August means prime tomato harvest for my garden. There are weeks in which I am picking them every other day and run out of things to use them in. Well, that's not exactly true, since anything above and beyond what I want for fresh gets roasted. I adore roasted tomatoes and enjoy them in everything from sandwiches to sauces to pizza and more.
Roasting tomatoes is very easy, but it takes about three hours, sometimes more. So choose a time when you can have your oven roasting for a long time on low heat and you want your kitchen to smell so fantastic you'll drool. Then make sure you have a lunch or dinner plan that includes using some of your freshly roasted tomatoes. Trust me, you won't want to wait to enjoy them!
Slow Roasted Tomatoes
- Cherry, grape or small Roma tomatoes
- Whole cloves of garlic, peeled
- Olive oil
- Herbs such as thyme or rosemary (optional)
Preheat the oven to 225°F. Halve each cherry or grape tomato crosswise, or Roma tomato lengthwise and arrange them on a parchment-lined baking sheet along with the cloves of garlic. Drizzle with olive oil, just enough to make the tomatoes glisten. Sprinkle any herbs on, if you are using them, and a small amount of salt and pepper.
Bake the tomatoes in the oven for about three hours. You want the tomatoes to be shriveled and dry, but with a little juice left inside – this could take more or less time depending on the size of your tomatoes.
Either use them right away or let them cool, cover them with some extra olive oil and keep them in the fridge.