Oven Roasted Roma Tomatoes

I found a great farm stand in West Duluth near the Riverside neighborhood where my Granddaughter and her family live.  I've bought beautiful corn, peppers, potatoes, onions there and this last time they were selling quart containers of mixed heirloom cherry and grape tomatoes!  Green, purple, orange, red, oh they're so beautiful and fresh!  I also bought these 7 perfect roma tomatoes that I decided to roast and probably freeze, later, for future sauces and soups.

Scrub the tomatoes then slice lengthwise about ¼" thick.  Layer in a big glass bowl and drizzle with good quality extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with your favorite seasonings.

I used my Rosemary Seasoning and dry tarragon this time, but an Italian or Tuscan seasoning, dry garlic-herb, or chili-lime seasoning would be nice.  When they're well coated, arrange in a single layer on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.  Drizzle with the liquid in the bowl and bake at 300⁰ for about an hour.  They should be shrinking and darkening as the liquid evaporates and the sugars caramelize.  Reduce the oven temperature to 200⁰ for another 30-60 minutes.  Shut off the heat and let the slices dry overnight before using or storing.

I try to limit my intake of nightshade vegetables which are known to cause problems with inflammation in the body.  Nightshades are primarily tomatoes, eggplant, peppers and potatoes (not sweet potatoes though).  Additionally, peanuts, lentils, beans, wheat and other grains as well as the skin and seeds from cucumbers and zucchini are high in lectins, another inflammatory factor.  So, these days, I try to keep those foods to a minimum, but really savor them when I do include them in a recipe.

As I smell these roasting I'm thinking once the slices dry and get a bit leathery, I might chop and combine them with a little tomato (or basil) pesto, pine nuts or sunflower seeds, some heavy cream and fresh grated parmesan, (mushrooms? capers?) as a pink sauce over pasta.  Mmmm. . .  They can be packed tightly in a glass jar which is then filled with olive oil.  They'll keep this way, in the refrigerator for up to a month.  Or freeze them in a quart size zip type bag for future use in chili, soup or a slow-simmered red sauce.

Be Bold - Be Creative!  Happy Cooking! . . . Lin