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.

　　

Ingredients

serves 4

　　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

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 300°F.

　　

Step 2

Bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil and prepare an ice-water bath in a large bowl. Core the tomatoes and cut an X in the skin at the bottom of each one. Blanch the tomatoes in the boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds. The skin should easily pull back from the X. Immediately plunge into the ice bath. Once the skin cools it should easily pull away from the fruit. Using your fingers or a paring knife, skin the tomatoes and cut into eighths. Remove the seeds and inner flesh. You should be left with soft, peeled “petals.” Place the petals in a bowl.

　　

Step 3

Remove the leaves from the thyme sprigs and add to the tomatoes. Add the garlic to the bowl along with the olive oil, a pinch of salt, and a grinding of pepper. Toss to coat, then place the petals on a wire rack set over a foil-lined baking sheet. Roast for 2 hours, or until the tomatoes are slightly shriveled and the juices have concentrated. Allow to cool to room temperature.

　　

Step 4

Cut the cheese into quarters and place on individual plates. Scatter a few petals across the plate and drizzle with a tiny bit of aged balsamic.

　　Ethan Stowell's New Italian Kitchen