News from My Table
Oven-Candied Tomatoes
Former Houstonian (and champion tomato grower) Carolyn Simpson preserves part of her harvest every year by making Oven-Candied Summer Tomatoes. The recipe (below) comes from The Italian Country Table by Lynne Rossetto Kasper, and Carolyn told us that she makes a batch of these tomatoes about every other day during tomato season.
This technique recreates the way Italian farm women use the leftover heat in the bread oven to preserve tomatoes, which is why you keep turning the temperature down as the tomatoes bake.
“I used to can the tomatoes, but canning is such a mess,” says Carolyn. “Then you still have to do something with canned tomatoes. These oven-candied tomatoes are excellent as is. I use them on bruschetta, toss them with garlic and parsley for a pasta sauce, use in cold pasta salad, everything. Plus, save the oil: It makes the best vinaigrette you ever had.”
OVEN-CANDIED SUMMER TOMATOES
2 to 2 1/2 lbs. delicious ripe medium-sized tomatoes (not plum tomatoes, unless they are extremely flavorful)
1 cup robust extra-virgin olive oil
salt
METHOD: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Core the tomatoes and halve vertically. Do not seed. Leave small tomatoes in halves; cut slightly larger tomatoes into four wedges, medium ones into six and large into eight. In a half-sheet pan or two 2 1/2-quart shallow metal baking pans (not glass or enameled metal), arrange the tomato wedges cut side up, about 1/2 inch apart. Coat the tomatoes with the oil. Sprinkle with salt.
Bake 30 minutes, then lower the heat to 350 degrees and bake another 30 minutes. Turn the heat down to 300 degrees and bake 30 more minutes, or until the edges are slightly darkened. If the edges are not yet colored, turn the heat down to 250 degrees and bake another 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the tomatoes from the oven. Cool 20 minutes. Transfer them to a shallow glass or china dish and pour their oil over them. Let mellow, uncovered, at room temperature four to six hours.
Layer the tomatoes in a storage container, pouring in their oil, and refrigerate. Or freeze in their oil in sealed containers up to three months. Serve at room temperature.
(Note: This article and recipe originally appeared in My Table Issue No. 43.)
