Slow-Roasted Tomatoes (aka "Godiva Tomatoes"): a Recipe

Very loose instructions: Do this when you've got a couple of hours on your hands. It's slow and lovely, because you have to open the oven every twenty minutes or so, which is like lighting tomato incense in your house.

Preheat oven to 200°. Line a baking tray with foil; spray a light coating of olive oil on the tray.

Cut into quarters (or halves or sixths) lots of small tomatoes. Toss them in a large bowl with a drizzle of the best olive oil you have, light Kosher flake salt, ground pepper, and the scantest bit of sugar (say, 1/4 teaspoon or less for two pounds of tomatoes). I do at least two pounds—usually three, four, or five on two trays. Otherwise, what's the point?      

Scatter the tomatoes on the tray, spacing them as evenly as possible. (Crowded tomatoes take longer to cook. This is not necessarily a bad thing.)

I used small Early Girls (nothing over 2" in diameter, cut in sixths) and some other tomatoes that were not what was labelled; I think they are a Roma-style tomato of one of our favorite heirlooms, the Black Krim. These tomatoes were either small enough to halve, or large enough to quarter. That is the brownish-colored tomato, pictured at top.

You probably don't need to check them for 45 minutes, but if you're greedy for that tomato smell, open the oven at 30 minutes.      

On this particular batch, after 1 hour and fifteen minutes, I raised the temperature to 225°. Twenty minutes later, the tomatoes looked like the second photo here.

They're nearly there—they just want a little darkening.So I raised the temperature to 250°, and twenty minutes later, the tomatoes attained perfection. 

They're still moist, they're darker, and they're just perfect. (See the third picture.) If, during the course of roasting these tomatoes, your smaller ones start to get dry, crisp, or stiff, remove them selectively. I dare you to save them until the whole batch is done.

Besides just standing there and popping them into your mouth—and trying to look casual, and trying not to look like you're racing the other person eating them—my favorite use for these tomatoes is in scrambled eggs with smoked trout. Better yet, in an omelette with smoked trout and goat cheese.

I've made these tomatoes so many times. The best ones are the tomatoes we pull off the plants in the winter. Yes, you read correctly: I said "in the winter." At least three times during our ten years in this house, our tomatoes have over-wintered until April. It has something to do with our microclimate, as well as the fact that the tomatoes are on the southern side of the house, under an eave. They get radiant heat from the house, and they are protected from the rare frosts that hit the coast of California. Winter tomatoes become incredibly sweet then, like ice-wine grapes, I suppose. And they make the best roasting tomatoes imaginable.

One more close-up (and you will be getting this up-close and personal with your 'maters):

NEWS: I visited a beautiful little farm this morning with Logan. Everett Family Farm is just a few miles from my house, up Old San Jose Road in Soquel. I'm downloading and organizing photos right now, and will tempt you to return soon and see the pictures. I've added Kirstin Roehler to the Farmers photo album. She gave us a wonderful hour-plus tour of everything, and sent us home with eggs (still warm from the hens), lemon cucumber, pattypan squash, and beautiful white garlic. Thank you, Kirsten, for everything.

Thought for the day: "What is paradise but a garden full of vegetables and herbs and pleasure? Nothing there but delights." —William Lawson.

Comments

[Monkey Gland]

Yum, if only I could grow toms I'd be a happy man, unfortunatly my balcony gets no sun, the english climate is erratic and they'd probably get stolen by the nesting jays in the tree outside my apartment block. Sneaky buggers.

[Tana Butler]

We have nets over our tomato plants, as the birds AND the deer (sneaky, cheeky buggers) snitch them.

Thanks for visiting! I hope to be in your country this year. I've heard they have farms in England...is this true?

: D

[Janis]

They look fantastic; I can hardly wait for my Romas to ripen. I like to dry my surplus tomatoes. Do you recommend a method of preserving roasted tomatoes (perhaps in good olive oil) or, failing that, any tips for how long you can keep a batch around, assuming they don't all get gobbled up in short order?

[Tana Butler]

Leftover tomatoes? LEFTOVER TOMATOES?! I know you're speaking English, but the words have lost all meaning.

Um, the only thing we preserve these tomatoes for is another few minutes. Heh.

Maybe someone else can weigh in on the preserving them part. I wouldn't use a jar of oil, because that would get them soggy.

I hope you enjoy them. Thanks for stopping in.

[GG Mora]

I just came back to this post; my tomatoes are starting to come fast and furious and I thought slow-roasting would be just the thing to deal with some of the surplus. My comment has nothing to do with slow-roasting.

I didn't do a close reading the first time around, nor did I view the photos carefully. Just now, I clicked on that first photo to see it enlarged, and was surprised to notice those off-color plum-shaped tomatoes – which I happen to have growing in my garden. I went back to the text to see of the tomatoes were identified, because mine were mis-identified (so I thought) at the nursery where I bought the seedling. They were marked “Brown Cherry” and described as producing small, sweet mahogany-colored cherry tomatoes.

And now I read that yours were “not what was labelled”. I'd be curious to know how yours *were* labelled; maybe the original seed grower screwed up. Not that I'm complaining – they're delicious tomatoes, and I'll probably have enough to put up some sauce with (all from one plant, so they're delicious *and* prolific). I'm also growing Black Krims; the color and flavor are very similar.

I also just noticed the question about preserving these for long-keeping. I'll see if I can come up with something.

[Bailie]

Hi Tana,

Love what this site has grown into. Just thinking about you and wanted to say hello. All is well up here is SF. I'm working pt as a chef for Nico Martin Presents and pt as an Assistant Banquet Event Manager for 5 Star Events. I miss you and think of you and the rest in SC from time to time. Have a beautiful day!! -Bailie

[Carrie]

How delightful! :-) I was looking for a slow roasted tomato recipe this afternoon.... it has just rained here in Berkeley, everything is so fresh, and I had to go see how the summer's mad tomato garden was doing. To my surprise, there were tons and tons of tomatoes and new blossoms, too! I picked a big wooden bowlful and will roast them later this afternoon to have with dinner of baked squash, swiss chard frittata and an apple crisp. Thank you for the lovely description and inspiration!!!

[panasianbiz]

I stumbled across your blog while I was doing some online research. I've done this myself, and the results are stupendous. Forget those bottled sun dried tomatoes. These taste like candy--only better!

[Andrea]

I am definitely trying this Godiva recipe.

If I don't eat them all...how are the tomatoes best stored once cooked?

thanks,
A

[Keather]

I've come back to your blog after finding your Godiva tomato recipe last summer while searching for a roasted tomato recipe on Google. I passed this recipe on to my neighbor last summer. She doesn't really like to cook or garden, but when she was faced with a bumper crop of tomatoes from just a few plants, and once she tasted the rich, deep tomato taste from your godiva recipe, she was hooked! I packed mine (the ones I did not eat) in half-pint glass canning jars and stored most of them in the refrigerator, making sure to top each jar off with olive oil (this helps to seal out the air and preserve the tomatoes). I froze some of these half-pint jars too - you just need to be sure that you don't pack the jars too full - you need to allow for expansion - at least 1-2 inches. I prefer glass, because it is "safer" than plastic. The olive oil will congeal when it gets cold, but all you have to do is let them sit out at room temp and the olive oil returns to normal consistency. My neighbor froze her godivas in plastic ziplocs and she was happy too.

Today, my first 5 pounds of tomatoes (Black Plum, Principe Borghese and Riebenstraube) harvested this summer are roasting in my oven now and boy does my house smell great! I've already eaten a few right out of the oven and it never ceases to amaze me how the flavor intensifies once they are roasted. This year I took a chance on the Black Plum and the first time I took a bite while in the garden, I was not too impressed with the flavor, but then had to remind myself that this tomato was bred to be cooked into a paste or sauce. I just tasted a roasted black plum tomato from the oven and the flavor is divine! Thank you for the best recipe I think I've ever found on the internet!

[Lady AnnaH]

I, too, have a bumper crop of tomatoes (went crazy and ended up with 85 tomato plants all heirloom and organically grown. I have planted 25 different varieties.

I like using a dehydrator to preserve these lovely toms. The Godiva recipe will work with the dehydrator too and can be frozen without fuss.

I also dry excess summer herbs (hardly happens) and use them throughout winter before the cycle starts over again.

[Melissa Reynolds]

Amen to the "bumper crop" people - we got a little excited with our first garden here in NC, and despite horribly hot weather and excessive heat, the over 200 tomato plants have done just fine, you can guess what the yield has been! Just made these with some of the Romas and LOVE them - thanks for the recipe!

[Becky]

I was directed to your site after doing a google search. I have an abundance of toms and I want to dry them. I understand your recipe but I would like to know the best way to preserve them?
Thanks!

[Stash]

Looks like I have one more blog to read. ;)

[brandelin]

has anyone tried vacuum sealing them in a single layer and then freezing them?? usually this works for most ...well ...anything.

[Dianna]

Can you safely can these tomatoes using the boiling method? I read somewhere that it is not safe and hope that is not the case.

[Alber]

Temperature - Fahrenheit or Celcius?