Bruschetta with Oven-Roasted Tomatoes

Imagine a sliced baguette, the slices rubbed with garlic and lightly brushed with olive oil, toasted for a minute under the broiler and then topped with roasted tomatoes.  Tomatoes that have been slow roasted.  Slow roasted so that they are slightly dehydrated, the better to concentrate the sweet flavor of fresh-off-the-vine summer tomatoes.

You have been looking for something to do with the abundance of tomatoes from your garden, right?

Or the abundance of tomatoes that your neighbor (who is a gardening fiend) is begging you to take off her hands, PLEASE?  

You need to make this bruschetta.  Crunchy, yet chewy.  Savory, yet sweet--thanks to the garden tomatoes.

I hope that I've convinced you to make this.

Okay, there is a tiny caveat:  it takes two hours to roast the tomatoes.

But it's mostly hands-off time!

You can prep the tomatoes in 5 minutes, then stick them in your oven for two hours. The only moment that requires your attention is at the halfway-mark when you lower your oven temp from 250 degrees to 200 degrees.  You don't even need to open the door to do that.

After you've roasted the tomatoes you can either immediately assemble and broil the bruschetta (another 5 minute ordeal), or you can refrigerate the roasted tomatoes and wait until you're ready to spend 5 minutes assembling and broiling!




Today's Playlist

• "Come A Little Closer"...Cage The Elephant
• "Black Hearts (On Fire)"...Jet
• "Welcome To Paradise"...Green Day
• "Let Me Go"...Cake
• "Don't Let Go"...Weezer
• "Cannon"...The White Stripes
• "Otherside"..Red Hot Chili Peppers

Part One:  Oven Roasted Tomatoes

Printable recipe

• 3 or 4 plum tomatoes (fresh-picked from the garden are best!)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon EACH fresh chopped marjoram and thyme
• pinch EACH sea salt and pepper

Gather your ingredients.  Preheat your oven to 250 degrees.

Preheat your oven to 250 degrees. Lop off the tops of your tomatoes.  This will remove the stem as well as leave you with a flat surface to stand and slice.

Chop the marjoram and thyme.

Stand up your tomatoes on their flattened tops and slice lengthwise into slices about 1/4-inch thick.

Like this.  

Place the sliced tomatoes into a shallow bowl. Drizzle with the olive oil.

Sprinkle with the chopped herbs.

 Gently toss to coat with the oil & herb mixture.

Arrange the slices in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet.  Season with the salt and pepper.

Roast the tomatoes in your preheated 250-degree oven for one hour.  After one hour, lower the temperature to 200 degrees.  Roast for one more hour.

Here they are, two hours later.  Slightly shriveled, partly dehydrated with an abundance of sweet tomato flavor.

Admire them for a moment.  Then decide if you want to continue on to part two (assembling and cooking the bruschetta, a five-minute ordeal) now or later.

Part Two:  Bruschetta with Oven Roasted Tomatoes

• Previously prepared Oven Roasted Tomatoes, coarsely chopped
• 1 baguette, diagonally sliced into 1/2-inch-thick slices
• 2 cloves garlic, cut in half
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh chopped marjoram

Gather your ingredients.  Set your broiler on HIGH.

Chop the marjoram.  Slice the garlic cloves in half.  Slice your baguette. Rub one side of each slice with the raw garlic.  Keep the bread slices garlic-side up.

Lightly brush the slices (on the same side that you've rubbed the garlic on) with olive oil.  Place the slices (oil-side up) onto a baking sheet.

Place your roasted tomatoes onto a cutting board.

Coarsely chop the tomatoes.

Place the baguette slices under your broiler and broil for one minute.

Here they are after one minute, crisp and slightly browned around the edges.

Turn the baguette slices over and lightly brush with olive oil on the flip side. You do not need to rub this side with garlic.

Top with the chopped roasted tomato.

Place the slices under your broiler once again for one minute.

Remove from your oven, sprinkle with the fresh chopped marjoram and serve immediately.

Enjoy!