If you like tomatoes, especially oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, you're going to LOVE these. They are absolutely fabulous. I overcooked them a bit, and the ones with burnt bottoms were delicious. The rest were even better.They will keep in the fridge for a week (or maybe longer if you can avoid gobbling them all up) or frozen for a couple of months. You also end up with a quantity of roasted-tomato-flavoured olive oil that's good for salads, dressing pasta and other uses. Note: I actually made the variation using plum tomatoes.
Slow Roasted Summer Tomatoes
3 Tbsp, plus 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4½ to 5 pounds medium large ripe beefsteak tomatoes, stemmed, but not cored
Kosher salt
Granulated sugar (optional)
Scant 1 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar
3-4 cloves garlic, very thinly sliced
2 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves
Heat the oven to 350°F. Line a 12x17-inch rimmed baking sheet, or two 9x12-inch baking sheets with foil. Line with parchment paper if you have it. Coat the pan with 3 Tbsp of the oil
Cut the tomatoes in half through the middle (not through the stem). Arrange cut side up on the baking sheet, turning t coat the bottoms with some of the oil. Sprinkle each with a pinch of salt and sugar and drizzle with a few drops of balsamic vinegar. Arrange the garlic over the halves and top with a generous sprinkling of thyme. Pour the remaining cup of oil over and around the tomato halves.
Roast in the centre of the oven until the tomatoes are concentrated, dark reddish brown and quite collapsed (at least half their original height; they will collapse more as they cool). about 3 hours for very ripe, fleshy tomatoes, about 4 hours for tomatoes that are less ripe or that have a high water content. Let cool for at least 10 to 15 minutes and then server warm or at room temperature. Be sure to reserve the tomato oil (keep refrigerated for up to a week).
Quicker cooking variation:
Remove the seeds and gelatinous pulp before roasting. They cook in 2 hours or so, but yield a slightly flatter, less meaty - but perfectly pleasant - result.
Plum tomato variation:
Cut plum tomatoes in half through the stem end and remove the seeds and gelatinous pulp. Roast for 2 hours.
Possible uses
- Make a simple crostini by topping a small piece of grilled bread with a tomato half and a little slivered basil. Or make a bruschetta topping by chopping the roasted tomatoes and folding in the basil
- Use in antipasto
- Make a pasta sauce with chopped or sliced (I prefer sliced since the chunks are bigger) tomatoes, halved black olives, olive oil, capers and garlic.
- Use as a side dish for grilled or sautéed meats
- Top a crock of warmed goat cheese with chopped roasted tomatoes, a few pine nuts, and a drizzle of pesto. Serve with crackers.
- Add to green salads
- Make a bed for grilled steak by overlapping roasted tomato halves.
This appeared in the August/September 2004 issue of Fine Cooking magazine.