Sundried Tomatoes

I love everything European. French in particular. And nothing says "South of France" like sundried tomatoes. Thanks to inspiration from Alton Brown I've been making my own oven-dried "Sundried" tomatoes all summer.



First you need the basic ingredient- garden fresh tomatoes! I am lucky that my tomatoes have been awesome this year. So I am very glad to continue to use them for another week or two. Harvest what you can, or buy from the farmer's market. It doesn't matter the kind or the size, use whatever you have.



Turn on oven to 170 degrees. Clean them and slice into 1/4 inch thick pieces. If using cherry tomatoes or little romas just cut in half. Place on a cookie sheet and have the edges touching. Really pack them together cause they will really shrink. Sprinkle with kosher salt and spices of your choice (I use dried italian seasoning right now, but I have also harvested, cleaned and finely chopped my own basil, oregano, rosemary and parsley which are great!). Then sprinkle liberally with olive oil and a very light sprinkle of sugar over the top (helps make a nice glaze on the top).




See how packed together they are? And aren't they beautiful! Now place in the oven for a minimum of 8 hours. I prepare mine and put them in overnight. I wake up to a glorious aroma permeating my house!



And voila! Finished product. All glistening and crispy. The intensity of the flavor is wonderful. I have them on a bagel with cream cheese in the am and add them to sandwiches, or even pop a few for a snack (what my kids love to do with them). In a glass or plastic container, place the little gems and drizzle a light coating of olive oil over top. Keeps them from drying out in the fridge. Cover with plastic wrap and they'll keep for 4-6 weeks. They can be frozen, but mine never last longer than 4-5 days! Enjoy!