BALSAMIC-ROASTED TOMATOES

For much of my life I've had a texture issue with raw tomatoes.  There's a little too much going on, if you know what I mean.  You've got the skin, the flesh, those creepy green seeds and icky oozing goo they are suspended it.  And yet if they are cooked and then pureed I'm fine with them.  I mean, don't get me wrong.  I love the flavor of tomatoes and it's only been somewhat recently that am I trying to force myself to enjoy them raw.  Until that day comes, I am thankful for this recipe which comes from my new favorite cookbook Fresh Every Day, by Sarah Foster.

INGREDIENTS
6 roma tomatoes, halved lengthwise
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

METHOD
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Line a baking sheet with foil and then place a piece of parchment paper on the bottom.  Trust me, just do it.  The tomatoes bake really well on the parchment, but the balsamic vinegar can totally burn onto the pan making cleanup a hellish nightmare involving those slimy SOS pads and none of us want that.  Place the tomatoes cut side down, and scatter the onions and rosemary over the top.  Drizzle everything with the olive oil and the balsamic vinegar then season with salt and pepper.  Give it toss so the tomatoes and onions get coated.

Place the pan in the oven and roast for 30 to 40 minute, stirring every once in a while, until the tomatoes are soft and shriveled and the vinegar has carmelized.

Wow.  These tomatoes are so flavorful - the perfect combination of sweet and savory.  Their texture is nice and soft but not mushy.  They release their juice which combines with the balsamic vinegar and gets cooked down sort of glazing the the tomatoes and onions.  You could probably double this recipe and then give everything a quick puree in the food processor and have yourself a beautiful sauce for pasta.

I served them with Roasted Spaghetti Squash and Crispy Pan-Roasted Chicken with Marjoram as the book suggested.

Serves 4.

Comments

[Heather]

"For much of my life I've had a texture issue with raw tomatoes. There's a little too much going on, if you know what I mean. You've got the skin, the flesh, those creepy green seeds and icky oozing goo they are suspended it. And yet if they are cooked and then pureed I'm fine with them."

You are singing my song.

[Jessica]

And yet I often eat cherry tomatoes like strawberries. I loooove them.

[lida]

I put too much rosemary in. Next time, I'm going to try basil. I might even try it with eggplant with the tomatoes. Love your blog, it makes me drool even when I can't stand the ingredients, like the eggs and caviar!

[Grant]

Yes, a little rosemary can go a long way. Otherwise it can end up making the dish taste sort of soapy. Basil would be a great alternative. It would taste nice and fresh, rather than woodsy.

I'm glad you like the blog. Thank you.

[Diane]

Just surfed in and feel like I am among old friends. Love your website.

[Grant]

Diane - Thank you so much. I'm glad you like it. Welcome!

[severe hypertension]

Raw, fried, cooked in sauce, juice or gazpacho, a tomato is a nutritious and refreshing, for taste and low price, is part of the diet of most of the Spanish, especially at this time summer. However, the benefit of this simple stuff in health can be much higher than any drug, the product of complex and costly investigations, that man has invented. And that is, to date, no medication has managed to have many therapeutic properties and tomato have revealed, since by itself prevents cancer and stroke, as well as control of many other diseases.

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Awesome!!!! I liked this blog very much, specially this recipes because i love the tomatoes like principal ingredient . The tomatoes is rich in antioxidants, have many vitamin and even can help you too keep your youth. So if you don’t eat it frequently I recommend you at least twice per week.