Perfect, whole and complete.

Several years ago, outside in the waning heat of a DC summer day, standing at a rooftop bar, I discussed Spanish tomato bread — pan con tomate — with my friend Joe Novotny.

“It’s like Italian bruschetta,” he said. “The combination is simple and perfect and cannot be improved.”

I’ve made pan con tomate many times since and Joe is right. This dish, like bruschetta, is about crisp bread, sharp yet sweet garlic, the ripest summer tomatoes, a balanced, fruity, early harvest olive oil and salt. I like Maldon for the thin, delicate flakes that provide a quick sharp bite and then melt away quickly allowing the tomatoes to take center stage.

So save your white anchovies, Manchego ham, basil and other fresh herbs for another dish. This one is perfect as it is — with or without ham.

Pan con tomate y jamón

Serves 6

So simple, so delicious. Sweet summer tomatoes shine atop crisp bread with fruity olive oil, rich Spanish ham and the bite of salt. There’s no room to hide here so use the best ingredients you can get your hands on.

Ingredients:

• 6 1” thick slices cut from a loaf of crusty country bread

• 2 cloves garlic, peeled

• 2-3 ripe tomatoes

• Olive oil - the good stuff!

• Sea salt

• Optional: 1/4 lb finely sliced Serrano or Iberico ham

Directions:

• In the oven: Pre-heat broiler and set a rack 8” below the heating element. Place bread on a baking sheet and toast under broiler until golden with a few darker spots around the edges. As soon as it is cool enough to handle, rub each slice 2-3 times back and forth with a garlic clove.

• On the grill: Grill bread over a hot fire, about 1 minute per side, until golden with a bit of char around the edges. As soon as it is cool enough to handle, rub each slice 2-3 times back and forth with a garlic clove.

• Cut the tomatoes in half and grate the cut side on a box grater, above a strainer set in a bowl. The strainer will drain a bit of juice from your ripe summer tomatoes.

• Spread tomato pulp generously over each toast, drizzle with olive oil and add a pinch of salt. If using, top with a couple of slices of jamón Serrano.

TIP: You’re low-carb trained mind may see a 1” thick slice of bread as excessive but trust me, it gives you plenty of room for a crisp exterior and a rich, chewy bite inside.