Roasted tomatoes (in any season)

These roasted tomatoes are inspired by Judy Rodgers' recipe from the Zuni Cafe cookbook.  I cooked them for the Cool Beans and Grains class last week to top our Mujaddara (lentils with bulgur and caramelized onions).  This was an improv topping that was not part of the handouts.  But the students made me promise that I'll post a recipe as soon as possible.

This is a similar dish to Tomatoes Confit -- the ultimate dish to make when you are bombarded with ripe and juicy tomatoes from your garden or CSA.  The rest of the year, the technique described in this post of roasting high quality canned tomatoes is a good alternative and way less work than peeling and seeding fresh tomatoes.

My favorite canned tomatoes are Muir Glen (available in Whole Foods and organic section of most supermarkets)

28 oz can whole peeled tomatoes
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 whole garlic cloves, peeled and halved (optional)
1/4 tsp sugar
Salt

1. Preheat the oven to 500F.  
2. Cover the bottom of an oven proof 10 inch skillet with 1 tsp olive oil (or use some other oven and broiler safe dish of equivalent size)   
3. Remove tomatoes from juice and cut in half lengthwise.  Arrange them in a skillet cut side down in a tight single layer.  Tuck the garlic pieces under a tomatoes.  Sprinkle top with sugar and a pinch of salt.  Drizzle with remaining oil (1-2 Tbsp).  Place in the middle of the oven for 20 minutes.
4. Tilt the pan and use a spoon to baste tomatoes with the oil from the pan.  Place the pan under the broiler until tomatoes get slightly charred, 4-8 minutes.

Variations:

Before placing tomatoes in the skillet, you can spread a layer of caramelized onions or braised fennel underneath them.

Uses for roasted tomatoes:

• side dish for fish and meats
• topping for pizza, flat breads, and crostini
• coarsely chopped and mixed with pasta, risotto, or any other grain