Warm tomatoes with caramelized edges, cool lemon-dill cream, and crunchy pumpkin seeds: a simple lunch with juicy, creamy, and crisp textures on sourdough.
This dish is all about the contrast between warm, concentrated tomatoes and cool, fresh cream. In the oven, halved tomatoes lose moisture; their juices become more intense and the cut sides brown around the edges. Ricotta with lemon and dill brings creaminess, acidity, and a fresh herbal note in contrast. Sourdough bread holds the toppings well and has enough flavor to stand up to them. Pumpkin seeds add a little crunch to every bite.
Tomatoes are generally at their most flavorful in the Netherlands in summer, when they are ripe and fragrant. For this recipe, choose firm, ripe tomatoes that are still easy to cut in half neatly. Out of season, you can use small ripe tomatoes; they roast faster and often release plenty of juice. Place the tomatoes cut-side up on the baking sheet so they brown and moisture can evaporate instead of collecting in a puddle. The garlic roasts alongside them, making it milder than raw garlic.
Give the tomatoes plenty of room on the baking sheet. If they are crowded, they will steam rather than caramelize at the edges. A little olive oil helps them brown, but there’s no need to coat the baking sheet in oil: the tomato juices that are released already add flavor. Keep the cream simple. Stir the lemon zest and a little juice into the ricotta, and taste before adding more; too much juice will make it thin and can overpower the fresh tomatoes. Dill works well here, but finely chopped chives are a good alternative.
Toast the pumpkin seeds briefly in a dry frying pan, and keep an eye on them: they brown quickly. Sunflower seeds can be used instead, or leave the seeds out if you don’t want extra crunch. Use sturdy sourdough bread and toast it just before serving, so it doesn’t go soft straight away under the warm tomatoes. Serve the slices on their own for lunch, or add a green salad on the side. Store any leftover tomatoes and ricotta cream separately in sealed containers in the fridge and use within two days; toast the bread just before you eat.
Preheat the oven to 210 °C. Halve the tomatoes and place them cut-side up on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, scatter over the garlic, and season with salt and pepper.
Roast the tomatoes for 20–25 minutes, until the edges are darker and the juices they release have concentrated. Remove the baking sheet from the oven.
Meanwhile, toast the pumpkin seeds in a dry frying pan over medium heat. Shake the pan regularly and remove the seeds as soon as they are lightly browned and start to pop.
Stir the ricotta with the lemon zest, 1 tsp lemon juice, and the dill until smooth. Taste and add a little more lemon juice or pepper if needed.
Toast the sourdough bread. Spread the herb cream over the slices and spoon the warm tomatoes and their pan juices on top. Finish with the pumpkin seeds and serve immediately.
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