Ridiculously Delicious Roasted Tomatoes

To be honest, I chose this recipe for dinner because of it's healthy appeal but it took me a few days to really feel excited about cooking it. I mean, how many people can actually say that they get excited for a meal of roasted tomatoes?

Well after making this recipe, I can say that I do now.

This is probably the most delicious, flavorful roasted tomato recipe I have ever tasted or come across. The tomato juice was so good that I couldn't help myself from sucking on the core of the tomatoes before throwing them out!

I tossed this recipe with some assorted pasta and roasted blue and regular fingerling potatoes and onions with rosemary and sea salt, which I served as a pasta salad. There was so much juice from the tomatoes that I think I'll make rice or couscous instead of pasta next time. Maybe with some grilled kebabs. Yesss.

Roast Tomatoes with Raisin and Feta
Courtesy of My Best Days Blog
http://www.mybestdaysever.com/roast-tomatoes-with-raisins-and-feta/

Ingredients
80 grams, 2.8 ounces(¼ cup) natural almonds
12 perfectly ripe, juicy vine-ripened tomatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra to serve
105 grams/3.7 ounces (¾ cup) large golden raisins
6 garlic cloves, unpeeled, bruised
6 pieces lemon peel, removed with a peeler, pith removed
2 long red chillies, seeds removed, thinly sliced
8 marjoram sprigs
2 fresh bay leaves
1 teaspoon fennel seeds, lightly crushed in a mortar and pestle
150 grams/5.3 ounces Persian feta, coarsely broken

Preheat oven to 220C. Spread almonds on an oven tray and roast until golden (4-5 minutes). Set aside to cool, then coarsely chop or coarsely crush in a mortar and pestle.

Meanwhile, place tomatoes in a roasting pan in a snug single layer. Drizzle with olive oil and scatter with raisins, garlic, lemon peel, chilli, marjoram, bay and fennel seeds, season to taste and roast until tomatoes blister and bleed their juices (15-20 minutes).

Remove from oven, pour pan juices into a small saucepan, reduce over high heat until thick and syrupy (3-5 minutes), then pour over tomatoes to glaze.

Scatter tomatoes with feta and almonds, drizzle with extra olive oil, then season with freshly ground black pepper and serve hot.

*I used 4 dried red chilis with the seeds instead of a fresh red chili, especially because I don't mind the extra spice. I also used dried marjoram instead of the fresh stuff. I also toasted the almonds in a pan with no oil briefly instead of roasting them seeing as I was also roasting the potatoes and tomatoes at the same time. I also did not make a sauce with the juices from the tomato. Maybe next time I will try that...

This post was created on July 14, 2011.