Catalan Toasts Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Toss tomato slices with thyme, 1 tablespoon marjoram, and 2 tablespoons oil. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange tomato slices in a single layer on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. Bake 1 hour.
• Reduce oven temperature to 200 degrees. Continue baking until tomatoes are shriveled, about 2 hours more.
• Heat a grill (or grill pan) to medium-high. (If using a charcoal grill, coals are ready when you can hold the palm of your hand 6 inches above grates for just 3 to 4 seconds.) Brush grates with oil. Rub baguette slices with garlic. Brush lightly with remaining 2 tablespoons oil, dividing evenly. Grill baguette slices until crisp, about 1 minute per side. Rub with reserved plum tomato halves. Divide dried tomato slices evenly among toasts, then add toppings as desired. Garnish with remaining 2 tablespoons marjoram.

Steps:

• Prepare grill for cooking. If using a charcoal grill, open vents on bottom of grill, then light charcoal. Charcoal fire is medium-hot when you can hold your hand 5 inches above rack for 3 to 4 seconds. If using a gas grill, preheat burners on high, covered, 10 minutes, then reduce heat to moderate.
• Cut bread into 3/4-inch-thick slices (cut baguette on a long diagonal for 6-inch-long slices).
• Working in batches of 3 or 4 slices, grill bread on lightly oiled grill rack, covered only if using a gas grill, turning over once, until grill marks appear, 1 to 2 minutes total per batch. Remove bread from heat and immediately rub 1 side of each slice with cut side of a garlic half, then rub with cut side of a tomato half, using 1 tomato half for 1 to 2 slices of bread and allowing most of pulp to be absorbed by bread (discard remainder of garlic and tomato halves). Brush bread with oil, then sprinkle with salt and serve immediately.