Slow Roasted Heirloom Tomatoes

Ok, so yesterday I threw a surprise dinner party for Joel’s 28th birthday party and I made a ton of food: appetizers, entree and sides, dessert... and it all turned out really well. But the simplest thing that I made was my favorite thing that I made. Slow roasted heirloom tomatoes.

This is by far the best tomato dish I have ever made and it is because the fresh taste of summer tomatoes comes through perfectly. The texture was also perfect, which I can only assume is the result of the advice the produce guy at Whole Foods gave me. I was going for my regular tomato choice, when I saw these practically surrounded by singing angels out of the corner of my eye. There’s no getting around it, they are beautiful. They are like the ruby, emerald and amber of the produce section. I hesitated because I had not made this particular recipe with heirlooms before, but I went over to inspect. I have this nasty habit of picking up produce of any kind and brining it up to my nose and mouth and sniffing it while I am deciding if I want it. I do it almost unconsciously and I am sure it started out as a freshness checker, but it is now completely out of control. It usually gets me a few weird looks from people at the store, but I’ve come to accept this side of myself. Anyway, I was doing this very thing when the produce guy asked if I needed help. I explained my dilemma and he said that he was so confident that they would knock my socks off that he would give them to me for free. He also explained to me that the feel of a perfect tomato is firm, but has just a tiny bit of give when you gently squeeze it. This has always kind of baffled me, so I was thankful for the tip.

I went home and made the dish and I cannot tell you how good these things were. They were perfect and I could eat them every night this week. Here’s what I did:

Cut each tomato in half down the center. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, cut side up. Drizzle generously with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

What? Are you waiting for more instructions? That’s it! There are no more! They are perfect and beautiful just the way they are, but you could also drizzle some balsamic vinegar over them after you’ve cooked them. Mmmmmmm. This dish is healthy, fresh and tay-stee!