Oven Roasted Tomatoes

I should know better than to promise a series of anything.  Life always gets in the way and poof, tomatoes turn into pumpkins.  Since I have no pumpkin recipes to share, I’m picking the ball back up and moving forward with tomato recipes, all of which are still perfectly palatable during the fall season and can be easily resurrected come tomato season next year!

Oven roasted or dried tomatoes is a lazy recipe that I use when I’ve had it up to my eyeballs with canning.  I simply mix ’em up and roast (or dry) ’em in the oven.   Dried cherry tomatoes are like savory candy, and the larger tomatoes still have a sweet meaty quality that’s delicious when sliced for appetizers, in salads, for pasta, pizza – you name it.   No sun required!

Oven Roasted (or Dried) Tomatoes

• 12  Roma tomatoes or round red tomatoes, or 24-30 cherry tomatoes
• 2-3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• Coarse ground black pepper
• 3  cloves crushed garlic (optional)

Roasting

1. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Preheat oven to 400F.
3. Slice and core larger tomatoes, or halve cherry tomatoes. Place on parchment-lined baking sheet.
4. Drizzle with olive oil; sprinkle with coarse salt, pepper and garlic.
5. Bake 30 to 60 minutes, until juices have evaporated.
6. Store in a plastic zip-top bag in refrigerator or freezer.

Slow Roasting or Drying 

1. For drier, more condensed flavor, try the low and slow method.
2. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Halve or quarter your larger tomatoes, keep cherry tomatoes whole (keep size consistent for each batch) and add to a large bowl.
4. Drizzle with olive oil; sprinkle with coarse salt, pepper and garlic and toss with your  hands.
5. Neatly lay the tomatoes out onto the baking sheet.
6. Roast at 250F oven 3 to 4 hours, or longer if you prefer to dry them.  Sometimes I’ll leave them at 200F overnight and they’re ready the next morning.

Tips:

• Convection ovens work well for this as the heat is distributed more evenly in the oven.  If you don’t have a convection oven, then be sure to rotate your baking sheets every few hours to ensure even roasting/drying.  Do not let them dry out too much as they will become bitter.  You still want them to be soft, meaty and flavorful.
• Don’t worry too much about overcrowding on the baking sheet.  They’ll shrink down considerably as they roast.
• Parchment is absolutely necessary, or you’ll have a mess on your hands afterward!

Storage:  Store in the freezer in an air tight container, or keep handy in the fridge.

Variations

You can change a number of things for this recipe:

Texture and juiciness – for fresh roasted tomatoes that are still plump and juicy, roast at higher temperature for less time.  For dryer, chewier tomatoes, roast at a lower temperature for several hours.  The times and temps above are just guidelines.  All ovens are different, so keep close watch over your tomatoes the first time around and you’ll get a feel for how long and how hot the oven should be to reach the texture you want.

Different flavors – You can always add herbs – basil, dill, oregano, parsley.  Finely chopped works best.  You can even mix in some chopped chipotle, hot sauce, or balsamic vinegar.  Don’t make it too juicy – just enough to coat the tomatoes so the flavor adheres.

Size doesn’t matter – smaller means less cooking time, larger means more cooking time.  You can cut whole tomatoes down to smaller chunks, keep them whole.  The key is keeping the sizes consistent so they cook evenly.

Taking ’em to the Next Level – Being a huge fan of chipotle peppers, I couldn’t resist trying my chipotle recipe using dried tomatoes.  Since I’ve never seen or heard of anyone doing anything similar, I am proclaiming myself as the inventor of ….Tomotle!  Yes, it’s a condensed tomato-based condiment that really livens up the flavor of any tomato recipes.  I add it to sauces, hummus, dips, salsas, bruschetta….anything you’d add dried or sun dried tomatoes to.  I love it!

So there you have it.  Roasted or dried tomatoes are great for snacking, blend, slice, dice, or throw ’em in salads, dips, appetizers, sauces, pizzas…anything that could use a zip of flavor.  Easy peasy and a great fast way to use up those excess tomatoes!

The best surprises come from happy accidents! 

Roasted Cheese Stuffed Chili Peppers

We recently had the cheese stuffed banana peppers appetizer at Frederick’s new Roast House Pub restaurant in Frederick.  Two of our favorite things – soft roasted hot peppers and cheese.  The hubster and I looked at each other and said “we can make these”.  And wouldn’t you know?  Our banana peppers and chilies just happen to be ripening in the garden.  Perfect timing for our own roasted cheese stuffed chili fest.

Here’s what we came up with…

Roasted Cheese Stuffed Chilies

Preheat oven at 375 degrees.

Prepare 12 fresh banana peppers or long chilies, or 24 jalapenos by slicing the tops off to fill from the top, or slice them down the side to fill from the sides.

Saute the following in a skillet until caramelized:

• ½ medium onion, sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 tsp. olive oil

Add the caramelized onion mixture to the following ingredients in a food processor and blend smooth.

• 4 oz cream cheese
• ½ cup Monterey jack cheese, shredded
• ½ cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 2 tsp. chipotle

Stir in the following ingredients with a spatula or spoon:

• 3 oz. crumbled bacon (we used the ready to eat crumbled bacon in a bag)
• ½ cup canned corn, sautéed in the skillet
• ¼ cup chopped cilantro

Stuffing the Chilies

– Add the filling to a Ziploc bag.  Press air out the top and zip closed.

– Cut one of the bottom corners of the bag to create a ½ inch hole.

– Twist the top of the bag and press out the filling into the peppers, either from the top (add enough filling so the top will stick when placed back on the pepper) or along the sides and insert a toothpick to keep them closed.

– Set the stuffed chilies upright in a chili roaster rack or lay them on their sides on parchment.

– Roast chilies for 40 minutes or until they’re soft and cheese is melted and crusty.

Variations

Can I just say “holy bajeebers” these things are GOOD! I personally would not change a single thing on this recipe; however, that would defeat the purpose of this blog, so here are a few ideas for variations.

Smoked vs. Baked.  They’re fantastic roasted in the oven, but just imagine them infused with smoked flavor on the smoker.  Everything is better when it’s cooked outside, right?

Bacon or No Bacon?  It’s hard to say “no” to bacon, but you can always swap it out for crab or shrimp, sausage, chorizo, chicken, ham or pork.  Or don’t add any meat at all.

Dip it.   Seriously, the filling alone would make a fantastic baked queso dip.  A guaranteed hit at any party.

Stuff More Than Peppers.  The filling could also be used to stuff just about anything that’s stuffable – peppers, tomatoes, zucchini, zucchini flowers, enchiladas, chili rellenos.

Mac and Cheese.  Stir it into some pasta and make a special baked mac and cheese.  Yum!

Double the recipe and it’s a party.  These Roasted Cheese Stuffed Chili Peppers are easy to make in volume, plus the stuffed peppers and the leftover filling will freeze well for later.   So start picking those garden fresh peppers and whip up a batch for your next social gathering, or in our case, a casual weekend meal for two.  Enjoy!

The best surprises come from happy accidents.

Garden Veggie Roast

One day you’ve got zero zucchini, the next day you’ve got ten…the size of my drumstick!   Along with a wagon load of basil, and a few fingerling eggplants that require pinching…what to do, what to do?

Simple, rustic, fresh, flavorful – there’s nothing like a big pot of garden veggies roasted with fresh garlic and herbs.  Here’s a fabulous healthy side dish that’s easy to throw together with whatever you have available in the garden or fridge.

Mediterranean Veggie Roast

Ingredients

• 1 large zucchini, cubed
• 4 fingerling eggplants, sliced or 1 small eggplant, cubed
• 1 small sweet onion, halved and sliced
• 1 sweet red bell pepper, sliced
• 1 sweet green pepper, sliced
• 12 or more whole garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp fresh chopped chives
• 1/2 tsp fresh chopped oregano
• 1/4 cup fresh sliced basil
• 2 tbsp fresh flat leaf parsley
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tsp salt
• Fresh cracked black pepper to taste.

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Mix ingredients well by hand in a large bowl.
3. Transfer to a large casserole dish.
4. Bake covered for 30 minutes, then remove cover.
5. Continue to roast the veggies uncovered for another hour or more, stirring every 30 minutes.
6. The finished veggies will be soft and saucy.

Variations

You can serve these veggies up as they are, or jazz them up…

Cheese Please.  Add fresh crumbled feta, parmesan, asiago, fresh buffalo mozzerella, or goat cheese.

Flavorful Additions.  Throw in some fresh herbed and buttered croutons, sun dried tomatoes, capers, artichoke hearts, marinated mushrooms, or calamata olives.

Make it a Meal.  Add a little protein, some fresh salami, sliced italian sausages, shredded chicken or pork, bratwursts, prosciutto, or anchovies.  Or make it vegetarian with cannellini beans, garbonzo beans or lentils.

Chunked, cubed, sliced, or whole, there are no rules for this recipe and there’s no hard core list of ingredients.  An hour or two of roasting time in the oven and you’ll have a delicious medley of flavors and textures that’ll excite guests and get the vino flowing.  Enjoy!

The best surprises come from happy accidents.