Oven-Browned Tomatoes
This is the one recipe I was able to prepare ahead last summer. I knew that I would never be able to find good quality tomatoes in February, so I made this in August at the peak of tomato season.
With this recipe you start with good tomatoes, sliced in half and then layered in an oven proof dish. Sprinkle on chopped parsley, garlic, salt and pepper and then drizzle on extra virgin olive oil. This is then baked for at least an hour until the tomatoes condense down. For me this took much longer than the hour. I cooked it for almost 2 hours and it probably could have gone longer, but I was afraid to overcook it. I think I must have started with extremely juicy tomatoes.
The tomatoes came out of the oven so tasty. They were warm and delectable and the combination of flavors was wonderful. Michael came home from work a couple of hours later and before I could warm them up, he was eating them out of the serving dish. Well, Marcella said they could be served at room temperature, so I guess this worked out okay.
Did you have the right temperature? They don’t look done enough to me.
I mix up a little bit of breadcrumbs, finely grated parmesan, salt & pepper, fresh rosemary, thyme, and parsley, a little minced garlic and put a bit on each tomato half, then drizzle with olive oil. And I agree about the time–I cook mine for about 2 hours so they collapse into soft, carmelized yumminess. One hours cooks them, but doesn’t reduce them.
Beth, either they were very watery or you didn’t cook them long enough. I cook them until the edges turn black and they are all but glued to the pan. When they are cooked long enough, the tomato flavor is so intense that they don’t need anything beyond the basic topping of garlic, olive oil, and chopped parsley. They are spectacular over a breaded veal cutlet!
I don’t know why so many in this group have such a short tomato season. I get good tomatoes all year long in Florida.
For the record: I looked up this recipe in my book and I found a typo that in the unfathomable way of proofreading has escaped notice through two dozen printings. The oven temperature should have read 375o NOT 325o! Sorry Beth. I hope you will try this again because it is such a fail-proof way to enjoy tomatoes, even when they are not at their peak.
Beth responds-I am so glad to have been of help to you in catching this. I will definitely try it again soon. I feel so relieved!!
You know I did wonder if the recipe temperature was a bit low given what was happening.