Dazed and confused? Not me. I’m just Lost in the Cheese Aisle.

Monday, March 21, 2011

YOU SAY TOMATO...

...and while you’re busy running your mouth, I will cook and eat the tomato.

Maple Syrup-Roasted Tomatoes (Raw)

Maple Syrup-Roasted Tomatoes (Cooked)

You’re looking at Tomate Confite au Sirop d’Érable, AKA Maple Syrup-Roasted Tomatoes. (If it’s not already obvious, the top photo shows the tomatoes before their slow, three-hour roast, the bottom photo afterwards.) They’re easy enough to make; I saw the recipe in last month’s Saveur magazine and I had to try ’em.

These babies are a great example of how maple syrup is not just for slathering over pancakes. Simultaneously sweet and savory, with concentrated tomato-driven umami and the herbal and aromatic notes from the thyme and garlic, they’re addictively tasty... great on crackers (with or without cheese or hummus) or thrown in a salad. Betcha they’d taste good over pasta, too!

Update: The recipe in Saveur calls for roasting the tomatoes at 250°F for 3-4 hours. I got better results by using a convection oven at 225°F for 2-3 hours.

4 comments:

Amy (Minimally Invasive) said...

I love roasted tomatoes, especially this time of year when the good ones are still 5 or so months away. And James Beard awards are all well and good, but THIS might just get me to subscribe to Saveur.

Cowtown Pattie said...

But your's look more like something from the litter box, while the Saveur photo has then still all rosy red....

But, I bet they're gooo-ud!

You come up with some of the weirdest edibles...

Richmond said...

Wow - that looks beyond delish! :)

Elisson said...

@Cowtown Pattie - That batch did look a little on the overcaramelized side... so I ran up another batch and changed out the image. These look a whole lot better.