Baked Scallops with Tomatoes and Pistou Sauce

I love this dish, you can make the sauce (pistou French version of pesto) ahead of time. It makes for a great first course!  If you can get good tomatoes before the summer make it, otherwise late summer would be perfect. And if you don't like cilantro, use basil or whatever herbs you like.

• 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
• 1 tablespoon minced cilantro
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano
• 1 tablespoon fresh chives
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Sand and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 cup olive oil
• 1 1/4 pounds sea scallops
• 2 or 3 large, perfectly ripe tomatoes, or use smaller tomatoes as much as you need.

Makes 4 servings.

Preheat the oven to 425 F. Combine the herbs, garlic,salt, pepper, lime juice, and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a blender or food processor. Turn on the machine, then add the remainder of the olive oil in a drizzle, (the sauce should be some what thin). Taste it, you might want more salt, lime juice or garlic.

Drizzle a few tablespoons of the sauce on the bottom of a baking pan that will hold the scallops in one layer. Add the scallops and season with salt and pepper. Slice the tomatoes about 1/4 inch thick and layer over the scallops. season again. Spoon most of the sauce over the tomatoes. Bake until the tomatoes begin to liquefy, 10 to 15 minutes.

Serve immediately, with crusty bread, pass the remaining sauce at the table.