How to Make Slow Roasted Tomatoes

Ingredients

• 20 Roma type tomatoes
• 2 T olive oil, plus a little to oil the pan if you don't have a mister
• 1 T ground fennel
• 2 T dried basil
• 1 T dried oregano
• 1 T dried majoram
• Any combination of herbs that appeals to you can be used.

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 250F for about 9 hours of roasting, or set it to 200F if you want a 10-11 hours roast. If your oven will not reliably hold 200F, the 250F option is the safer bet.
2. Rinse the tomatoes, pat them dry, and slice them lengthwise into halves, leaving the stem end intact so you have something to hold when you peel them later.
3. Add the tomatoes to a bowl, then coat them with the olive oil and herbs.
4. Mist a cookie sheet with olive oil, or use a brush to add a very thin coating of oil.
5. Set the tomatoes on the cookie sheet with the cut faces down.
6. After about 8 hours, begin taking a look at the tomatoes. They are ready when the skins have blistered and puffed, and the tomatoes have shrunk by at least half. How far you take them is up to you, but they should look concentrated and dense while still holding just a little juiciness.
7. As individual tomatoes finish, take them off the pan, since some will need more time than others.
8. Cool them briefly, then pinch the stem end and pull away the skin. Most skins should slip off without much trouble. Peeling is optional, but it gives the tomatoes a smoother texture.
9. The tomatoes can be served warm or chilled. They also freeze well for using later in soups, stews, and pasta sauces.