This year, I grew my first little garden, quite by accident. My son tossed a few raw green beans into a patch of dirt beside our home sometime in May. A few weeks later, he ran into the kitchen claiming that green beans were growing, and the rest is history. All my life, I have only managed to only kill plants. While I have a long way to go to recover from this lifelong affliction, with the help of my 10-year old, I feel like there is hope.
This year, we successfully (and intentionally) grew basil and tomatoes. This savory side dish is my first “non salad-or-sandwich” creation using them. I hope you like my original Roasted Plum Tomatoes!
Roasted Plum Tomatoes with Basil, Garlic and Parmesan
(this makes a generous side dish for two adults)
- about 25 plum tomatoes sliced in half (some say it's good to scoop out the tomato flesh, but I didn't do this)
- 3 cloves of garlic, crushed and seriously minced
- about 3 tablespoons of Balsamic vinegar
- about 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
- a handful of fresh basil leaves, torn
- salt and pepper to taste
(I used a Silpat non-stick baking liner to keep everything from sticking to the bottom of the baking sheet. I highly recommend this, or at least that you line the baking sheet with parchment paper or some other barrier to prevent sticking.)
Step 1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
Step 2. Place the halved tomatoes into a bowl. Add the crushed garlic and mix gently (with your hands or a very big spoon) to combine. The smell will make you high 🙂
Step 3. Add the vinegar and olive oil and mix some more, then add salt and pepper to taste. Stir again — be gentle so you don't break up the tomatoes. Pour them out onto the baking sheet, and then turn them cut side up.
Step 4. Bake at 400°F for 20 minutes, then remove the baking sheet from the over and stir things around a bit. Return it to the oven for another 20 minutes, this time at 450°F. (If you like a “dryer” texture, bake then a bit longer — maybe 30 minutes. Watch carefully so they don't burn. I like mine a bit on the juicy side, but the additional heat for a longer period of time should dry them out more.)
Step 5. Remove the tomatoes from the oven and immediately dump them into a bowl. They will be *super* hot, so be careful.
Step 6. Add the Parmesan and fresh basil leaves. You will see the steam from the tomatoes melt the cheese and wilt the basil leaves a bit. Make sure you cool it a bit before tasting (especially if your taster is your 10-year old son …)
This recipe makes a good filling for an omelette too!
I hope you like my recipe for Roasted Plum Tomatoes.
Best and Success!
