INGREDIENTS:2 large fresh Florida tomatoes (about 10 oz. each)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. ground cumin
4 slices Tuscan or peasant-style bread, ½ inch thick and about 5 inches long
½ cup Spanish Tetilla or Muenster cheese, shredded
4 cups mixed salad greens
as needed, orange sherry vinaigrette (recipe follows)DIRECTIONS:Use tomatoes held at room temperature until fully ripe. Preheat oven to 400°F. In a small bowl, combine olive oil and cumin. Place bread on a baking sheet; brush tops with oil mixture. Bake until lightly toasted, about 8 minutes. Top each slice with Tetilla cheese and sliced tomatoes, dividing evenly. Bake until mixture is hot and cheese is just melted, about 5 minutes. Toss salad greens with ¼ cup Orange Sherry Vinaigrette. To serve: Arrange toasts and salad greens on 4 individual serving plates; serve immediately. Refrigerate unused vinaigrette up to 1 week.
To make Orange Sherry Vinaigrette: In a small bowl combine 2 Tbsp. each orange juice and sherry vinegar, 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard and ½ tsp. salt. Slowly whisk in 1 cup olive oil until blended and smooth. Yield: about 1-¼ cups.SERVINGS:4 servingsFrom:Norman Van Aken, chef-proprietor, Norman's, Miami, Florida