Slow-Roasted Tomatoes
3 lbs Roma tomatoes
8-10 garlic cloves, unpeeled
olive oil for drizzling
salt
pepper
Heat oven to 300°. Cut tomatoes in half lengthwise and arrange on heavy rimmed baking sheet. Scatter garlic and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Roast for two to two and half hours until tomatoes are browned around the edges but still chewy.
Patrick once watched me eat an entire sheet of these, one after the other.
This is not a recipe, it is more like an opinion.
Toasted garlic is terrific. Like savory candy.
I use 1/4 cup of olive oil and add 6 large cloves of garlic, minced. I use my smallest, cheapest saute pan and bring the oil to a very slow simmer over a very low heat. I cook the garlic for about ten minutes, shaking the pan every so often to redistribute. When it starts to turn light brown it's done. I like to let it sit off the heat for as long as possible before using it to let the olive oil get all toasty as well. And whatever you do, don't overcook it or it will be bitter.
I use it the oil and garlic together to dress pasta and salad and I add it to pizza sauce.
What else?
