All summer long my family and I have enjoyed the bounty
of 2 Cherry Tomato plants. One, a yellow cherry was so sweet it was like candy
and the other, a Christmas cherry bought for the girls was a tart, tangy bite
of summer heaven.
We spent many a happy afternoon harvesting. One for the basket, one for us. Is there
anything better than popping a fresh from the vine, warmed by the sun cherry
tomato right in your mouth? Nope, it is pure bliss I tell you!
But by the time the first part of October rolled around,
I was looking for a way to preserve some of that heaven without having to buy
or borrow a dehydrator. That’s when I came across a wonderful recipe posted on
thetanglednest.com. I took her idea and like most recipes, I modified it to
suit my needs. Here’s what I did:
Half
If desired you can scoop out the seeds with a small melon
baller. (I opted not to do this step because there was hardly anything left by
the time I got the seeds out.)
Spread them out cut side up on a baking sheet lined with
parchment paper if you’ve got it on hand.
Spoon Olive Oil/Herb Mix over tomatoes. (Recipe below).
Sprinkle with Sea Salt and a dusting of fresh black
pepper.
Roast in a 300 degree oven for 30-45 minutes, or until colored & dry just a bit, not dehydrated. I baked mine for the full 45 minutes, checking every 5 minutes after 30 minutes. Don’t bake more than an hour.
If you are lucky and have enough tomatoes on hand you can
cool these and them pack them in freezer jars to save a bit of summer for
later. I didn’t get that chance, but these tomatoes have a long refrigerator
life, staying yummy for several days as we nibbled away on them. These Tasty Herb Roasted Bites are an easy way to preserve your bounty.
Enjoy!
Olive Oil/Herb Mix Recipe:
1/3 cup Olive Oil
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tsp. chopped Thyme or Oregano or Basil or a combo.
Fresh black pepper to taste