Slow roasting tomatoes

Before
Originally uploaded by lools.

I recently discovered (thanks to Fine Cooking magazine)that slow-roasted tomatoes can be an amazing special ingredient to summer meals. It's so very simple to make once you have the right ingredients - ripe beefsteak tomatoes, freshly chopped thyme, extra virgin olive oil, thyme, Kosher salt, a bit of granulated sugar and some blasamic vinegar. Just dress up the tomatoes and throw into the oven while you putter around the house on a lazy Saturday afternoon.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking tray with foil and a layer of parchment to avoid the spilling of oil. Grease lightly with some olive oil. Wash and cut tomatoes from the equator(not the stem). Arrange the halves, cut side up, on the baking sheet, turning to coat their bottoms with some oil. Sprinkle a pinch of salt and sugar on each tomato half and follow with a few drops of balsamic as well. Evenly distribute the thinly sliced fresh garlic and chopped thyme. Pour a cup of extra virgin olive oil over and around the tomato halves.

Roast in the center of the over for about 3-4 hours depending on the ripeness of the tomatoes. Let it cool for at least 10-15 minutes and then serve warm or at room temperature. You can store in the fridge for a week or freeze upto a few months.

You'll see that the slow-roasting concentrates and carmelizes the tomatoes giving them an absolutely intense flavor. The best part is the versatility of this dish. There are more than a dozen delicious ways to use the roasted tomatoes in sanwiches, pizzas, summer salads, omelettes, pasta sauces or simply as antipasto.

Happy slow-roasting!