I recently finished a styling job and had 16-18 vine ripened tomatoes left over. I didn’t want them to go to waste and I can only eat so much salsa! Now mind you, the 1980′s totally ruined sun-dried tomatoes for me. Seems it was either sun-dried tomatoes or cilantro on everything that decade (still a fan of cilantro). I find the little suckers hard, dry and just kinda bleh. Even after they’ve been reconstituted, they’re not so great; and the oil packed type are not much better.
I remember reading about oven drying tomatoes a few years back. I thought if I could dry them to the point of just concentrating all that goodness without turning them to shoe leather, I might find them more appealing. And were they ever! It takes a long time at very low temperatures to get them there, but so well-worth it! The first batch Corey and I gobbled down before I remembered to take a picture. So I gave it a go a few days ago just to get the picture. This time however, I packed them in jelly jars with some garlic and fresh thyme then covered them with a really good olive oil. Since local tomatoes are in season, I would suggest running to the farmer’s market and try this yourself.
Oven Dried Tomatoes
Ripe Tomatoes
Sea Salt
Preheat oven to 175°F or the lowest setting on your oven. Place cooling racks over sheet pans.
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Core tomatoes and slice in half top to bottom. |
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Scoop out seeps and membrane. Place on racks, cut side up, and lightly sprinkle with sea salt. |
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Place in oven. Leave oven door slightly cracked. Let tomatoes dry 10 to 16 hours. |
I used a wooden spoon handle to keep the oven door from closing all the way. The finished tomatoes will have shrunk considerably, but should still be fleshy. Remove and peel skin from tomatoes.
These sweet, tender and moist tomatoes are fantastic on their own, but would be excellent in pasta or on toasted baguette slices spread with a soft goat cheese and topped with fresh chopped basil, a drizzle of olive oil, and freshly ground black pepper. Delicious!
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Peace.
Tags: oven-dried, oven-dried tomatoes, tomatoes
I often have BIG ideas about food, my business and life in general. Ideas and thoughts that I need to get out of my head, but seem to get bogged down as to whether or not it these ideas are showcased in the appropriate venue. So I've decided to just put it all out there. I've redesigned this site and now (hopefully), I will release into the interweb the ramblings of my mind.
Peace.
Your oven-dried tomatoes (especially from the “jelly jar”) would raise an Insalata Caprese up to a whole new level just by adding basilico (basil) and authentic bufalo mozzarrella.
Oven-dried tomatoes is a great idea and how incredibly simple yet sophisticated.
Fantastic idea!
I read your post on my phone after I finished hiking. I went straight to the store and bought some fresh buffalo mozzarella. I drizzled the Insalata Caprese with some of the oil from the tomato jar… Molto Delizioso!!!
I read this and the earth shook, but I’m still hungry for these tomatoes. I’m so glad you’re back to blogging Chef!
Thanks! Good to get this of of my head! LOL Now comes the part of consistency and streamlining the process. Still takes too long to write a post. UGH!