Sewing Vloggers

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Bunny's Roasted Tomatoes

I think it was Rhett of The Gazebo House that initially and graciously gave me this recipe. Since then I have tweaked it a fair bit so here is my version.

 * Start with garden fresh tomotoes. You will have a better end product if you use either Romas or what our Amish neighbors call "Canning tomatoes". I don't know which variety they are but they are very meaty and not too wet. Give them a rinse under the tap.

* Cut the tomatoes into chunks. Cut out the green core at the top. That's what you see in the bowl. Keep an eye out for little critters who love to make tomatoes a home. I found one in that whole box you see.
* Fill a cookie sheet with enough tomatoes to fill the pan in a double layer of chunks.  It will take a bit of focus to mix everything but this will shrink down to A THIRD of it's former self by the time it is done.  Preheat the oven to 425ยบ.
Here is where you can get creative.

*  Chop three cloves of garlic and throw it in the pan.

* Coarse chop some sweet onion. These are usually labeled as such at the market, like Vidalias, Mauis or Texas sweets. I only use a 1/4 of a big sweet onion. I don't want my sauce overpowered. Add the chunks to the pan.

* Next is up to you. Sometimes I throw in a half of a chunked, peeled eggplant. You can add some fresh basil slivers, or capers, or even jalapenos. Use what is handy. This sauce can't miss. Trust me on this.

* Now I sprinkle the top with a full teaspoon of coarse ground black pepper and a heaping teaspoon of Kosher salt. After that I pour over about a half cup of extra virgin olive oil, not that light flavorless stuff. Save that for frying eggs. I try to use the darkest oils I can find. I love Berio and it's the best I can get my hands on up here.

* With your impeccably scrubbed hands toss the whole magilla together well so all is coated with oil and spice. Put it in the hot oven. After twenty minutes take it out and give it a toss. You will see lots of juice coming out. You will cook this approximately an hour taking the pan out every twenty or so minutes to turn it around with a egg turner/spatula. See it all getting runny and shrinking down?



* As the hour nears it's end watch it closely. The tomatoes are done when you have brown carmelization in the corners of the cookie pan, just like in the picture, not a minute more or less. When you see this take the pan out and put on some sort of rack to cool. Take your spatula/egg turner and push the wet tomatoes into those carmelized  corners and edges and  let them sit for about fifteen minutes or so. This softens up the brown bits and makes them easier to scrape up. Don't even think about not mixing in the carmelized edges! They hold a very very intense tomato flavor. When cool get your spatula our again and scrape all that Brown flecked, garlic strewn, sweet onion scented goodness into a gallon ziploc. One cookie sheet does one gallon bag of tomatoes. I usually do these all day and celebrate with a nice pasta dinner the same night so we can try out our hard work. It's fabulous with shrimp!  The other bags go into the deep freeze to bring out their rosy wonder around the middle of January.Stack them on a cookie sheet to freeze so they get like boards you can stack once frozen.  I said it before but DH and I both felt like crying when the last bag was gone.  I hope you try this and let me know how it works out. The most important part is cooking it to that stick to the pan carmelization part, usually about an hour. Hope you like!


********************************************************************************


The local tribe of 35 wild turkeys has decided to take up residence on our property. They sleep in an old white pine at night and roam around eating crickets all day. Our Buff Orpington chickens weave in and out of the tribe like one big happy family. It is really funny to see. No one is threatened. The really funny thing however is to see all the turkeys jump out of the pine tree in the morning. They don't fly out. They just jump down to the ground and it is quite a spectacle to behold.........Bunny


21 comments:

  1. This sounds delish, and I just might try it. Thanks for the recipe!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Looks great! Thanks for posting the recipe. I may try it this weekend.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'm salivating! Thanks for sharing your recipe! I'll be roasting some this season. I completely understand your tears with the last bag.

    Brenda

    ReplyDelete
  4. My mouth is watering! Definitely going to give this a try; thanks :)

    And thanks for the image of the turkeys jumping out of the tree - love it! :D

    ReplyDelete
  5. I am going to have to share this with a friend of mine who grows gobs of tomatoes. She'll love it.

    ReplyDelete
  6. This looks wonderful! Thanks for the recipe, as soon as I get enough ripe tomatoes I'll try it. I only have one plant this year. No more canning for me.

    ReplyDelete
  7. thanks for the recipe Bunny will give it a go. I slow roast tomatoes until they caramelise with onions and even mushrooms - but don't go as far as you so they still have some form and make a pasta meal out of that, but your version looks wonderful so will have to give it a go.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Like that mushroom idea! Hadn't thought of that one. Thanks!

      Delete
  8. It looks delicious! Thank you for sharing. It looks easy too!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Thanks so much. Our tomato harvest was poor this year; too much rain I suspect. But will save the directions for next year. I read an article about roma tomatoes vs. slicing varieties. Romas have less juice and less flavor; not so good for eating raw but excellent for sauces and cooking. Slicers, well we know what they're all about. Also romas have only a single fruiting whereas "slicers" produce all summer. The article also cited a variety of roma known as Amish Roma. The turkeys are so beautiful. We can hear them in the morning sometimes but very rarely see them. Love your blog. Lots of variety in your posts.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I do more or less the same thing, but I make it as a side dish with pasta or risotto. Never thought about freezing. Good idea.

    Another nice flavour to add for variation: a bit of balsamico vinegar. It's great with some basil and olive oil.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Looks Scrumptious, Bunny. I'll definitely have to try this!!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Upon the next flush of 'maters I'll definitely give this a try. My paste tomatoes are almost done for the year but I still have 7 heirlooms & and a hybrid giving another go at a new crop. The mixed flock is fascinating :)

    ReplyDelete
  13. Oh, YUMMY!! Thank you, Bunny. And of course, in this house, this shall be known as "Bunny's Roasted Tomatoes." Yippeeeeee!

    ReplyDelete
  14. WOW !!!! They certainly look yummy, I'll try your recipe with Florida tomatoes!. And talking about turkeys, we have wild peacocks here and they are beautiful but so messy. They "fly" to the roofs and break everything: tiles, pool screens and covers. The cities are trying to control them, but it is impossible!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Bunny, thank you for his recipe. I made one batch of it yesterday (and canned 7 quarts of crushed tomatoes). It smelled soooo yummy! It froze beautifully. We'll try it this weekend when the grown kids are here for a visit, so I can get lots of opinions! I used an heirloom slicing tomato, a yummy Italian pepper, chopped sweet onion, and sprinkled with garlic powder, sea salt, & black pepper. Of course, some cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil, as you recommended. I'm ready for Saturday's supper! LOL Thanks again.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Bunny, I made 5 batches today. This recipe is to die for!!! As a former northern New Yorker, I love your references to the life in the north. My family is still in the area. But I am not that far away- in the Fingerlakes. Thanks for this fabulous recipe, and for your sewing expertise. I often feel like I am the only one around who wants to make quality hand- made clothing. You keep my sewing mojo alive.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Bunny, this is a fabulous recipe! I saw it just before going to the Farmer's Market. Brought home the perfect tomatoes, onion, garlic, eggplant, zucchini and yellow squash. My whole house smells fabulous, and I cannot wait for dinner. This not only has a fabulous flavor, it has such a rich mouth feel. Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  18. I remembered your tomatoes from this post two years ago. I just took my first batch out of the oven. They are absolutely wonderful. Thank-you so much for sharing. I am looking forward to adding these to my cooking this coming winter.

    BTW - I really do enjoy your sewing blog.

    Lorna

    ReplyDelete

Engaging commentary:

Had to Refurbish This One!

    About  6 or 7 years ago , during the dawn of the Zipper Trend,  I bought one of my rare retail items. It was a blush pink and black bord...