Slow-Roasted Tomatoes
I forgot to tell you – I had a three hour lunch with Bill Hardy (of Hardys wines, from Australia) at Rush on Monday. (Feel free to hate me; I would if I was you.) I only tell you know because it’s shaping up to be the most memorable meal of the week, and because that afternoon I walked home in the hot sun, all loopy after an initial flight of 8 wines, then three with lunch (the Chronicles: Twice Lost Rosé – named for his grandfather’s having lost a herd of cows twice during his first job in Australia – The Gamble Chardonnay Pinot Gris, and Butcher’s Gold Shiraz Sangiovese) and another three vintages of Thomas Hardy Cabernet Sauvignon after (everyone else spitted; I swallowed) and was pretty much wrecked for the rest of the afternoon. And because it caused a bit of a domino effect that has rendered me about a day behind so far this week.
I say that as if I am generally smack on schedule.
Not that it wasn’t totally worth it. I mean, I was eating with Bill Hardy, a wonderful man with hilarious stories of his wine-making family in Australia, as well as a few other media types – five of us being served creamy, salty risotto with pork jowl, and then roasted pork over chive mashed potatoes, and a chocolate-caramel-sea salt tart topped with pistachios for dessert in an elegant private dining room. At lunch. On a Monday. To be honest the whole time I half expected someone to figure out I was just Julie and have someone in a suit grab me by the scruff and escort me outside. After three hours and 15 wines I’m astounded that I didn’t just curl up under the table and nap there until dinnertime.
Tonight I made a quick aloo gobi – again prompted by a comment that reminded me how good it was – but you know that one already. So I figured it’s high time I told you about the slow roasted tomatoes I’ve been picking at cold, straight from the fridge. The first time I made them they were destined for something or other, and I had to make another batch because I ate them all straight off the cookie sheet.
I had done them before, but not for years, and the concept has received a lot of attention since Molly included them in her new book. (Tony has a particularly good rendition. So does Gabrielle.) Roma (or plum) tomatoes tend to be meatier with less juice and seeds, making them the best candidates for roasting. I did two batches of Roma, but last week had a surplus of smallish round tomatoes that I tossed into the oven and they turned out just fine too. Like roasting chicken or beef, you can roast tomatoes slowly at a lower temperature, or crank up the heat and get them done more quickly, although the flavour isn’t quite the same; slow roasting brings out their sweetness and rids them almost entirely of their acidity. I may never eat a sandwich made with fresh tomatoes again.
Slow Roasted Tomatoes
Roma or plum tomatoes (as many as you want to roast)
olive or canola oil
salt (and pepper too, if you like)To slow roast your tomatoes, turn the oven on to 250°F; to roast them more quickly, preheat the oven to 400°F. Cut the tomatoes in half or quarters lengthwise and spread them out on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with oil and toss around with your hands to coat the tomatoes.
Sprinkle with salt (and pepper, if you’re using it) and roast for 4-6 hours (at 250°F) or for 1 hour (at 400°F). Cool and store (along with the juices and oil that has collected in the bottom of the pan) in a sealed container in the fridge.
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