Slow Roasted Tomatoes

By Rachel Davies

This is less of a recipe than an essential part of a cook’s toolkit. I love these tomatoes, and will stick trays of them in the oven to roast whenever I can, happily snacking on the finished product as I pass by the fridge!

Tomatoes in the UK often lack the intensity and flavour that sun ripened tomatoes in warmer climates have, and this method brings even the most pallid tomatoes to life, concentrating the flavours and turning them into deeply savoury goodness.

You can use the semi-dried tomatoes for almost anything, tossing them through salads, stirring into pasta sauces, serve them with meat or fish or just snack on them.

You could try topping parmesan shortbreads with a little goats cheese and a roasted tomato as an elegant canapé, or I love making up a platter of good torn buffalo mozzarella sprinkled with the tomatoes, basil leaves and generous drizzles of extra virgin olive oil, reduced balsamic vinegar and a little salt and pepper. Heaven.

This is the simplest version of the recipe, but depending on what you have around before roasting you could add some chopped garlic, picked fresh thyme or oregano, or balsamic vinegar.  And if you have a glut of good tomatoes, then even better. Roast trayfulls and keep them covered in olive oil in the fridge.

Enjoy!

Slow Roasted Tomatoes

Ingredients

Fresh cherry tomatoes, or slightly larger varieties

Olive oil

Sea salt

Black pepper

Caster sugar

Herbs, garlic or balsamic vinegar (optional)

Method

• Preheat the oven to 120C and line a tray with baking paper.
• Halve the tomatoes if small, or cut in quarters if larger.
• Place the tomatoes on the baking tray, and drizzle with enough olive oil to lightly coat them, a sprinkling of salt and pepper, and about a teaspoon of sugar for one tray of tomatoes.
• Toss to coat the tomatoes, lay them cut side up, and roast for about 1.5-2 hours, or until the tomatoes are shrivelled but still juicy inside.
• Leave to cool, and either use immediately or store in the fridge. They will keep longer if covered in olive oil.