Recipe - Oven Roasted Tomatoes

My late harvest of garden tomatoes and a pepper from last October.

Tomatoes.  Not exactly a wintertime vegetable.  But this recipe will turn a mediocre tomato into something delicious.  It is a handy solution for an over abundance of garden tomatoes.  It is also a quick fix for what to do with the tomatoes that are in your fridge - with no plans to use them.  Slow roast them in the oven.

Oven Roasted Tomatoes

2 cups tomatoes (cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, or Roma tomatoes)

1 T olive oil
1 t dried rosemary (or basil or oregano)
kosher salt
fresh cracked pepper

Pre-heat your oven to 250 degrees.  Cut grape tomatoes or Roma tomatoes in halves.  Cherry tomatoes or smaller grape tomatoes may remain whole.  You may want to quarter larger tomatoes. 

Toss tomatoes in olive oil.  Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet.  Sprinkle with crushed dried herbs, salt and pepper.  Don't overdo the salt, it will  become more concentrated as the tomatoes roast.

Bake in the oven for 2-3 hours.  (I know, 2-3 hours is a big range. Larger tomatoes will take a longer time, smaller ones may be done more quickly.)  After 2 hours, give your tomatoes a stir, and decide how much farther you would like them to roast.  They should be shriveled, but still moist.  They shrink quite a bit, so be sure to make plenty.

The result is a sweet tomato-y bite.  They are a bit chewy, and filled with concentrated tomato flavor.  They are similar to sundried tomatoes, but better.

Store your tomatoes in a container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

What to do with your tomatoes:

• serve them on a french bread crostini with a smear of goat cheese
• toss with fresh basil and pasta
• put them on top of a salad
• use them in a veggie sandwich
• add to your cheese plate to compliment Italian cheeses
• make a roasted tomato pizza with fresh mozzarella
• chop and mix with feta cheese, chopped kalmata olives and fresh herbs to make a tapanade
• puree them with a touch of olive oil to make a spread
• add them to your Antipasti Platter
• eat them plain, they are yummy!