Roasted Tomatoes

Ingredients

• 24 tomatoes
• 
4 to 6 garlic cloves, chopped (you can use more if you prefer)
• Any type of flavored sea salt
• Herbes de Provence or Italian Seasoning (whichever is your preference)
• Extra virgin olive oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Cut ends off of tomatoes and quarter them (you can use a variety of tomatoes ~ if you use cherry tomatoes slice them in half). Spread sliced tomatoes onto ungreased baking sheet. Sprinkle chopped garlic onto tomatoes. Sprinkle tomatoes with flavored sea salt and Herbes de Provence or Italian seasoning. Drizzle olive oil over tomatoes and bake for 1 hour. Cool and place into container to be refrigerated or frozen. You can use this base mix for bruschetta or simply place a warmed scoop onto cooked pasta and you have the perfect margherita pasta. You could also put this into your spaghetti sauce for a zing or add it to your favorite Tuscan soup recipe. It is just the perfect thing to have in your refrigerator.

Ellena's Notes

I am a person who hates to waste anything, I mean AN-Y-THING! Natalie and Mike give me such a hard time when I combine 5 different leftovers into a meal, each too small an amount for a meal on their own. I argue that this is where the best inspiration comes from when I am creating new recipes or modifying old ones, especially when they always turn out fantastic! This recipe, my Roasted Tomatoes, is inspiration from not wanting to waste all of those green tomatoes that linger on my tomato plants. I combine the green tomatoes with ripe tomatoes, making about a 75% ripe/25% green blend.

I spend an entire day one weekend each fall roasting all of my tomatoes. Once they are cooled, I place them in small freezer containers and freeze them. Then I can use them all year long! They are fabulous on pizza, in spaghetti sauce, or just on noodles with a little bit of olive oil. You can also combine them with olives in a food processor to make your own tapenade. The possibilities are endless! This year, I am going to put some in a mason jar tied with holiday ribbon and use as a hostess gifts for the many holiday parties Mike and I will attend throughout the holiday season.

Ok, onto the recipe. First, you want to chop your tomatoes into small pieces. This will vary depending on the size of your tomatoes. For cherry, pear, and other very small tomatoes, slice in half. For medium grape size, quarter. For large tomatoes, dice. Spread the tomato pieces onto a large rimmed baking sheet. Make sure the tomatoes are in one layer. You don’t want to mound them up as the bottom tomatoes will not get as cook at the top tomatoes. So, once your baking sheet is full with one layer, move onto the next step. Pause, isn’t the blend of colors just beautiful?

Now it’s time to add some flavor. Dice 4 to 6 garlic cloves and sprinkle over the top of the tomatoes. Next, evenly sprinkle freshly ground sea salt and herbes de Provence or Italian seasoning over the top. Lastly, drizzle olive oil over evenly.

Place baking sheet in preheated 300 degree F oven. Roast tomatoes for 1 hour, or until browned. If you prefer them more brown, you can roast for even longer. I usually alternate light brown batches with dark brown batches, then combine the two and divide into containers. The flavors are so wonderful of each, and I especially love biting into a darker brown tomato.

Have you used these tomatoes in any other recipes? Let me know!

Eat Simple, Eat Well, Ellena