Aromatic Slow Roasted Tomatoes Recipes

AMAZINGLY SWEET SLOW-ROASTED TOMATOES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Put the halved tomatoes in a bowl and toss with the olive oil. Oil a rack that will fit on top of a baking sheet. Place foil on the baking sheet and oil the foil, and place the rack on top. Place the tomatoes, cut side up, on the rack. Sprinkle with coarse salt and a tiny amount of sugar. Place in the oven and roast for 2 hours. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for about 30 minutes. The tomatoes will look a little dry on the surfaces and the skin will be tough. But when you bite into the tomatoes you'll experience a rush of incredibly sweet juice and pulp. If you want to use these for a sauce, put through the fine blade of a food mill.

SWEET ROASTED CHERRY TOMATOES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 170C/fan 150C/gas 5. In a roasting tin or ceramic dish, layer the halved cherry tomatoes in a single layer, cut side up.
• Slip the garlic slivers neatly into the tomato halves, amongst the tomato seeds. Make sure they are tucked well in so they cook inside the tomatoes, rather than risk overcooking outside the tomatoes. Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle over the balsamic vinegar, seasoning well with the salt and pepper.
• Roast in the oven for 45 minutes, checking to ensure they do not burn. Reduce heat if they char too quickly. They should come out soft and slightly charred on the edges.
• Either serve immediately with crusty bread to mop up the delicious garlicy juices or leave until cool and serve later. The longer they stand, the more intensified the flavour. Perfect as a starter with a green crispy salad on the side.

SLOW-ROASTED SUMMER TOMATOES

Steps:

• 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.
• Quicker-cooking variation: Remove the seeds and gelatinous pulp (poke them out with your fingers) before roasting. These tomatoes cook more quickly (check for doneness after 2 hours) but yield a slightly flatter, less meaty-but perfectly pleasant-result.
• 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.

SLOW-ROASTED TOMATOES WITH OLIVE OIL AND LIME

Steps:

• Center a rack in the oven and heat to 200 degrees. Have a nonreactive baking pan at hand that can hold the tomatoes comfortably, such as a 9-inch, deep-dish pie plate.
• Put a large saucepan of water to boil and fill a large bowl with cold water and ice cubes. Cut a shallow X in the bottom of each tomato, and one by one, drop them into the boiling water. Count 15 to 20 seconds, then transfer the tomatoes to the bowl of ice water. Peel each tomato. Using a small knife, remove each tomato's core, creating a V-shaped hollow an inch or so deep. Arrange the tomatoes in the pan.
• Put the sugar in a small bowl, then finely grate the zest from both limes over it. Rub the ingredients together between your fingertips until the sugar is moist and aromatic and maybe colored. Spoon an equal amount of sugar into each tomato.
• If you're using lemon or lime oil or extract, stir it into the olive oil. Spoon the olive oil over the tomatoes, allowing just a few drops to fall into the tomatoes' hollows.
• Bake for 2 to 3 hours, basting a couple of times each hour, until the tomatoes are soft all the way through but still hold their shape. (You can poke them with a bamboo skewer or the tip of a thin knife to test.) Remove the dish from the oven, and season the tomatoes with salt and pepper.
• These are best served at room temperature, but can also be enjoyed warm or even chilled. Spoon a little oil from the baking dish over each tomato just before serving. These are at their peak the day they are made, but they'll hold for a day in the refrigerator. If you've refrigerated the tomatoes, it's best to serve them either chilled or at room temperature.

AROMATIC SLOW-ROASTED TOMATOES

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 200°. 2. Combine first 7 ingredients in a large bowl, tossing gently to coat. Arrange tomatoes, cut side up, on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Roast at 200° for 7 1/2 hours.