Toast of the Town

Image courtesy of Kaleb Marshall.

Kaleb Marshall has a deep rooted understanding of the land and the life that sprouts from the ground beneath. Featuring various vegetation juxtaposed with atypical objects and posed figures, his work is striking. The Los Angeles-based photographer’s upbringing as a vegetarian informs his environmentally conscious ethos today. “I've carried the tradition most of my life, focusing on a Mediterranean diet,” Marshall tells Family Style. Case and point: his roasted cherry tomato toast. “The roasted tomatoes in this recipe are incredibly versatile. My partner Lauren and I use them as a base for many of our meals,” he shares. “They’re simple to make but full of flavor.”

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Ingredients

• 2 baskets ripe cherry tomatoes
• 1 head garlic cut ¼ of the end off to expose the garlic, as well as 4 minced garlic cloves
• 2 tablespoons Calabrian chili paste (adjust to taste)
• ½  teaspoon salt
• Olive oil
• Fresh basil, chopped
• Juice of ½  lemon
• Bread of your choice, sliced
• Ricotta cheese (I use a store bought plant-based cashew ricotta)
• Fresh basil for garnishing

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Toss tomatoes, whole garlic head, chili paste, and salt in a baking dish. Coat in olive oil and minced garlic.
3. Roast for 40-50 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes are soft.
4. Let cool slightly, then stir in chopped basil, lemon juice, and balsamic vinegar.
5. Serve on toasted bread with the mashed roasted garlic and ricotta. 
6. Drizzle with additional olive oil and top with fresh basil.
7. Enjoy on pasta or with cannellini beans.