Tomatoes: Stars Of The Late-Season Harvest

Whether you are growing your own, or buying them from your local grocer or farmer, tomatoes are abundant right now. Brimming with antioxidants and phytonutrients, tomatoes are delicious, versatile, and nutritious. Given how plentiful they are right now, I’ve included a recipe here.

Because of the acidity in tomatoes – the stars of the late-season harvest – they are uniquely suited to oven roasting. The method in the recipe below concentrates and heightens flavors while requiring very little effort. Layered with fresh, clean basil leaves in a good-quality olive oil, roasted tomatoes will last about three weeks in the refrigerator. Here’s how you do it …

Recipe: Tomatoes Stars of the Late-Season Harvest

Ingredients:
4 lbs tomatoes, halved lengthwise
1 1/2 tsp sea or kosher salt
Extra – virgin olive oil
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
2. Arrange tomato halves, with cut sides up, on a baking tray lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Sprinkle tomato halves with seas or kosher salt and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil.
3. Roast tomatoes, uncovered, until very tender, 60 to 70 minutes. Let cool on pan.
4. Transfer toasted tomatoes, pan juices, and fresh basil leaves to a 2-quart jar (or two 1-quart jars) with a tight fitting lid. Pour in enough olive oil to cover tomatoes (make sure tomatoes and basil leaves are submerged).

Note: to prevent spoilage, as you remove tomatoes, add more oil to keep remaining ones completely covered.
Once they are cooked, serve these intensely flavored tomatoes on top a spinach salad, in pasta dishes, over no-cook zucchini “noodles”, or as a side dish for meat, chicken, or fish.

Share with your loved ones and enjoy!