Slow Roasted Tomatoes With Pinenuts Recipes

SLOW ROASTED TOMATOES WITH PINENUTS

Steps:

• Note: Prepare this recipe only when you can find the best quality, juiciest tomatoes in season either from your own garden or a reputable farmer's market. Store bought tomatoes purchased out of season or canned tomatoes will not work. Recipe has been simplified from the original via "Mediterranean Clay Pot Cooking: Traditional and Modern Recipes to Savor and Share" by Paula Wolfert. Cut each tomato in half horizontally and squeeze gently to extract the seeds. Lightly salt the tomatoes, turn them upside down on paper towels, and let drain for 30 minutes. (I skipped this part.)
• Gently squeeze the tomatoes again to rid them of any excess moisture. (I skipped the squeezing part, too.) Arrange in a single layer in a parchment lined, lightly oiled stoneware baking dish. Mix 1 teaspoon coarse salt with the sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle a pinch over each tomato half. Drizzle with the olive oil. Tip: I lined the baking dish with parchment paper then oiled.
• Place the tomatoes in the oven and set the temperature at 250°F. Bake for [3] hours.
• Raise the oven temperature to 400°F and continue to bake for 30 minutes. Turn off the oven and let the tomatoes finish baking in the receding heat; they will be wrinkled and slightly charred.
• Remove the roasted tomatoes from the oven. Transfer the tomatoes to a serving platter. Add the rosewater (start with 1/2 tablespoon then add more to taste) to the baking dish and whisk it in with the tomato liquid. Pour this mixture over the tomatoes and then drizzle the tomatoes with olive oil; season with coarse salt and some freshly cracked black pepper. Scatter the toasted pine nuts on top. Let stand until cooled to room temperature (or at least cooled somewhat.) *Delicious* over a bed of couscous (or brown rice, quinoa, etc.)

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.

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.