If it’s the middle of winter and you’re jonezing bad for good tomato flavor, you have two options. First, find a favorite canned tomato. I like San Marzano plum tomatoes and a good American round, firm tomato, like Redpack, depending on what I’m cooking. The second option is to find reasonably ripe plum tomatoes (or let them finish ripening at home) and roast them. For some reason plum tomatoes taste better than regular tomatoes in the off season. Roasting intensifies that flavor and changes it—for the better. On their own or with a spritz of vinegar and chopped herbs roasted tomatoes make a nice, unexpected winter side dish. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with roasting juicy in-season tomatoes either. Here’s how:
Cut the core from ripe plum tomatoes. Cut the tomatoes in half lengthwise and put them in a bowl. Pour enough olive oil over them to coat them nicely and make them shiny. Season with salt and pepper and toss them again. Put them cut side down on a non stick baking pan or on a regular pan lined with aluminum foil. Roast at 450° F until the skins are lightly blackened and pull back from the tomatoes. Take them out and cool them for a few minutes. Pull off the skins and throw them out. Don’t throw out the liquid in the pan- it’s the best part. Chop the tomatoes coarsely and put them in a little container. Scrape the juice from the pan over them. Refrigerate for up to 4 to 5 days or freeze for up to a couple of months.
I’m-Trying-To-Be-Good Lunch Salad: Start with whatever kind of greens you like—baby arugula is very good, shredded romaine will do in a pinch. Add any or all of the following: thinly sliced fennel, sliced pepperoncini, roasted tomatoes (and their juice!), thinly sliced celery (leaves and all), thinly sliced red onion, cooked or canned white beans, grated carrot. Drain a can of tuna packed in water, add the tuna to the salad and squeeze a lemon over the whole thing. Add a tablespoon or so of olive oil. The roasted tomatoes and juice are key to the success. They let you get away with using a little bit of olive oil and still have a lot of flavor.