Oven Roasted Tomatoes

 

Sadly, the local tomato season is officially over. I still need my tomato fix though so in the fall and winter months I will buy Campari or vine-ripened tomatoes when I can find them on sale. Both are on the smaller side, but perfectly red and juicy. My store had Campari tomatoes BOGO a few weeks ago, so I picked up 2 packages.

 

 

I thought about making stewed tomatoes, but then came across David Lebovitz's recipe for Oven Roasted Tomatoes. His pictures were enough to convince me that I needed to make these!

 

These tomatoes roast for a while in the oven - 2 hours, low and slow. After roasting for so long, the garlic is soft and sweet, and the skins slide right off the tomatoes which was perfect for my little one. I used dried herbs instead of fresh because it's what I had on hand.

 

We enjoyed these as a side, but I'd also love to do what David did and put them over a toasted baguette topped with some sort of crumbled cheese. That alone would be the perfect dinner for me. Just add wine.  

Oven Roasted Tomatoes
Source: David Lebovitz

Ingredients

• 1 lb tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and thinly sliced (I used 3 cloves)
• 8-10 branches of fresh thyme (I used 1 tsp dried thyme)
• a few spring of fresh rosemary (I used 1 tsp dried rosemary)
• salt and freshly cracked pepper

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 325ºF (165ºC.)
• Pour the olive oil into a shallow baking dish or pan and add the garlic, thyme, rosemary, and salt and pepper.
• Cut the tomatoes in half horizontally, then use a sharp knife to remove the stems, if you wish. Toss the tomatoes with the oil and seasonings, then lay them cut side down in the dish.
• Bake for two hours, or until the tomatoes are completely softened and wilted, and start to wrinkle. Depending on the tomatoes, they may take longer to cook.