Slow Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

Fall is in full swing and tomato season is over. Here in Santa Cruz there are still some wonderful heirloom tomatoes at the farmers market. I savor every one of them, as I know only too well that pretty soon they will all be gone.  Many of my blogger friends who grow their own tomatoes have posted some great recipes for canning and preserving them one way or another.

About three weeks ago, I picked my meager cherry tomatoes in my sad-looking garden.  Since I was going away I needed to do something with them. Years ago I slow roasted some regular-sized tomatoes and I remember enjoying them. Being pressed for time, I tossed them with some herbs, garlic and olive oil and roasted them in the oven. The result was a delicious tasting treat that could be used in many ways. It’s perfect on a slice of baguette, in a salad or on a sandwich. The leftover oil is wonderful by itself. ​

For my second try I choose some  store bought cherry tomatoes . They were not as good as the first batch because I think the skin of the tomatoes was too thick. ​

I used my farmers market vegetables for this delicious Mediterranean fish baked in parchment paper with anchovies, green beans, olives and tomatoes. This is an old recipe that I always enjoy making and it takes little time to prepare. It is a healthy dinner any time of the week.
Cooking in parchment paper is a simple and healthy way to steam food in its own juices and it seals in all the wonderful  aromas. There is little cleanup afterward and you can be creative with the vegetables and fish. ​

recipe for fish baked with vegetables in parchment

Make sure tat the tomatoes are  thin skinned . Bake the tomatoes until they have wilted but only some have burst. ​

Print Recipe

Ingredients:

4 cups cherry tomatoes 
½-1 cup or more olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, peeled
three fresh thyme twigs
some fresh basil leaves, torn
1tsp coarse sea salt
fresh ground pepper

Directions:
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Preheat the oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit.
Wash the tomatoes and dry them in a colander.
Put the tomatoes on a large baking sheet. Add the herbs and garlic, then add ¼ cup of olive oil, mixing it with your hands so that everything is well coated with the oil. Sprinkle everything with coarse  sea salt and some fresh ground pepper and bake in the oven for about 2 ½  hours or until the tomatoes have wilted and are soft but still intact. While baking, stir them gently a few times.
Carefully put the tomatoes and all the accumulated juices in a container with a lid. Add the remaining ¼ cup of oil or more to cover the tomatoes and enjoy. These tomatoes will last in the fridge for a month. 
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Guten Appetit!
recipe by © sunnycovechef.com
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