Slow-Roasted Tomatoes
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By Kath Dedon
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We planted a plum tomato plant this year for the first time. I had hoped that they would be fantastic eaten raw in summer salads. We have had a terrific crop from the one plant, but they just aren’t that great eaten raw.
I have made Slow-Roasted Tomatoes three times now and this recipe is a winner! It transforms so-so plum tomatoes into tomato candy! They’re good tossed with pasta, chopped in a salad, or just eaten as a snack.
My inspirations for the recipe were a blog post on Smitten Kitchen and a recipe in Domenica Marchetti’s The Glorious Vegetables of Italy. I love the way Deb on Smitten Kitchen doesn’t use any measurement for the ingredients. Just use the tomatoes you have (she uses cherry tomatoes), drizzle with olive oil, add a few unpeeled garlic cloves and roast at 225˚. Domenica uses plum tomatoes, gives measurements for the ingredients and roasts at 275˚.
I went with the higher temperature that Domenica uses since I was also roasting plum tomatoes. Bob and I both loved the intense, sweet flavor of these tomatoes!
If you are harvesting plum tomatoes or picking them up at farmers’ markets I highly recommend Slow-Roasted Tomatoes. They are fantastic and there are so many ways to use them. Think pasta, salads, bruschetta; served with grilled meats, sausage, or polenta. Or just snack on the fabulous tomato candy!
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Slow-Roasted Tomatoes
(Adapted from recipes on the Smitten Kitchen and in The Glorious Vegetables of Italy)
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Plum tomatoes, washed and cut in half lengthwise (Seed them if you want, but I tried seeding and not seeding and concluded seeding is not necessary.)
Olive oil
A few unpeeled cloves of garlic
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
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Homegrown plum tomatoes
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1. Preheat the oven to 275˚.
2. Spread the tomatoes out on a large baking sheet. (Line with foil or parchment paper, if you want.)
3. Scatter the garlic cloves around on the pan.
4. Drizzle with some olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
5. Roast for 3 – 4 hours until they are done as you like them.
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6. Store covered with olive oil in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
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Cherry Tomatoes Variation from Domenica Marchetti: Roast cherry or grape tomatoes for about 1½ hours.
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♥
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Pasta with Slow-Roasted Tomatoes, Basil, and Shaved Parmesan Cheese served with Green Beans
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In the kitchen with Kath 