Roasting Tomatoes

So Delicious when done! Here, I start with the same 60 year old cookie pan, douse it liberally with extra virgin olive oil, then salt and pepper the bottom of the pan.

I normally slice the tomatoes into quarters or eighths, place them in the pan and wiggle them around to ensure salt, pepper, and oil coverage.

Fresh garlic: Thank you cousin Linda for teaching me how to deftly smack the garlic out of their skins with a broad bladed knife. Two or three sharp blows make the job of peeling very easy. I add about six cloves of diced garlic which I sprinkle over the filled pan of tomatoes.

Dice up a Vidalia Onion (not shown) and add it to the shallot mix. A good-sized shallot adds a tasty complement to the garlic, salt and pepper.

Almost oven ready. Add another generous spilling of oil over the whole pan of tomatoes, then salt and pepper again to taste. I use sea salt in the hopes it will keep my blood pressure where it should be, but salting is necessary.

You're going to love the smell. Close all doors and windows. ;^ )

Roast tomatoes at 300 degrees for about 45 minutes, then take the pan out and flip all the red nummies over a few times. Reinsert the pan in the oven and set the alarm for another 30 to 45 minutes. Sometimes slightly more time is needed.

When inspecting the pan for the second time, look for onions slightly burned on the edges. Caramelized onions are the clue to stop roasting.

Decision time: Use the roasted tomatoes directly or pour tomatoes and all juices into a pot, add a 1/4 cup of water and simmer on the stove top for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste the tommies and add more garlic, shallot, or whatever needed. Mmmmmm good!

Something for the mulch pit.

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