It happens at the end of each summer – I have more tomatoes that I hardly know what to do with. The freezer is already full of marinara, and I’ve eaten them for what feels like breakfast, lunch and dinner for weeks. But I know that when the bounty is gone and I’m faced with buying tomatoes at the grocery store – even the “on the vine version” that seem promising, I’ll be missing the fresh-from-the-garden-ones that I struggle to keep up with now.
Recently when over at some friends’ house, they were having a tomato processing party. There were jars of tomato sauce and juice lining the counter, but it was the pan that was coming out of the oven that caught my attention.
They had cut tomatoes into wedges, drizzled them with olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper.
Place in a low temperature oven – 200° to 250°F – for several hours. The thickness of the slice and the juiciness of the tomatoes will affect how long it takes (for example, meatier Romas took less time than some of the beefier heirloom tomatoes). Make sure to give a little stir every now and then and if some are drying faster than others, remove those along the way and keep roasting until all are done.
And when they come out of the oven, just try not to eat them all. They are sweet and a little salty, a little chewy and just like vegetable candy. And totally addicting. I bagged what was left in small baggies and put them in the freezer to be enjoyed all winter long!
