Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

So here we are, moving into another season…and not just any season. FALL!!!!! Cue the pumpkins, bats, leaves, apples and my favorite cute boots! Wellll not quite. The past few weeks have been annoyingly hot and my garden is still gasping for attention, while I’m over here holding my pumpkins and muttering at the heat. The thing I am loving is that my basil is still abundant and my cherry tomatoes are having an production craze.

For long term use, I can take my basil and dry it out for later use, freeze cleaned and dried basil to add punch to fall and winter stews or whip up pesto (leaving out the cheese) and freeze for a burst of summer in the cold days of winter. Unfortunately, my cherry tomatoes are challenging, if not almost impossible to preserve long term. They are too tiny to bother trying to boil, skin and freeze or can and they have a bad habit of splitting open and attracting fruit flies if you don’t find that one in a bowl of 100 that is split. But the flavor while you have them (especially if they are just picked) is the reason I cannot run outside and tear up the plants to stop them from producing more.

So when I’ve eaten my fill of cherry tomatoes plain, in a salad, marinated in good olive oil with salt and fresh ground pepper, I turn to my oven. Roasted cherry tomatoes have a deeper sweetness than fresh picked and it is one that pairs well with pasta dishes or on a slice of bread and a hunk of good creamy cheese. It also can extend their shelf life a bit as roasted tomatoes will keep in the refrigerator for a solid week before they need to be used or toss. So don’t rip out those vines just yet! Give them a little more love and let summer give you on last parting gift, beside the heat which can be taken back at any time:)

Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

Prep Time: 5 minutes | Total Time: 45 minutes | Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 1 lb. cherry tomatoes, washed with stems removed
• salt, to taste
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, more or less to taste
• pepper, to taste
• dried rosemary, garlic, oregano (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper
2. Rise and remove stems and leaves from tomatoes and pour into a large bowl
3. Slowly pour oil over tomatoes and add salt and pepper. If you are including additional dried herbs or spices, add them as well
4. Using a rubber spatula, mix well to combine then gently toss to fully coat the tomatoes
5. Pour tomatoes onto prepared cookie sheet and bake in oven for 35-40 minutes or until the tomatoes are slightly browned, softened and splitting
6. Remove from oven and gently move tomatoes around to ensure they do not stick to the paper. If using immediately, remove and serve. If using at a later time, allow to cool completely then store in a sealed container and use within 7 days of roasting.