slow roasted tomatoes

Summer makes everything so simple. Corn, tomatoes, peaches, berries…just a few things that are abundant this time of year and are nearly perfect all by themselves. Each weekend when I unload my sack of fresh fruits and veggies my brain and taste buds are singing a little something like this:

As Ms. Wanda Jackson says, "Let’s have a party! Whew!" I know...I'm a goof.  

Something I love to make in the summer is roasted tomatoes. I talked about roasting peaches here and roasting tomatoes does the same thing---brings out natural sweetness. Plus, they are very versatile---so I hear. I eat them like candy.

Slice a quart of cherry or grape tomatoes in half.  

Sprinkle with some olive oil and a little salt. Then put them in a 275 degree oven for two to three hours. I check them at about two hours but low and slow is the game. Use that time to do some laundry, run an errand, take a nap or play outside.

When finished, they should look something like this---starting to crisp on the edges, caramelize, yet the centers stay juicy and sweet. 

So what can you do with them? Here’s a few ideas:

Add to sandwiches, a wrap or a burger
Use as a topping for crostini
Blend in with a homemade tomato soup
Stir into pasta
Use as a pizza topping

This time I used them as a topping for chicken Milanese, a GP recipe and basically a breaded chicken cutlet. Milk and Mode blog shows you how to make it here. With a salad on the side this was a perfect, light summer dinner.  

photo via My Father's Daughter cookbook