as “pan con tomate” (bread with tomato), and not “pan con to-MAHT” as recently heard the Food Network.
There are many ways to make this dish, but no grater is needed (unless you wish). Garlic is optional, too. Simply slice open a ripe tomato and smear the inner half over the bread. Toast or hardened baguette works best to collect the tomato essence.
If you want to make a lot of “pa amb tomàquet” in advance, you can puree the tomatoes in a food processor and paint the resulting paste onto the bread. With olive oil and salt, it’s a healthy alternative to mayonnaise-based sandwiches. And while it makes a healthy breakfast, it can be eaten at any meal.
Thank you again for featuring this delightful Catalan dish. As Catalan cuisine is some of the finest in the world, I hope we will see more Catalan foods referred to by their Catalan names in the Gazette.
HJ Gardner
Florence