Special Organic Recipe: Tomatoes, Intensified

There’s no denying it. Summer is definitely winding down. The days are getting shorter, the evenings are getting cooler. And if you’re lucky, you have more tomatoes than you can handle, growing in your garden, arriving in your CSA box, or finding their way into your bag at the farmers’ market. You’ve made gazpacho, caprese salad, minestrone, primavera, ratatouille. You’ve snacked on cherry tomatoes and grilled heirlooms. What else can you do with them? Introduce them to an amazing contraption that converts raw vegetables into tender, delicious, intensified vegetables: Put them in your oven!

Roasted Tomato Sauce

• Serves 4
• 4 or more medium tomatoes, cored and cut into quarters or eighths
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 small or one medium onion, cut into quarters or eighths
• 1 large red bell pepper, cut into large pieces
• 1 leek, cut in half lengthwise, washed and sliced
• 1 small head of garlic
• 1/4 cup basil, chopped just a little
• 2 ounces goat cheese (optional)
• Black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray large glass baking dish with nonstick spray. Put tomato pieces in dish, pour olive oil over tomatoes and stir. Bake for 30 to 50 minutes, stirring tomatoes every 20 minutes. Stir again then add onion, bell pepper and leek. Wrap garlic in foil and put on rack in oven. After about 30 minutes, when everything looks and smells delicious, remove baking dish and garlic from oven. Unwrap garlic, cut the top and squeeze the softened garlic into the tomato goodness. Add basil and black pepper, and mix well. Serve over chunky pasta. A dollop of goat cheese can be put on top for extra zing.

Photo Credit: Flickr CC User (and author) bornOKthefirsttime