Credit: Eric Wolfinger
Sesame bagel: 1 (halved horizontally)
Thick slices very ripe tomato: 2 (1-inch)
Coarse sea salt: to season
Freshly ground black pepper: to season
Cream cheese: 115 g
Extra virgin olive oil with fruity or herbaceous notes: to garnish
Toasted sesame seeds: to garnish
Bright, fresh, and endlessly customizable, David Nayfeld's summertime bagel recipe from his new cookbook, Dad, What's For Dinner?, layers seasonal flavors and vibrant toppings for the perfect warm-weather bite—ideal for leisurely brunches or quick weekday indulgence.
(From Dad, What's For Dinner? by David Nayfeld with Joshua David Stein. Copyright © 2025. Reprinted by permission of ALFRED A. KNOPF, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC)
When I was a little kid, I didn't like tomatoes. Or I thought I didn't like tomatoes. Then one day during the peak of summer, on a road trip to Yosemite, we stopped at a fruit stand. My dad took a ripe tomato that had been warmed by the sun. He sprinkled some salt on it. It looked plump and firm. It was my nemesis. He asked me to try it. I refused. He asked me again. I refused again. Finally, as I was whining, he shoved it into my protesting mouth. "I hate toma..." My mouth was full of this sweet umami-based, acid-spiked, juicy, unbelievably flavorful substance. It was...a tomato.
That day my father imparted two bits of wisdom to me. First and foremost, you simply cannot oversalt a perfectly ripe juicy tomato. Second, sometimes—not always, but sometimes—parenting is looking past your child's whims and just deciding for them.
- Toast the bagel to desired doneness.
- On a cutting board, season the tomatoes with coarse salt, edge to edge, so the salt is visible, and black pepper.
- Divide the cream cheese evenly between the bagel halves and spread thickly.
- Place a tomato slice on each half.
- Drizzle some olive oil all over the bagel, so it is dripping off of it.
- Sprinkle a generous amount of sesame seeds on top.
- Enjoy immediately.
