Oven Dried Sungold's

sungolds_pouring

Every summer I wait patiently for the cherry tomatoes to ripen so I can make our favorite summer condiment.  Our CSA has rows and rows of cherry tomatoes, a veritable u-pick jungle and it only takes a few minutes to fill my bucket!  The recipe is embarrassingly simple and too yummy for words....

Need:
Cherry Tomatoes (I use Sungolds as they are super sweet, and not too big)
Salt (I grind this in a mortar and pestle, don't tell my Dr, but I LOVE good salt!)
Fresh Basil
Fresh Garlic
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

sungolds_cut 
Slice tomatoes in half and place cut side up on a heavy baking sheet.  I use one with sides so they don't slide off when you put them in the oven. (Please don't ask how I learned this.)  Place so they are just touching each other, you want to get the most on the tray you can without overcrowding it.  Sprinkle lightly with salt.

Turn oven on to 200 degrees, or "warm" and place tomatoes in center of oven, cracking open the door of the oven a bit.  Slow roast for 4 - 5 hours or until the tomatoes are quite shrunk, but not crunchy.  (If you overcook they are excellent to snack on and throw in pastas and salad, so no worries!)  I do this in the evening so I'm not unnecessarily heating the kitchen in the middle of the day, alternatively if you have a food dehydrator, use that.  If you are using an oven, it is important that you crack it open a bit so that the moisture can escape.

                            Before                                        After
sungolds_b+a

While the tomatoes are cooling, or the next morning, chop up 1 good size clove of garlic. I try to use really fresh garlic, as it's just coming in when the tomatoes are.

Then chop up a big handful of fresh basil.

sungolds_basil

Gently stir together the garlic, basil, more salt to taste, and tomatoes in a bowl, or right in the baking sheet.

Pack into a quart size canning jar.  Slowly pour olive oil over them until they are completely submerged.  Place in the fridge for at least 6 - 8 hours to let marinate. 
sungolds_done
How to eat:  
With cheese and crackers
With a schmear of goat cheese on a baguette
over lettuce greens (it's like a chunky salad dressing)
over capellini or spaghetti
over quinoa or bulgher wheat for instant tabouli
Straight out of the jar

I would eat these with-in one week of making, though ours never make it that long....  enjoy!

Comments

  1. I know first hand how delicious and incredible these are! Can't wait to make my own jar!

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  2. YUM! Great post Laura! Thanks!

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  3. These sound AMAZING! My favorite summer drying tip is this: use your car dashboard. People laugh at me but it's true! On a 75F day in VT the dashboard gets to be 150-200F. It requires no energy and doesn't heat up the house.

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  4. This sounds delicious!! A caterpillar is eating my sungolds I have planted! Grr but I will have to go to the local stand to get some!

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  5. I buy cherry or grape tomatoes by the case (vegetarian with a farmer's market connection) so I'm going to make these very soon in my hubby's dehydrater.

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  6. Yum! This looks delicious! Thanks so much for the recipe.

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  7. Oh! my BF and me made these too: http://compumarion.com/blog/?p=1204 We made a cheese pie with it. It's dangerously yummeh :)

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  8. Great Idea! I also love sungolds and dry lots of them and others including Juliets, Golden Raves and Sweet Baby Girls in my dehydrator. I seal them in bags and put them in the freezer and we have them all year long. This would be a great way to use them. Yummy!

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  9. I can never get the sungolds in the house (I just stand in the garden and eat them;) But if I do I will have to try this.

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  10. This looks great! We have two Sungolds in our garden, but I, uh, have the same problem as Zoë!

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  11. These look so good. I just gotta stop eating them right off the vine long enough to have a good amount.

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  12. Ooohh this sounds AWESOME! Thanks for sharing!

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  13. mmmmm! a big fan of dried tomatoes in any form here. looks delicious (first came here because of the fabulous pattern for the Mythos sweater thoug:h)

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  14. i think i will have to try this! they look deelish. i love the idea of doing it in the car if it ever stops raining and gets hot again...

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  15. Oh my, this looks awesome! Thanks for sharing it! :)

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  16. i make these too and use whatever fresh herbs i have on hand ... they are DELICIOUS!

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