Slow-roasted candied tomatoes

Think you couldn't make tomatoes taste as sweet as candy? Think again. Heat and time do MAGICAL things to tomatoes, let me tell you. Yes, you need about 3 - 3 1/2 hours to cook these babies but take advantage of a time when you happen to be home for a few hours. The prep work is easy and once the tomatoes are in the oven, you pretty much let them be. I used a whole slab of tomatoes since they will shrink by about three-quarters as the moisture in the tomatoes evaporates.  

To make, slice tomatoes about 1/2 inch thick. In a large bowl, gently toss tomato slices with 4 tablespoons olive oil and 1/2 T each of whatever Italian-style herbs you have on hand. I used oregano, thyme, parsley, rosemary, sage and marjoram. Add a couple of generous pinches of coarse sea salt and 2T chopped garlic. Drain excess liquid from bowl. Place tomatoes on baking sheets lined with foil and bake at 300 for about 3 hours or until almost completely dehydrated, turning once. 

Substitute these for tomatoes in any kind of recipe – toss in salads, serve on crackers with fresh Parmesan and a drizzle of balsamic, add to a pesto pasta dish, layer in a Panini with grilled vegetables, stuff in chicken breasts with goat cheese…hungry yet?