Oven Roasted Tomatoes

The garden is still producing beautiful tomatoes!

Along with eating them fresh, I have canned some and I have froze some.

One of my favorite ways to prepare garden fresh tomatoes is oven roasted.  

This summer, I did this for the first time, and I quickly asked myself, "why did you wait so long to do this?"

With the first go round, I made a pasta sauce that my entire family raved about.

Soon after I made some more, pureed them and added a little cream.  Yummy tomato soup!

Later, I made even more roasted tomatoes.  I canned some to 'put up' in the pantry, so we can enjoy that wonderful flavor during the winter months.

Then I made more and froze it!

It amazes me how easy roasting tomatoes are, yet how drastically the simple act changes the flavor (and color) of the tomatoes.

Paste tomatoes (such as Roma or Amish Paste) are recommended for sauces because they produce more of a 'meatier' content.

I use some paste tomatoes, along with other varieties that I plant because...well, because I want to.  And you can to...make this recipe 'your own'!

Start by cutting up the tomatoes.  No need to peel them.  

Try to make them fairly equal in size so they roast evenly.

Add some extra virgin olive oil to the cut up tomatoes.

For a basic sauce, just add salt and pepper.

Add a sliced onion and diced garlic cloves for extra flavor.

Sprinkle with some dried parsley for a little more pizzaz.

 Bake at 400 degrees F for about an hour.

Remove from the oven and let them cool slightly.

Serve as is or puree for a soup or casserole base.