Savory Tomato Pudding

Instructions

1. Coarsely chop the tomatoes.
2. Place them in a food processor and pulse until they are chopped fine.
3. Or chop them fine by hand.
4. Stir in the garlic, olive oil and basil.
5. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Cut the bread into slices about 1/2-inch thick.
7. You should have about 18 slices.
8. Place 3 to 4 of the bread slices in the bottom of a 6-cup mixing bowl, trimming them if necessary so they completely cover the bottom of the bowl.
9. Spoon about a quarter of the tomato mixture over the bread, enough to cover it.
10. Make another layer of the bread, another of tomato, another bread, another of tomato and finish with a layer of the bread.
11. Except for the bread in the bottom of the bowl, the other layers do not have to fit tightly.
12. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, then set a dish that will fit inside the rim of the bowl directly on the wrap.
13. Weight this dish with a heavy can of food, a rock or other heavy object and place this assembly in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours.
14. Put the bowl on a plate to catch any liquid that may spill over.
15. To serve, remove the weight, the plate and wrap.
16. Run a flexible knife or spatula around the pudding inside the bowl to loosen it.
17. Unmold the pudding onto a serving dish that has enough of a rim to catch any juices.
18. Garnish the pudding with sprigs of basil and serve in wedges.