It's the end of July and my tomato plants are bursting with more fruit than I know what to do with. Last week I made panzanella, that hearty bread and tomato salad so popular with the Florentines; the week before that I served caprese sandwiches for dinner. Light, fresh and flavorful. And yet I've barely put a dent in the number of ruby-red globes sitting on my counter.
Time to start roasting.
I love oven-roasted tomatoes and use them religiously to perk up sandwiches, hamburgers, even salads. When you roast tomatoes, the flavors concentrate bringing forth a sweetened taste and pleasant texture that brightens any dish. But unlike most Italians who usually use smaller, roma tomatoes, I tend to roast beefsteak-style tomatoes as they add a larger-than-life and appetizing presence to the dishes they grace.
I have a few roasting rules, however. First, make sure the slices are thick - about a third of an inch - otherwise they'll shrink to nothing during the cooking process, or worse, burn. Second, season lightly to enhance rather than mask the flavor. (I use a mixture of sea salt, pepper and sugar but you can come up with your own herb combination.) And finally, remember patience - slow and low is the way to go. I roast mine on a cookie sheet at 250F degrees for about three hours. Once cooled, transfer the tomatoes into a sealed container where they will keep in the refrigerator for about a week.
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| Slice tomatoes at least a third of an inch thick. |
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| Lay slices single layer on baking sheet and brush lightly with extra virgin olive oil. |
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| Lightly season each tomato slice with sea salt, pepper, sugar rub (equal parts). |
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| Roast at 250F for approximately 3 hours. |
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| Sweet and delicious, roasted tomatoes will dress up nearly any dish. |
Next week: what to do with your delicious oven-roasted tomatoes.
Buon appetito!
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