When you’re lucky enough to hold in your hands a perfect specimen of a croissant, made with the finest butter into shatteringly crisp, ethereal layers, say from San Francisco’s Arsicault, do NOT do anything to it. Just enjoy as is. Slowly. Deliberately. Dreamily.

Other times, when the croissant happens to be more mundane, say from Costco, where a package of a dozen can be had for a bargain-basement price of 50 cents per pastry, then by all means, play with your food.

Specifically, by making “Croissant Toasts.”

This fun, summery recipe calls for flattening those croissants, searing them in a pan, then blanketing them with whipped ricotta and juicy, burst cherry tomatoes.

It’s like everyday ricotta toast — but pimped out.

This fanciful recipe is from “Ohana Style” (Clarkson Potter), of which I received a review copy.

It’s the newest cookbook from everyone’s “Top Chef Fan Favorite,” Sheldon Simeon. The Hawaii chef is the owner, along with his wife Janice Simeon, of Tiffany’s and Tin Roof, both in Maui.

Written with Los Angeles food writer Garrett Snyder, it’s a collection of more than 100 recipes that reflect the Native Hawaiian, Filipino, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, and Portuguese bold flavors that have melded over generations to render Hawaiian cuisine so enticing.

These are inspired yet unfussy recipes. Be immediately transported to the laid-back tropical islands with ones such as “Tteokbokki all’Amatriciana” (with chewy Korean rice cakes taking the place of Italian pasta), “Okinawan Taco Rice,” “Sizzling Salmon Sisig,” “Miso-Peanut Hibachi Chicken,” and “Furikake Animal Crackers.”

Simeon came up with this particular recipe after finding himself with too many leftover Costco croissants in his house.After you make your own Costco run, roast cherry tomatoes with minced garlic until they soften. After they cool, gently season them with apple cider vinegar, honey, chili garlic sauce and shoyu.

Next, use a rolling pin to flatten each croissant. Smear both sides with softened butter, then place in a pan, flipping over so that each side gets crisped up.

Whip ricotta with olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Spread a layer of it over each croissant, spoon over some tomatoes, then garnish with fresh mint or basil leaves.

Serve for breakfast, brunch, lunch or even as a side for grilled shrimp or roast chicken for dinner.

It makes for a beautiful, colorful treat. The flattened croissant is crispier and richer tasting than mere toast. The natural sweetness and tang of the tomatoes is amplified by the heat of the oven, along with the honey and vinegar. The ricotta adds a fresh, mild milkiness to weave everything together.

It definitely elevates a lesser croissant into something far more special.

Croissant Toasts with Hot Honey Tomatoes & Whipped Ricotta

(Serves 4)

1 pint cherry tomatoes

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 plain croissants

Softened salted butter

3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons honey

2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce or sambal oelek

1 teaspoon shoyu (soy sauce)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese

Grated zest of 1 lemon

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs (any combination of mint, dill, or basil)

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Arrange the tomatoes and garlic on a 9-by-13-inch baking sheet or a similar-size baking pan and drizzle with 1/3 cup of the olive oil. Roast undisturbed, until the tomatoes are blistered and soft, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.

While the tomatoes are roasting, place a large skillet over medium heat. Using a rolling pin, flatten each croissant until they’re as thin as you can get them, then spread a thin layer of butter on each side. Working in batches, toast flat croissants in the skillet until browned and crispy, about 3 minutes per side, pressing them down to develop a nice crust. Remove them from the pan and let cool.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the vinegar, honey, chili garlic sauce, and shoyu. Gently fold in the roasted tomatoes and any oil remaining in the pan. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, the remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil, the lemon zest, and lemon juice. Blend with an immersion blender or electric mixer on low speed until ricotta is light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

To serve, spread each croissant with a layer of whipped ricotta. Spoon the tomato salad on top and garnish with the chopped herbs. Serve immediately.

From “Ohana Style” by Sheldon Simeon

More Recipes from Sheldon Simeon: Huli Huli Chicken

And: Lahaina Fried Soup (Fat Chow Fun)