Vegan from The New Vegetarian Epicure, Anna Thomas
(Author's Note: For years I thought the simple tomato sauce I made in a skillet, sauteing garlic and tomatoes in a bit of olive oil, was as easy as it could get, but this may be even easier. It takes time in the oven, but hardly any work. More important, roasting tomatoes concentrates their flavor to a dark, rich essence that is a mystical experience for tomato addicts.)
makes 2 - 2 1/2 cups
4 lbs. very red summer tomatoes 1 lb. sweet onions 5 large garlic cloves 2 Tbs. fruity green olive oil 1 tsp. salt, more to taste 3 Tbs. coarsely chopped fresh basil
Peel the tomatoes in the usual way: Cut a cross in the bottom of each one with a sharp knife and put them into boiling water for 1 minute. Remove them from the hot water directly into cold water, then slip off their skins and trim them over a bowl, catching all the juice. Cut the tomatoes into large chunks or wedges. peel and chop the onions. Peel and slice the garlic cloves. Toss together all the ingredients, including the juice of the tomatoes, and spread it all evenly over a large baking sheet with edges. Put the tomatoes I na 375( F oven and roast them for about 2 - 2 1/2 hours, stirring once after the first hour, then every 30 minutes or so. Most of the liquid will cook away, and the tomatoes will melt into a soft, thick, slightly caramelized marmalade. It's wonderful. Serve this on pasta, with rice, on pizza, with polenta, in soups, in a quesadilla, in an omelet - alongside anything that goes well with tomatoes. - Updated: November 30, 2007
