The problem with tomatoes in July is that they ask for nothing. Salt, maybe. A little fat. You can stand at the counter and eat one over the sink and that is a complete act.
At some point the tomatoes outpace this.
There were more than could be eaten fresh and some had started to go soft at the shoulder. The eggs had been in the kitchen for four days, from a neighbor’s hens. The last of these arrangements is that you do not always choose the timing.
Serves 2.
olive oil, a generous amount garlic, 3 cloves, thinly sliced ripe tomatoes, about 1 1/2 pounds, roughly chopped salt red pepper flakes, a small pinch eggs, 4 bread, for serving
Set the oven to 400.
A wide, ovenproof skillet goes over medium heat. Olive oil in, enough to coat the bottom with a little depth to it. Garlic goes in when the oil is warm. It should soften without coloring much, two minutes. Watch it.
Add the tomatoes. Salt well. The tomatoes will release their liquid immediately. Turn the heat up to medium-high and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of that liquid has cooked off and the sauce is thick and a shade darker than it started, about fifteen to twenty minutes. The edges of the pan will begin to caramelize. This is what you want.
Add the pepper flakes. Taste the sauce and adjust salt. It should be concentrated and a little sweet.
Make four shallow wells in the sauce with a spoon. Crack an egg into each one. Salt the tops of the eggs lightly.
Slide the pan into the oven. Check at eight minutes. The whites should be set and opaque, the yolks still soft when you press them gently. If they need another minute, give it, but pull before the yolks firm through.
Eat from the pan or spoon into bowls. Bread alongside. The sauce will stain the bread.