Roasted Tomatoes – The Ultimate Allrounder

I just loooooove tomatoes in any shape or form. But my favourite are roast tomatoes, whether cherry tomatoes or big vine tomatoes. Prepared properly they are a joy to eat and you'll be able to make different meals with them.

2-3 kg vine tomatoes
freshly grated black pepper
sea salt
1-2 tsp demerara sugar
balsamic vinegar
extra virgin olive oil
2 red onions
1 whole bulb garlic
2 tsp dried oregano or basil or a few sprigs of fresh thyme

Cut the tomatoes in half, season with pepper and salt and sprinkle with the sugar and herbs. Coarsely great the garlic and sprinkle over the top also. Half the onions and cut into segments. Tuck this in and around all the tomatoes. Drizzle with a little balsamic vinegar and plenty of olive oil. Roast at gas mark 7/200-220 °C for about 45 minutes or until the tomatoes are soft.

1. Purée some of tomatoes and serve with pasta.
2. Eat a couple of tomato halves per person cold with whatever you fancy.
3. Reheat a couple of tomato halves per person and serve with lamp steaks or similar.
4. Add some of the tomatoes to vegetable stock, thicken with bread crumbs and enjoy a very flavourful soup.
5. Purée or finely slice tomatoes and onions and use to spread on pizza.
6. Put them into a sterilised screw-lid jars, top up with extra virgin olive oil, place the jars into boiling water for about 15 minutes. Leave to cool in the water. Remove and store in a dark, dry place.