cherry tomato confit

The Brooklyn Supper garden is doing pretty well despite the crazy east coast heat. The tomato plants,  while still producing heaps of fruit, start to look kind of doomed this time of year. I used to get really stressed and comb the internet for remedies, but really, I have the space I have, and I’d prefer to just let them do what they’re going to do and get on with my life. Last year I made these self watering containers, and the consistent moisture really helps. We have two green zebra plants, one yellow plum, and one sugar lump, and they have been keeping us in tomatoes for over a month.

This simple tomato confit put my ever expanding tomato supply to use, while showcasing and concentrating the homegrown tomato flavor. The recipe lies somewhere between roasting and confit, but it tastes good no matter what you call it, with a hint of caramelization and an almost jam-like intensity.

Cherry Tomato Confit (adapted from The New York Times)

1- 2 pints cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
salt
6 cloves smashed and peeled garlic
2 leaves from two rosemary sprigs

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Wash and dry the tomatoes and place them on a baking sheet, or something smaller if you don’t have many tomatoes. Sprinkle with salt and the rosemary leaves, place the garlic around the sheet, and then drizzle on the olive oil. Bake for 30 – 45 minutes, shaking the pan two or three times while it bakes.

When the tomatoes are quite wrinkly and bubbly, remove from oven and use a spatula to carefully remove the tomatoes to a plate. Then scape the remaining tomato-infused oil into a jar or bowl to be used later. I used this to make a dressing, and then tossed the confit with some hardy greens and a few grates of parmesan.