The cherry tomato is the workhorse of summer produce.
It’s an easy backyard grower—even for us gardening birdbrains—and its sturdiness makes it a staple in green salads, pasta salads and vegetable kebabs. While we generally use them raw, roasting cherry tomatoes deepens their flavor and expands their utility. It’s also a great way to keep an abundance of them from going to waste.
How can you use roasted cherry tomatoes? Lots of ways. Here are a few:
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• As the base for rustic pasta sauce
• In an English muffin with poached eggs, smoked mozzarella and crispy bacon
• As a topper for skillet green beans
• Layered with eggplant slices, cheese and breadcrumbs, and then quickly broiled
• Tossed in a summer squash sauté
• Served with grilled pork chops or chicken breasts
• As a spread for bruschetta
• Add sprigs of woodsy herbs like fresh thyme and rosemary while roasting, or toss your finished roasted tomatoes with chopped basil, parsley or dill.
Here’s how to roast them:
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4 cups (2 pints) whole cherry tomatoes
¼ to 1/3 cup olive oil (or avocado, grapeseed or pecan oil)
Sprigs of fresh thyme or rosemary
Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper, to taste
Heat oven to 450 degrees. Wash and dry the tomatoes. Do not slice. Add the tomatoes to a large bowl and toss with the olive oil until thoroughly coated. Add the herbs and salt and pepper. Spread the mixture in a single layer on a large cookie sheet. Roast for 15-20 minutes or until the tomatoes are slightly charred.
Maggie Heyn Richardson is a regular 225 contributor and the creator of its food blog, Spatula Diaries. Reach her at hungryforlouisiana.com.