Slow-Roasted Tomatoes

Recipe courtesy of Bon Apetit

What follows is the recipe as published by Bon Apetit. As usual, I did not exactly follow said recipe, but mostly I did. Firstly, I did not use an entire cup of olive oil. At the most I used maybe 1/3 or ½ cup. I did not do the layering step (#3), although I’m sure that would be delicious. After roasting, I let the tomatoes cool and proceeded to use them as mentioned in the blog. As far as seasoning goes, I substituted the oregano with 3 teaspoons of my Tuscan herb salt and then sprinkled them with a bit more salt to finish.

1 cup (or more) olive oil, divided

2 pounds plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise, seeded

1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

3/4 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 to 2 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons minced fresh Italian parsley

Aged goat cheese (such as Bûcheron)

1 baguette, thinly sliced crosswise, toasted

1. Preheat oven to 250°F. Pour 1/2 cup oil into 13x9x2-inch glass or ceramic baking dish. (I just drizzled the bottom of the dish with enough oil to coat). Arrange tomatoes in dish, cut side up. Drizzle with remaining 1/2 cup oil. (Again, I just drizzled the tomatoes with enough olive oil to moisten them). Sprinkle with oregano, sugar, and salt. (I sprinkled them with 3 teaspoons of my Tuscan herb salt and then maybe just a bit more kosher salt). Bake 1 hour.

2. Using tongs, turn tomatoes over. Bake 1 hour longer. Turn tomatoes over again. Bake until deep red and very tender, transferring tomatoes to plate when soft (time will vary, depending on ripeness of tomatoes), about 15 to 45 minutes longer.

3. Layer tomatoes in medium bowl, sprinkling garlic and parsley over each layer. Drizzle tomatoes with the reserved oil , adding more if necessary to cover. Let stand at room temperature 2 hours.

DO AHEAD Cover; chill up to 5 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Serve with goat cheese and toasted baguette slices.