The Most Ornate Tomato

There are many strange things about this recipe from the May, 1978 issue of Gourmet.  For one thing, why on earth do they have a tomato recipe in an article entitled "Spring Vegetables"?  When was the last time you saw a tomato worth eating in May?

But it is also the most convoluted way to deal with a lovely ripe tomato I can possible imagine. So ornate, in fact, that I can hardly wait to try it.