Slow-Roasted Summer Tomatoes

by Susie Middleton
If you don’t have fresh thyme, you can use another fresh hardy herb like oregano or rosemary — or leave it out altogether.

Source: Fine Cooking – (issue 66 page 60)

Ingredients:

Directions:

(Serves 8)

Heat the oven to 350°F. Line a 12×17-inch rimmed baking sheet or two 9×12-inch rimmed baking sheets with foil. If you have parchment, put a sheet on top of the foil. Coat the pan or pans with 3 Tbs. of the olive oil.

Cut the tomatoes in half through the equator (not through the stem). Arrange the halves, cut side up, on the baking sheet, turning to coat their bottoms with some of the oil. Sprinkle a pinch each of salt and sugar over each half, and drizzle each with a few drops of balsamic vinegar. Arrange the garlic over the halves and top with a generous sprinkling of thyme. Pour the remaining 1 cup olive oil over and around the tomato halves.

Roast in the center of the oven until the tomatoes are concentrated, dark reddish brown (with deep browning around the edges and in places on the pan) 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 serve warm or at room temperature. Be sure to reserve the tomato oil (keep refrigerated for up to a week) to use on its own or in a vinaigrette.

MAKE AHEAD TIPS

To store the tomatoes, refrigerate for up to a week or freeze for up to a couple of months. They’ll continue to release juice during storage.

Plum tomato variation: Substitute plum tomatoes, cut in half through the stem end and seeded. The roasting time will be about 2 hours. Roasted plum tomato halves hold together particularly well; layer them in a terrine or roll them up, stuffed with goat cheese and basil, as an appetizer.

The only secret to roasting tomatoes is not to undercook them. The technique is simple: cut tomatoes in half, spread them in one layer on a rimmed baking sheet, sprinkle with salt and herbs, and coat generously in olive oil. Roast slowly (for about 3 hours) until the tomatoes are a deep, rich brown and very collapsed. You can certainly use this method on less-than-ripe tomatoes — and they will taste better after roasting — but if you start with really meaty, juicy-ripe tomatoes, the end result will be out of this world.

A dozen delicious ways to use roasted tomatoes

- Make a simple crostini by topping a small piece of grilled bread with a roasted tomato half and a little slivered basil. Or make a bruschetta topping by chopping the tomatoes and folding in the basil.
- For antipasto, arrange a small stack of roasted tomatoes with a few good olives, a slice or two of prosciutto, a piece of really good Parmigiano-Reggiano, some greens, and a piece of crusty bread.
- For an easy hors d’oeuvre, top a crock of warmed goat cheese with chopped roasted tomatoes, a few pine nuts, and a drizzle of pesto. Serve with crackers.
- Make a sandwich of aged Cheddar, crisp bacon, roasted tomato halves, and herbed mayonnaise.
- As a warm side dish for grilled lamb, reheat roasted tomato halves with a little crumbled feta on top. Garnish with fresh mint. Drizzle the lamb with the tomato oil.
- Make a summery spinach or arugula salad by adding fresh chopped roasted tomatoes, corn kernels, and grilled red onions. Toss with Lemon-Sherry Vinaigrette. Add sliced grilled chicken or grilled shrimp to make it a main dish.
- Mix up a quick pasta sauce of roasted tomatoes chopped and mixed with their juices. Or make a richly flavored puttanesca sauce by adding capers, olives, and anchovies to the roasted tomato base.
- Make a bed for grilled steak by overlapping roasted tomato halves. Top with arugula.
- Fill omelets, frittatas, and crepes with finely chopped roasted tomatoes and bold cheeses.

Download recipe in MacGourmet format.