Roasted Dry Farm Tomatoes

(Recipe adapted from a Patricia Wells recipe.)

Note:

I use dry farm tomatoes because I’m obsessed with them and seriously, they’re the best tomatoes in the world. If you don’t have them available, use any kind of tomato. Just make sure it’s during tomato season.

The original recipe called for taking the skins off the tomatoes before roasting and chopping. This is usually too much preparation for me, so I just slide them right off at the end. But if you want to do it like Patricia, make an X on the tomatoes with a sharp knife, dunk them in scalding water, and then peel off the skins before you begin. Either way, the results are amazing.

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 175 degrees F.

1. Cut tomatoes into quarters and arrange side-by-side on a baking sheet. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil over the tomatoes and toss with your hands until all sides are coated. Sprinkle each side with salt, then scatter the thyme leaves over the tomatoes. (Make sure to remove the leaves from the sprigs!)

2. Cook in the oven until the tomatoes are very soft, about one hour. After an hour, shake the pan and make sure that the tomatoes are roasting on all sides. Stir them on the pan so that they remain coated in juice. Let them roast for another hour, until they’re about half their original size. Remove from the oven and allow to cool thoroughly.

3. Transfer the tomatoes to a jar, cover with the cooking juices and oil, then cover securely and refrigerate for up to 1 week.

(I dont think I ever peeled the tomatoes, or cored them. Ha! I did quarter them. But as I remember, the skins come off pretty easily. The most important thing is to cut them, or else they don’t make as much juice, if I remember correctly. If you do want to peel them, which maybe I did do, make an X with a sharp knife, dunk them in scalding water, and then the skins should come right off!)