Roasted Tomatoes

Slow-roasting concentrates the tomato taste in a subtle and mighty pleasant way, while the sugar and oil accentuate their summery sweetness.

Roasting tomatoes brings out their flavor, and they can then be used to create tasty pasta sauces, as a flavoring for soups, to top bruschetta, or on a salad. Use warm or cold.

Use fresh, ripe, flavorful tomatoes for the best results. You can use all red or a mixture of both red and yellow tomatoes.

Tomates Confites
Preheat your oven to 100°C (210°F).

6 ripe roma tomatoes (or similar variety, firm with little juice)
Halve the tomatoes, and run your thumb in the cavities to remove the juice and seeds.
Roma tomatoes have a very thin stem that you can leave in, but if the tomatoes you're using have a tougher stem, cut it out.
Put the tomato halves, cut side up, in a non-stick baking dish (or a regular but greased baking dish).
*** Contrary to what some recipes have you do, I didn't peel the tomatoes before roasting (wasn't the oven enough of an ordeal to go through?) because I enjoy the taste and texture of their skin.

1 tsp sugar
salt, pepper
dried herbs (optional)
Sprinkle with sugar, season with salt, pepper, and dried herbs if using.
*** I chose to season them with salt, pepper and sugar, but no dried herbs: I wanted to make "plain" tomates confites, and add my choice of herb when using them in a dish.

olive oil
Drizzle with olive oil.
Stir gently to coat, using a wooden spatula.
Make sure all the tomatoes are back cut side up.

Put into the oven to bake, keeping an eye on them, for 2 to 3 hours depending on the variety and the desired consistency.

*** My oven does not run very hot, so it took 3 hours to get them to the consistency I was looking for, where their edges wilt and curl, but there it still the memory of plump flesh.