How to make your own semi dried tomatoes.
It's Sunday night and we've just spent our entire weekend harvesting and preserving fruit and vegetables. It looks, smells and tastes a whole lot like autumn around here. It's deeeeeliscious!
One thing we seem to be making a lot of, one thing our family eat almost as quickly as we pick and make, are semi-dried tomatoes. On salads, in sandwiches, on toast, straight out of the jar...YUM!
When I posted a photo on instagram a few days ago, I got so many requests for a recipe that I thought I'd better get on with it and type one up.
So here they are, our semi-dried tomatoes, delicious and easy-peasy.
First you'll need to pick or gather or swap for or buy some tomatoes, a big bowl or colander full.
We're mostly using cherry pears because that's what's ripe, but this week we'll have some Romas and San Marzanos so we'll be using them next. Most tomato varieties would work well, but I think the more organic, the fresher, the more local to where you live, the better.
Slice all your tomatoes in half width wise.
Gather a few cloves of garlic, some rosemary and any other herbs you think would go well, salt and pepper and some good quality olive oil.
Put half the tomatoes in a bowl with some of each of the ingredients I listed above. Make sure you use enough olive oil to really coat the tomatoes, crush a few good sized cloves of garlic, chop some rosemary and salt and pepper to taste.
Get your hands in the bowl and mix it all up together.
Spread the tomatoes face up on a baking tray.
Set your oven to about 100-120. Pop the tomato trays in the oven and leave the door ever so slightly ajar. Before we had an oven that stayed open, we used to leave a spoon in the door, but be careful if you do this because the spoon will get super HOT! So please try and remember to use a tea towel to take it out when you need to.
Leave the tomatoes in the oven like this for several hours, or overnight. Check on them regularly.
Take the trays of tomatoes out of the oven and allow to cool when they have shrivelled up and taste like you want them to taste.
Phew, you've worked hard to get to this step, congratulations! You totally deserve a snack. Cut yourself a piece of bread, slather on some pesto and sprinkle on some semi dried tomatoes. So good!
Then three quarter fill your jars with your semi dried tomatoes and fill the rest up with some good quality olive oil.
But be warned - these semi dried tomatoes are highly addictive.
Bon appetit!
Tomorrow I think I might make a start on some tomato sauce.
And some more pickled beetroot.
How about you, what's your favourite way to enjoy or preserve the humble tommy?
Hope you have a happy and juicy week peeps.
xx