Slow Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

Last fall I had a bumper crop of tomatoes in my country garden.  I admit, I got a bit carried away in the spring,  and every time I came across an interesting variety of tomatoes, I would plant just one more plant.  i had at least five varieties of red, yellow, orange and purple cherry tomatoes, but my favourite was the very tiny sweet white tomato.  My neighbour's children would eat then like candy off the vine whenever they visited.  Even with the help the children, there were still thousands of cherry tomatoes to be harvested and used before the first frost, so when I had my designers over for our annual barbeque I made this dish.  It became a favourite, and Miyako referenced this tomato dish so many times that I made it specally for her pre-wedding party this spring.  However, the only tomatoes available in early spring in Ontario are either shipped from the southern US, or grown in local greenhouses, and do not have the intensity or sweetness, of tomatoes fresh from the garden in the late summer and fall.  To compensate, I added a bit of sugar and the dish was almost as good.  

slow roasted cherry tomatoes with lemon sailsh

This recipe takes time,  so start at least two and a half hours before serving. I often start the night before, reheating and adding the topping just before serving.  I have cooked this in a cast iron frying pan and a Portuguese clay dish.  Both presented well, however the juices from the tomatoes seeped through the glazed clay dish while cooking and made a huge mess in the oven. I am not sure if the glaze in my dish is defective, or if the acidity of the tomato juice affected the glaze.

• one pint each of red and yellow organic cherry tomatoes

• 1 tablespoon of olive oil

• 2 cloves of garlic chopped

• coarse sea salt and 

• coarsely ground pepper to taste

• 1 tablespoon of unbleached organic sugar if tomatoes are out of season

• fresh grated parmesan cheese, or 

• equal parts grated lemon peel and course salish (smoked sea salt)

Cut tomatoes in half, put olive oil, tomatoes and salt and pepper and sugar if necessary, in bowl and toss.

Spread out in even layer in pan and bake at 225F for one hour. Turn tomatoes over and bake again for another hour, or until most of the liquids have evaporated. Depending on juiciness of tomatoes this can take up to a third hour.  I have on occasion, moved the pan to the stove top to evaporate the last of the juices when facing a time crunch. 

Sprinkle top with parmesan.  Place under broiler and brown.  Alternately, combine grated lemon peel with salish and sprinkle on top.