Where we live in New England, tomatoes are absolutely incredible for a few months in the summer and then suck the rest of the year. It is hard to enjoy a hard, half ripe, albino winter tomato that has traveled thousands of miles on trucks and trains and lacks the flavor of anything resembling a summer tomato picked from the vine at our local farm share. Out of season cherry tomatoes are a little bit better but I have found that roasted cherry tomatoes whether fresh or store bought create sweet, juicy morsels that are super addictive and are a great base for recipes throughout the week.
When I roast cherry tomatoes I like to make a lot because I use them very quickly and on a daily basis. They are amazing at breakfast in omelets or on avocado toast or even just by themselves on toast. For lunch, I add them to salads, sandwiches and wraps. Dinner possibilities are endless. Try them on pasta alone or with pesto. You can top almost any fish with roasted cherry tomatoes before cooking and the wonderful tomato juices will give the fish an out of this world flavor that will make others think you worked harder on the recipe than you actually did. Use as a condiment for grilled steak or hamburger, as a topping to grilled bread or a filling for stuffed potatoes. There are so many possibilities that will make your tastebuds very happy.
This recipe is so easy that it will take less than 10 minutes to prep. Preheat your oven first and then add all your ingredients to a bowl, mix well and then pour onto a sheet pan and start roasting. If you want to save a step, you could skip the bowl and mix everything in the sheet pan. I like to use the bowl, because it is easier to make sure all the herbs, oil and vinegar are well incorporated on every tomato.
You will know the tomatoes are done when they are wrinkled and many have burst open during baking. Fresh, ripe tomatoes take less time to roast than store bought. Be careful to let the tomatoes cool down a bit before throwing them in your mouth as they will be very hot when they first come out of the oven. I store the roasted cherry tomatoes in a mason jar in the fridge. Make sure that you get all the juices and garlic in the bottom of the pan in the mason jar as well. These store well in the fridge for at least a week. These also freeze well and are a great way to process summer tomatoes when they are coming at you in droves. I use my vacuum sealer or just put about a cup of roasted tomatoes in a ziploc bag, squeeze out any extra air, zip and freeze.
If you enjoy this recipe please rate and review. Happy eating!
Roasted Cherry Tomatoes with Garlic and Balsamic
Ingredients
- 4 pints cherry tomatoes
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp balsamic
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried dill
- 6 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Add all ingredients to a large bowl and mix well with a large spoon or your hands.
- Pour tomatoes on a sheet pan. Place sheet pan in middle rack of oven. Bake for 30-40 minutes until tomatoes are wrinkled and garlic is roasted. Freshly picked cherry tomatoes usually take less time to cook then the store bought.
Nutrition
About the Author: Bill Bradley, R.D.
