Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Magic

I think my favorite veggie in the whole world is the tomato. I know it's technically a fruit. I live for May when tomatoes come into season. I was in Trader Joe's and the grape tomatoes looked so good! I couldn't resist. I decided to buy some early. I had roasted tomatoes in mind. Something mystical happens to tomatoes when you slow roast them.


Turn the oven on 250 degrees. If you want to cook your tomatoes overnight, turn the oven on 200 degrees. Gather some garlic, fresh basil, olive oil, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.


Slice the tomatoes in half, lengthwise. Toss with chopped basil, minced garlic, olive oil, salt and black pepper.

Try to place the tomatoes cut side down in the baking dish. Do not use cast iron or foil-lined dishes for this. Okay, so some of mine are right side up. Place in the oven and walk away for several hours. You can really do these overnight if you want (make sure you're working at 200 degrees.)

After a couple of hours, give everything a good stir and taste. Here's where you adjust the seasonings, including adding a pinch of sugar if the tomatoes are too acidic. Park them back in the oven. When they are done, you'll have this caramelized goodness.


Intense tomato flavor with basil and garlic. It's all good! You can also dial up the flavor with a splash of balsamic vinegar.


Tools of the trade:

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I definitely share your love of roasted tomatoes -- so simple and so delicious! I usually serve them with a healthy dollop of good ricotta and some fresh bread. Only a couple of months until tomato season is in full swing!