I just realized that the last two articles I have written for Simple Good and Tasty have been about tomatoes. No one would blame you for thinking I was a tad preoccupied, maybe even obsessed with that sweet, juicy, toothsome, perfect, smart, funny, talented, handsome (ahem, excuse me) fruit. I certainly wouldn’t. In fact, I’m going to complete the trifecta of tomato obsession today with this post. Once you have had your fill of Spicy Moroccan-Inspired Gazpacho and Tomato Panzanella, you will need to turn your attention to the upcoming months and think about what you’re going to do about getting your tomato fix once the snow flies.
Consider this a stern but caring parental admonition: Son, you need to start thinking about your future. You can’t just sit around playing video games all through September and expect me to supply you with winter tomato goodness. You need to get a plan, you need to buckle down, and you need to get to work.
Luckily, it’s as easy as going to your favorite farmers market and buying a big bushel of Roma tomatoes for slow roasting. Often, at this point in the season, they are selling them as “seconds,” meaning the ones that are hard to love – the bruised, marred and unsightly ones. Those are just fine because with this easy method you’ll be making a silk purse out of a sow’s ear. Or better put, you’ll be making sweet, concentrated, dizzyingly delicious tomatoes redolent of sun and sky, warm earth and cool summer breezes out of meh Roma tomatoes.
All you have to do cut them in half and put them face down on a rimmed cookie sheet drizzled liberally with olive oil, sea salt, pepper, dried basil, oregano, red pepper flakes or whatever you desire.* Tuck some whole unpeeled garlic cloves in between your neat little rows, drizzle with more olive oil and spices and slip the whole kit and kaboodle into a 200 degree oven for ten to twelve hours. (Here’s the best part: you can do this before you go to bed and when you wake up your kitchen will smell like heaven.) Open your oven and gasp in delight at the wrinkly little tomatoes and set them aside to cool. The skins will slip off the garlic and tomatoes easily. Divide them into small containers or snack size baggies (don’t forget to add in the savory olive oily juices) and throw them into the freezer. Squirrel them away for a snowy evening not far off when the wind howls and sends icy fingers through your windows. Go to the farmers market next weekend. Repeat.
Through the magical alchemy of low heat and lots of time, your tomatoes will have caramelized and turned into the best version of themselves. They are gorgeous smeared on a crusty baguette with goat cheese or thrown into pasta with olive oil, goat cheese, pine nuts, Kalamata olives and basil. They are also wonderful to deepen, thicken, sweeten and basically rock out any stew or tomato sauce you might make this winter. I’m sure they would do unspeakable things to a Bloody Mary, but I haven’t experimented with that yet.
So go get your tomatoes, roll up your sleeves and get crackin’! You’ll thank me some day. Trust me, you will.
*I usually do half with just the garlic, salt and pepper in case I want to use them in chili or salsa. It’s a different kind of salsa, this winter salsa – sweet and earthy as opposed to juicy and bright summer salsa, But it’s delicious and a good way to feel like you’ve taken a little jaunt somewhere warm.
Gabriela Lambert is a frequent contributor to Simple, Good and Tasty. You can also read more of her writing on her blog www.peevishmama.com.
