From Amy Goldman, “The Heirloom Tomato — From Garden to Table”

When Caterina de’ Medici arrived at the royal court of France in the 16th century, she introduced homely Italian bread soup, thereby elevating it from peasant fare to the menu of kings. For the rest of us, this panade is a treat when spiked with novelty cherry and currant tomatoes.

1 loaf levain bread, sliced 1/4 inch thick

1/4 cup pure olive oil, plus more for oiling the pan and brushing the toast

1 garlic clove, peeled and halved, plus 1/2 cup thinly sliced garlic cloves

4 cups thinly sliced onions

2 1/2 quarts chicken stock

Salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

2 pints cherry, grape and currant tomatoes

1/4 pound Parmesan cheese, grated

3/4 cup coarsely chopped basil leaves

Basil chiffonade, for garnish

Chopped flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Brush the slices of bread with olive oil on both sides. Toast on a baking sheet in the oven until golden brown on the top and bottom. Be sure to flip the slices over halfway through toasting. When toasted, brush the cut sides of the garlic gently across all surfaces of the toast. Maintain the oven temperature.

In the meantime, heat the 1/2 cup olive oil in a large sauté pan and cook the onions until slightly caramelized, about 15 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until it is tender. Reserve.

Season the chicken stock with salt and pepper. Set aside 1 quart (4 cups) of the stock; the remaining 1 1/2 quarts (6 cups) will be used to cook the panade.

In a lightly oiled 2 1/2-quart ovenproof glass or pottery baking dish, layer half of the toast. Spoon or spread half of the onion mixture over the toast, add half of the tomatoes, and sprinkle one third of the Parmesan cheese and all of the basil on top. Repeat layer with remaining half of toast, onion mixture, tomatoes, and half of the remaining cheese. Add 3 cups of the stock. Wait for about 5 minutes for the bread to absorb the stock, then add 1 cup more. Repeat until the bread looks like a wrung-out sponge. Finally, sprinkle the top of the bread with the remaining Parmesan cheese.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes. Gently remove the aluminum foil (it may have stuck to the cheese, so be careful). Increase the heat to 400 F and continue baking the panade until the top is golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool.

Cut into 8 servings.

Reheat the reserved chicken stock in a pot.

To serve, place a portion of panade in each bowl. Ladle a few ounces of stock around (not over) the panade. Garnish with the chopped basil and parsley.

Serves 8