Recipes Skillet-Charred Cherry Tomatoes with Basil 5.0 (3,144) Add your rating & review Chris Cosentino remembers charring tomatoes when he was a line cook under chef Mark Miller at Red Sage in Washington, DC. "Mark always said, 'It needs fleck,' " Cosentino says, referring to the blackened bits on the skins. "The fire brings out the sweetness in the tomatoes." More Tomato Recipes By Chris Cosentino Chris Cosentino San Francisco-based chef Chris Cosentino is a James Beard Award nominee renowned for his innovative Italian and whole-animal cooking. He authored two critically acclaimed cookbooks and frequently appears on food television shows such as Iron Chef America and Chef vs. City, and won Bravo's Top Chef Masters in 2012. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on February 25, 2019 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: © Cedric Angeles Total Time: 15 mins Yield: 10 Ingredients 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 2 ½ pints cherry tomatoes 24 squash blossoms (optional) ¼ cup small basil leaves or chopped basil Salt and freshly ground pepper Directions Heat a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over high heat until smoking, 5 minutes. Add the olive oil, tomatoes and squash blossoms and cook until the tomatoes are lightly charred and about to burst, 3 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the basil. Season with salt and pepper and serve right away. Rate it Print