Slow-Roasted Tomatoes with Coriander
I like to use Roma tomatoes, but you could use almost any. Romas have very little juice and dense, meaty flesh, meaning that they roast very nicely. And unlike their more delicate, juicy cousins, decent Romas can be found almost year-round. That's good to remember, should you find yourself with a midwinter tomato craving.
3 1/2 lbs ripe Roma tomatoes (about 20 tomatoes)
1 tbsp (15 mL) olive oil
Salt
Ground coriander
This formula is loose enough that it can hardly be called a recipe. I've tried it in many permutations, and with good results every time. Sometimes I've roasted the tomatoes for 6 hours; other times, I've roasted them for 4. (You could even try 8 or 10 hours, if you want. What's the worst that could happen?) Sometimes I've set the oven to 200F; other times I've set it to 250F. I've roasted 10 tomatoes one day and 28 the next. I've even carried my experimentation into winter, when the tomatoes are far from ideal, and have come away with summery results.
The quantities listed here are intended to be a starting point.
Preheat the oven to 200F.
Wash and dry the tomatoes, trim away the stem end, and halve them lengthwise. Place them in a large bowl, and, using your hands, toss them gently with the oil. Arrange them cut side up on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and ground coriander, about a pinch of each for every 4 to 6 tomato halves.
Bake until the tomatoes crinkle at the edges and shrink to about half of their original size, 4 to 6 hours. They should still be juicy in their centres. Remove from the oven, and set aside to cool to room temperature.
Put them in an airtight container, and store them in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Excerpted from A Homemade Life, copyright 2009 by Molly Wizenberg, courtesy Simon & Schuster
