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maltese-bread-and-tomato-sandwich

For the first several years that we lived next door to Mario, a retired San Francisco police officer, I avoided him whenever I heard him come into his yard. Even in his eighties, Mario still had a commanding presence, with a ramrod-stiff posture and stern countenance. But when my kids were born, I saw a soft side of Mario. He started to hand all manner of presents for the kids over the fence; "Hello, girls!" he'd say, in a gentle voice. I relaxed a bit after realizing that Mario was a softie. Then, I started to get presents too. And I daresay that mine were even better than the kids': Mario's homegrown, vine-ripened tomatoes-some of the best tomatoes I've had. Mario traces his heritage to Malta, the tiny Mediterranean island nation off the coast of Italy. In honor of Mario's roots, here is a classic Maltese dish that relies upon the vine-ripened tomatoes of summer. This sandwich combines the Spanish pan con tomate with fillings reminiscent of the French salade niçoise. It turns out to be a perfect San Francisco meal-sourdough bread and vine-ripened, sun-kissed tomatoes lovingly handed over the fence by my Maltese neighbor. Excerpted from SPICEBOX KITCHEN: Eat Well and Be Healthy with Globally Inspired, Vegetable-Forward Recipes by Linda Shiue, MD. Copyright © 2021. Available from Hachette Go, an imprint of Hachette Book Group, Inc

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