One night, I found myself alone with no plans for dinner. I saw that I had two ripe, local beefsteak tomatoes on the kitchen table, some bacon in the fridge and some basil growing in a pot on my balcony. So I thought about making a deconstucted BLT without the lettuce and toast. It was delicious. I ate the whole thing! (Don't judge me.) This recipe makes one enormous main course, two modest main courses (to be served with accompaniments such as corn on the cob or foccacia) or four side salads.
Tomato Salad With Bacon And Basil
Makes 1 to 4 servings (See headnote.)
- 3 slices thick cut bacon
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 tablesoon ketchup
- 2 large, ripe beefsteak tomatoes
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
1. Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place the bacon on it. Put the pan in the cold oven and set the temperature to 400 degrees F.
2. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the desired crispiness is attained. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and blot off excess fat.
3. For the dressing, mix the mayonnaise and ketchup together until well blended and smooth.
4. Core the tomatoes and cut them lengthwise into thick slices. Arrange them on a dinner plate and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle the dressing over the tomatoes. Cut each slice of bacon crosswise into 4 or 5 pieces and scatter them over the tomatoes. Tear the basil into small pieces and sprinkle over the plate.
5. Divide into portions as desired.
