Roasted Tomatoes — Because summer is over and we can turn the oven on now.

Every fall I try and hit that sweet spot where the tomatoes are still fresh and cheap at the Farmer's Market and the weather has cooled enough to allow me to run the oven all day. When that happens I roast tomatoes to freeze for winter. I use them in sauce and soup and pizza. They're so much better than canned or the hauled from afar on a truck variety. Put them in freezer bags in one cup portions for long-term frozen storage or cover with olive oil and stash in fridge for a week or so to use on sandwiches, bruschetta, quesadillas and salads. 

Roasted Tomatoes

This is a basic recipe adjustable for how many tomatoes and how much time you have. I like a long and slow cook to make the tomatoes chewy and concentrate the flavor but you can turn up the oven temp and cook them faster, if you wish. Just keep an eye on them. Roma tomatoes work well because they have a nice thick skin. Some people scoop out the seeds but I leave them in to keep the tomatoes a little juicy. 

Roma/Plum tomatoes

Olive oil

Kosher salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 250º

2. Slice tomatoes in half, lengthwise and place seed side up on sheet pans. 

3. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. 

4. Roast for about 4-5 hours until brown around the edges and a bit shriveled-looking. 

5. Freeze or cover with olive oil and refrigerate for use within a week or so.