Resuscitating Tomatoes

Sometimes you buy fruit or veggies that look oh-so-good at the market, and they turn out to be duds. Like these cherry tomatoes, for instance. I thought they'd be tasty. It's tomato season where I live, and these are from a farmer who usually has reliably good produce. But the tomatoes were underwhelming. Not sweet enough.

What can you do with blah tomatoes? Resuscitate by roasting! First, cut them into halves or quarters (for cherry tomatoes) or even-sized slices (for standard 'matoes). Place them on a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet and drizzle them lightly with good-quality olive oil:

Sprinkle them lightly with kosher salt, sugar, and freshly ground black pepper to taste:

If you have any fresh herbs on hand, finely chop the herbs and sprinkle on top. I had this little bit of leftover oregano from something or other:

They're looking good!

Roast the tomatoes in a preheated oven at 250 degrees Fahrenheit for 3 hours to use right away. Or if you can wait, roast them at the same temperature for only 2 hours, then turn off the oven and leave them overnight to dry out a bit more. I opted for the faster version of 3 hours' roasting time at 250 degrees F:

Here's how they looked as they entered the oven:

And here's how they looked after 3 hours:

Way shriveled! But the slow roasting has brought out the natural sugars in the tomatoes and intensified their flavor:

You can use them immediately or pack them in an airtight container to keep in the fridge for later. They'll be fabulous on a pizza, added to hot pasta, in a vegetable salad, or even smashed up onto a hearty sandwich:

Totally transformed tomatoes!