DEBORAH CROMBIE: Happy vernal equinox, folks! Or, in other words, SPRING! Although actually spring arrived yesterday, the 20th, at 4:37 p.m. CST. Whether you are already seeing hints or whether veggie garden weather still seems unimaginably far away, here is a recipe to get your summer-anticipation buds going. I made this last weekend from a recipe I saw in Bon Appetit. I'd bought a big tub of Wild Wonder mini-heirloom tomatoes--more than I could eat fresh--and instead of just pan roasting them, I thought I'd try something new. Boy, was I glad I did! This is so incredibly good--hot, cold, on crostini, as a side dish. Or as dessert, seriously! It is so good that I bought another two pound box of tomatoes yesterday!
Here it is for my lunch yesterday, with toasted sourdough and burrata, basil and cracked pepper. This is one of my favorite meals in the world.
SLOW ROASTED TOMATOES
6 SERVINGS
1 1/2 lb. ripe cherry tomatoes
1 head of garlic, cut in half
2 sprigs rosemary
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 tsp. cracked coriander seeds (I used a mortar and pestle)
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
Preheat oven to 350.
Toss tomatoes, garlic, rosemary, oil, coriander seeds, and salt in a shallow 2-qt. baking dish to combine.
Turn one half of the garlic cut side down, then roast tomatoes, tossing 2 or 3 times, until golden brown and very tender, 40–50 minutes. Let cool slightly, then add vinegar and toss to coat.
This is very juicy when it's finished, but I wouldn't cut the amount of oil because the sauce is so delicious.
Enjoy, and dream of summer! When can you start tomatoes in your locale? I bought three big plants yesterday, determined to get them going early, but I think I will have to cover them this next week! And yay, I bought basil and Italian parsley, too!
