No fruit or vegetable I know compares with the wonders of a ripe summer tomato: richly sweet and tangy, juicy and meaty. And with the last few warm days of the year still ahead, there are still delicious sun-ripened tomatoes to be found in farmers markets and food stores everywhere.
Buy the best you can find. They should be fully ripe yet still slightly firm, not mushy. If great beefsteak tomatoes are available, use them; in that case, count each one as the equivalent of two medium tomatoes called for in the recipe.
Seasoning the tomatoes lightly and then briefly heating them in the oven amazingly intensifies their flavor and texture. In fact, I like to use this same method at other times of year when only Roma (Italian plum) tomatoes are in the markets, because I prefer that variety warm rather than raw.
All that’s left to do before serving the tomatoes as an appetizer or side dish is garnish them. I sometimes like to warm a little goat cheese on top of them, as I do in the recipe, although that’s completely optional. What isn’t is the loose version of pesto sauce that I drizzle over the tomatoes when they come out of the oven. Made with fresh basil, garlic, olive oil and some pine nuts, it blends together all the very best complements to the flavor of a ripe summer tomato.
Roasted tomatoes
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Yield: 12 servings
Pesto:
1 cup tightly packed fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, peeled
1 tablespoon pine nuts, roasted, see note
Roasted tomatoes:
6 ripe-but-firm tomatoes
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper
3/4 teaspoon sugar
4 cloves garlic, peeled, cut lengthwise into thick slices
6 ounces fresh goat cheese, optional
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1. Heat the oven to 450 degrees. For the pesto, put all the ingredients in a blender or a food processor; blend or process until smoothly pureed. Place pesto in a small bowl; set aside.
2. Cut the tomatoes in half vertically, through their stem ends and bottoms. Place on a baking sheet cut sides up. Drizzle each tomato half lightly with the olive oil; season equally with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with 1/8 teaspoon of sugar. Arrange the garlic slices on top of the tomatoes. Roast the tomatoes just until they are warmed but haven’t yet begun to lose their shape, about 8 minutes.
3. Remove the tomatoes from the oven; discard the garlic slices. Coarsely crumble the goat cheese, if using, over the tomatoes; return them to the oven. Bake until the cheese has begun to brown slightly, about 2 minutes. Transfer tomatoes to a serving platter or individual plates. Drizzle with pesto and a little balsamic vinegar. Serve hot or at room temperature; pass extra pesto on the side.
Note: To roast pine nuts, cook over low heat in a small dry saucepan until golden, 2 to 3 minutes.
Nutrition information per serving:
100 calories, 86% of calories from fat, 9 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 4 g carbohydrates, 1 g protein, 198 mg sodium, 1 g fiber
