Garlic Roasted Tomatoes
Summer! There is nothing like fresh, homegrown tomatoes from the garden. My father’s parents were farmers in Sicily. My Grandmother didn’t have a nice yard when they moved to Chicago. Instead she had turned the back yard into a small farm. My Grandparents had 10 children so growing food was necessary during the 1920s and 1930s to feed such a large family. My Grandmother grew vegetables, herbs and flowers. My father and I kept up that tradition. Like my Grandmother, we tried to use seeds from Italy. Last year, I grew 45 vegetables, herbs and flowers in my small back yard. I even had corn growing in containers. Tomatoes are the easiest to grow and I typically grow, a variety each year.
This is really a very simple dish. Being Italian, I have been making Garlic Roasted Tomatoes for years. Fresh tomatoes, olive oil, garlic and basil, salt and ground pepper. Since we are also Sicilian, I add a little heat with a pinch of cayenne pepper to the dish. You can omit this, if you prefer.
Additionally, you can use all cherry tomatoes or mix a combination of cherry and grape tomatoes. Once roasted, they become little burst of flavors waiting to go off in your mouth. Just make sure they have cooled enough.
Garlic Roasted Tomatoes are delicious and they can be used in a variety of ways. The first is to just serve them as a side dish or they can be:
• Tossed in an orzo salad,
• Used as a topping for a crostini,
• Used as a topping for pizza,
• Tossed with fresh mozzarella balls,
• Used as a topping for grilled chicken or fried fish,
• Tossed with pasta as a sauce, or
• Add some heavy cream, blend and make a soup with them.
Something I have been wanting to try with this recipe to make a jelly. They have so much flavor. It would be along the lines of a hot pepper jelly. However, I will need to leave that for another day of recipe testing.
Anyway that you make use of these Garlic Roasted Tomatoes, they are a great Summer dish!
Try this quick and easy recipe and let me know what you think. Watch for my Tomato Gratin recipe also using fresh tomatoes from the garden.
Garlic Roasted Tomatoes
A quick and flavorful side dish. Garlic Roasted Tomatoes can also be used in a variety of ways including as a tomato sauce or a soup.
Ingredients
- 2 pints cherry tomatoes
- 2 small to medium garlic cloves, minced
- 6 basil leaves, chiffonade
- 4 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
- Pinch cayenne pepper
Directions
- Step 1 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Step 2 Place the cherry tomatoes in a baking dish.
- Step 3 Add the minced garlic and chiffonade of basil.
- Step 4 Drizzle olive oil over the tomatoes.
- Step 5 Sprinke the salt, pepper and cayenne pepper and toss.
- Step 6 Bake in a 350 degree oven 30-35 minutes.
Try it.
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