As the weather cools, I am turning the oven on more and more (the big oven). Packing the oven uses less energy and is a great way to use up an abundance of garden vegetables. Roast everything one evening and have veggies for side dishes, quick pastas, lunchtime wraps, and whatever else you can think of for the next three or four days!
On this occasion I packed the oven with tomatoes, eggplant, onions and peppers, and pattypan squash in separate dishes…all at 450° for approximately 30 minutes. It was quite a production, but more on those recipes later!
Today’s installment is yet another delicious way to get the most from the end-of-season tomatoes and basil. This method turns little plums into savory-sweet disks that dress up any dish they are around. They marry well with pizza, feta, mozzarella, hummus, olives…anything Mediterranean.
Roasted Tomatoes with Garlic and Basil
24 plum tomatoes (or as many as will fit on your rimmed baking sheet and increase other ingredients accordingly), halved, with core and seeds scooped out
3-4 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs balsamic vinegar
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp kosher salt
½ tsp black pepper
1 Tbs fresh basil leaves, chopped
Preheat oven to 450°F.
Place tomatoes on rimmed baking sheet. In a bowl, whisk remaining ingredients (except basil) together until blended. Stir in basil and drizzle over tomatoes, allowing oil to also seep under. Cook for 20-25 minutes, until tomatoes begin to caramelize. Serve atop toast, in a wrap or just eat right off the baking sheet!
Hot, Cheap & Easy 