Last week, I received a wonderful care package from a friend of mine who lives in New Jersey — a gigantic box of tomatoes and peaches from her local farmers market. As women tend to do, my thoughtful friend had somehow read my mind and sent me just the answer to my cravings. As school and the ensuing frenzy begin, fresh juicy tomatoes and peaches are what I’ll miss when summer is behind us.
But since I had just made a batch of gardeny gazpacho and festive Caprese Towers the night before, I pulled out this recipe from The Summertime Anytime Cookbook
If you can resist eating the whole tray straight out of the oven, there are umpteen tasty ways of using these caramelized gems. They add bold color, texture, and verve to just about any meal. Toss them in an omelet, quiche, salad, couscous, rice, or pasta (I sauté some vegetarian sausages and broccolini in olive oil and garlic, then add the oven-dried tomatoes and a little broth to form a delicious sauce). For a quick hors d’oeuvre, thread them on little skewers or toothpicks along with bite-sized bocconcini of mozzarella and fresh basil leaves. The slow-roast technique draws out the best of flavors even when tomatoes aren’t at their peak. Which may be around the corner but I’m not admitting it yet!
Makes 40 pieces
10 firm but ripe plum tomatoes (about 2 pounds)
1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons dried thyme or Herbes de Provence
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1. Preheat the oven to 200° F. Trim the stem ends off of the tomatoes, quarter them lengthwise, and remove and discard the seeds.
2. Place the tomatoes in a large, nonreactive bowl and add the olive oil, vinegar and herbs; mix well. Season the tomatoes generously with salt and pepper and sprinkle lightly with sugar.
3. Arrange the tomatoes in a single layer on a nonstick cookie sheet and bake 2 to 3 hours, or until all the liquids have evaporated and the tomatoes are shriveled and dark on the edges but still rosy. (Alternatively, bake the tomatoes at 120° F. overnight, for 9-10 hours).
4. To store, place the dried tomatoes in glass jars, seal tightly, and store refrigerated for up to 1 week. To store them for longer, cover them with olive oil and store at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
For another delicious way to put those beautiful summer tomatoes to use, try my Seared Fish with Simple Sauce.
Try these handy charts we found on the CUESA (Center for Urban Education and Sustainable Agriculture) 
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