You haven’t lived until you’ve roasted a tomato and discovered the magical flavour and texture within. It’s there, locked inside every tomato just waiting for you to roast and release it. Serves as many as you have tomatoes.
From Family Meals: 100 Easy Everyday Recipes by Michael Smith. Copyright © Michael Smith, 2014. Reprinted by permission of Penguin Canada, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Photography credit: Ryan Szulc.
ingredients
directions
Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Ready a festive baking dish or oven-proof sauté pan just large enough to snugly fit the tomatoes.
Using a sharp or serrated knife, cut an X into each tomato, through its stem end and down to just below the “equator.” Lay a sprig of fresh thyme through the middle of each tomato one way, and stuff the garlic into the 2 remaining ends the other way. Drench the works with great olive oil and season lightly, keeping in mind the flavour concentration ahead. Cram the tomatoes together into the pan.
Roast for at least 60 minutes, but better to wait another 20. The tomatoes will be soft and caramelized and full of intense flavour. Drizzle with the balsamic vinegar. Transcendental! Serve and share!