Provençal Tomatoes
Budget Recipes Side Dishes Vegetables Gluten-Free Recipes
This year I've developed a real obsession with tomatoes. They seem wonderful to me, much better than in other years. Every Friday I come home with 5 kg and by Monday we have none left. The peaches seem the same way to me—this year they have that old-time flavor. Let's enjoy everything!
Ingredients
ripe, sweet garden tomatoes (as many as fit in your dish)
1 large garlic clove
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil + a little for brushing
1 small sprig rosemary
salt, pepper, dried Herbes de Provence
How to prepare provençal tomatoes
- You can use any dish you like—what matters is that it works on both the stovetop and in the oven. I used a 26 cm diameter pan.
Cut the tomatoes into thick slices (about 2.5 cm). First cut a thin cap off the stem end and discard that piece, then cut the rest into 2-3 thick slices. - Brush the tomato slices with a little oil on both sides. Sprinkle salt over all of them.
- Arrange the tomatoes cut-side up in the dish. Pack the slices in—they can climb up the sides a bit because they'll shrink and settle nicely in the pan as they cook. Sprinkle Herbes de Provence over them, crumbling them between your fingers. If you don't have Herbes de Provence, substitute with dried thyme or oregano. Grind a little black pepper. Pull the rosemary leaves from the stem and scatter them among the tomatoes.
- Place the pan on the stovetop over high heat and leave just until the pan heats up and the tomatoes release a little juice. Move the pan to the oven at 150°C (300°F) and let cook for 1 hour.
- Crush the garlic in a mortar until it becomes a paste and mix with quality oil. Let it sit until the tomatoes are ready—the oil will infuse nicely with garlic.
* You can use store-bought garlic-infused oil. - Remove the pan from the oven—you should have juice in the pan around the tomatoes. Put the pan on the stovetop over medium heat and simmer for a few minutes, just until the juice reduces significantly, leaving only 2-3 tablespoons.
- Add the infused oil, drizzling it over the tomatoes (if you want a more delicate taste, don't include the garlic pulp from the mortar, just the oil). Let it come to a boil and shake the pan several times with back-and-forth motions so the oil mixes with the juice in the pan.
Now, if desired, you can add fresh herbs (parsley, basil) finely chopped. - Let the tomatoes cool a bit—they'll absorb the flavors even better. They can be served directly from the pan or you can transfer them to a platter. Don't try to move them piece by piece—they're delicate and will fall apart. Better to let them slide gently from the pan onto the platter. They're good at room temperature too. Serve with grilled chicken breast or steak. Or just with toasted bread. I can also see them sprinkled with cooked chickpeas for a vegetarian dinner.
The tomatoes ready to go in the oven
