Slow-Roasted Tomatoes

February 9, 2015

Slow-Roasted Tomatoes




Sometimes I feel you guys should hang me by the feet from a tree and beat me with a stick like I was a piƱata.
A lot of fun for you, a tad less for me.
But I won’t deny it, you would have the right to do so.
You see, I spend a lot of time on this blog telling you to use fresh, local, and seasonal ingredients yet, here I am presenting you a recipe with tomatoes - let me rephrase that - a recipe using only tomatoes, a lot of tomatoes.
Tomatoes are, by far, the most popular summer “vegetable” (although it's technically a fruit.)
The difference in taste, mealiness, and price is obvious when you compare a summer version with a winter one.
Of course you’ll see ripe tomatoes all year round in supermarkets, but there’s a very good chance that they come from South Florida (unless you live there, not local produce) or they’re picked green, halfway around the world, and ripened through artificial means.

Cherry Tomatoes




So why a “only tomato” recipe in the middle of winter, when outside it’s freezing rain? Am I going mad?
Probably, but before you fetch the rope, tie my feet, and hoist me up onto the tree, let me make a case for this recipe — I swear, there’s actually some sense in it.
First off, me posting a recipe does not entail you have to make the recipe right away.
As a matter of fact, you can print, bookmark, save, or even pin the recipe for later use (i.e, when tomatoes will be in season.)
Secondly, this recipe call for the use of cherry or grape tomatoes and I personally think those are the best tomatoes to buy in winter — they don’t have enough flesh to detect mealiness.
Lastly, in order to make these awesome slow-roasted tomatoes you need to turn on the oven for three freekin’ hours. Granted, at very low temperature, but still, three hours.
Who wants to turn on the oven for that long in the middle of the summer? If you ask me, it (almost) borderlines insanity.
Blasting the AC with the oven on for hours. I dunno people, I’d rather doing when it’s freezing outside.

Slow-Roasted Tomatoes




Anyways, whatever is your opinion on this, I strongly suggest you give these slow-roasted tomatoes a try.
Winter, spring, summer or fall these little bad boys are awesome all-year-round.
If you’ve never made slow-roasted tomatoes before, prepare to have your mind blown because they’ve got very little to do with the packaged sun-dried tomatoes you can buy in stores — and that in the best possible way.

Slow-Roasted Tomatoes


They’re bursting with flavor, with the right amount of moisture on the inside, and some chewy dryness on the outside that makes them special on every level.
You can make pounds and pounds of these mini bad boys and use ‘em on anything.
Sauces, meat, fish, or salads. They elevate any dish. Maybe not ice-cream, even though I haven’t tried it yet, so I really can’t say.
Personally I like to put them in my mouth, one after the other.
That’s just the type of ignorant life I’ve led up until now, and no amount of common sense will persuade me otherwise.

Slow-Roasted Tomatoes


Slow-Roasted Tomatoes                                                                                            Print this recipe!
Adapted from SmittenKitchen

Ingredients

Cherry or grape tomatoes
Cloves of garlic, unpeeled
Olive oil
Herbs such as thyme, rosemary, or oregano
Fine grain sea salt
Ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 225°F (105°C) and place a rack in the middle.
Halve tomatoes crosswise or lengthwise (though with cherry tomatoes it’s exactly the same thing).
Arrange halved tomatoes on a parchment-lined baking sheet along with the cloves of garlic.
Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with herbs.
Season with salt and pepper, but go easy on those as the roasted tomatoes will be packed with flavor.
Bake in the oven for about three hours or until the tomatoes are shriveled and dry, but still have a little juice left inside.
Let them cool, store in a jar with some extra olive oil and keep in the fridge.

Nutrition facts

One serving (¼ cup) yields 80 calories, 7 grams of fat, 5 grams of carbs, and 1 gram of protein.

21 comments:

  1. ROFL. I'll go look for that rope. Oh my, that picture makes me miss not being able to eat tomatoes.

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  2. Why are you foing this to us Mike? You're a mean person... ;)

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  3. I love cherry tomatoes year-round. I wouldn't mind turning on my oven for 3 hours for some extra heat in my apt today!

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  4. My husband would die if I made him these. I swear I buy the large costco size packages of these 4 times a month! He eats them just like grapes... if only they were the same price as grapes...

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  5. Oh how funny I just made these today!! Love these little fellas. Oh and fabulous photos.

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  6. Well for the first time ever, I can gloat and buy fresh tomatoes ;)

    You guys enjoy the green ones we send over! ;)

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  7. I love roasted veggies, and I'm sure that this slow roasting intensifies the flavor - a wonderful thing with tomatoes. Probably you don't want to hear this, but this week it is too warm for using the oven here (far west Texas)…

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  8. I love slow roasted tomatoes in just about everything (not sure about ice cream either - might be pushing it for me)! I've been on an unseasonal kick lately too - raspberries/asparagus in February? I'm just getting spring fever early this year I guess! :)

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  9. Regardless of the season and the lack of ripeness....I'm loving this recipe and am excited to try! Well done!

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  10. I love roasted tomatoes, but I've never tried making them at home. This recipe has inspired me, thanks!
    Beautiful pictures too!

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  11. Laura and I have been eating grape tomatoes lately like they're going out of style. Seriously...we've been buying the huge packs from Sam's Club and eating them with fresh mozzarella. It almost makes us think that it's summer outside...and not middle of winter with 3 feet of snow. Good call on the tomatoes...I've never roasted them before! Although, the idea of making a Mike pinata does sound like fun....#WolfpackFiesta

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  12. Not going to join the Mike Pinata party, because I buy TONS of cherry tomatoes this time of the year (sue me!) and although I never roasted them for 3 hours (I have that patience problem), I often roast them with high heat with a squirt of balsamic and olive oil. I like oregano too...

    I need to improve my patience and go for the low and slow before the weather warms up. Which, BY THE WAY cannot happen too soon

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  13. Dude - you are right - am all for treating you like a pinata for suggesting that these roasted tomatoes and garlic be stored! Unless I made like 20 lbs, there's no way there'd be any leftovers of these in my house!

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  14. Yum!!!!! How long do you think these would keep for in olive oil in the fridge?

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  15. Tomatoes are as cheap as and in full supply here in NZ. And like Bianca, I don't mind having heat in the kitchen while these roast as I'll just go outside in the sun while I wait for them to cook!

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  16. Yum, I've always wanted to try this. How do you use them? I imagine they get even sweeter after this process, so maybe tossing them in with a salad would be good! :-)

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  17. So glad you explained yourself, 'cuz I was getting the rope and lynch mob ready. I'm all about slow roasted tomatoes in the winter. It's the only way to actually enjoy a tomato in the cold months... I've been making Batali's winter caprese salad for a couple years now and it's always a huge hit (basically some slow roasted tomatoes tossed in algrodolce, with some bufala mozz and pesto). LOVE slow roasted tomatoes. Never did the cherry ones... gotta try this asap!

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  18. Fantastic photos and I'm definitely game to try these. Love tomatoes.

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  19. I often do the same recipe but I add an onion and I do it with whole tomatoes and then when it they've all been roasted and cold and then throw him in a blender in the make a perfect sauce

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