Oven Roasted Tomatoes


We went for a drive the other day up the coast north of Wellington to get some fruit and vegetables. It's a nice leisurely drive and it's good to be able to buy direct from the growers, or from greengrocers stocking the locally grown produce.

I have one favourite place called Sue's. It's not much more than a little shed at the side of the road, but I can usually count on coming away with something I wouldn't be able to buy elsewhere. The owners seem to enjoy growing things the larger gardeners don't.

Their roadside sign listed tomatoes, along with the drawcard "Grown out the back." The Spouse soon had a box of freshly harvested tomatoes under his arm while I chose some more goodies.

The large shining aubergines were irresistible. So were the freshly harvested shallots. Along with the usual long zucchini there were some scallopini squash, but it was the golden beetroot that was my surprise treat for the day. They were about the size of pingpong balls and we enjoyed them that night, boiled simply then skinned sprinkled with a little sherry vinegar. Delicious.

The tomatoes were a delight and we have been wolfing them down raw and cooked. How different summer tomatoes are from their pallid glasshouse winter cousins. These were full of flavour.

When tomatoes are like this, oven roasting really brings out the best in them.

Oven Roasted Tomatoes

8-10 large tomatoes
extra virgin olive oil
Maldon sea salt
coarsely ground pepper
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
handful of basil leaves
1 tablespoon capers preserved in salt
sherry vinegar

Pour some olive oil in an ovenproof dish. Half the tomatoes crosswise and place, cut side up, in the dish. Sprinkle with the salt, pepper and cumin seeds and strew in the basil. Drizzle with olive oil and bake at 150C for 60-90 minutes.

Remove from the oven and sprinkle over the capers and some fresh basil and a little sherry vinegar.

Serve at room temperature with barbecued meat, pan-fried fish or grilled chicken.

The copyright of the article Oven Roasted Tomatoes in New Zealand Recipes is owned by Pat Churchill. Permission to republish Oven Roasted Tomatoes in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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