slow roasted summer tomatoes

What is it about summertime? Everything is bursting with flavor, with color, with health and it just feels like you're eating sunshine every time you pop a veggie into your mouth. 

This recipe is a variation on a favorite theme and it is so incredibly intuitive and easy. I believe when fresh, quality food is cooked slow and low, there is no beating the taste. It's purely mother nature and wee bit of heat to bring out flavors.

To get maximum flavor you do need one little pesky thing - time. Time is what turns these juicy tomaters into sweet, savory, luscious, ridiculously good treats. Find an evening to eat late or block off a Sunday afternoon and treat yourself to these beauties. I hope you do enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1-2 pints of cherry tomatoes or approximately 5 heirloom tomatoes
• 4 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped (optional*)
• 1 shallot or 1 small onion, roughly chopped (optional*)
• olive oil
• sea salt
• black pepper
• herbs of choice (fresh or dried). I used basil for this batch.  

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 225 degrees F
2. If using cherry tomatoes, use a sharp paring knife to poke a small hole in each of the little tomatoes (so they don't explode!). If using heirloom or red tomatoes, simply slice them up into small chunks.
3. On a rimmed baking dish or baking sheet, arrange all veggies, garlic, and herbs
4. Drizzle with olive oil so everything is coated. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and mix well. 
5. Put the veggies in the oven for 2 - 3 hours checking every so often that nothing is burning. 

I honestly can't think of what NOT to put these with so enjoy with whatever the heck you want or just eat 'em plain. Yummmm.