Recipe: Blistered Cherry Tomatoes and Serving Suggestions

Blistered Cherry Tomatoes

"These blistered tomatoes have become my default cure to any summer food ailment. Need more flavor? Add blistered tomatoes. Need a veg? Toss them in. Hungry for a snack? Cheese and deliciously shriveled tomatoes will do the trick. This week, they accompany steak salad, spread sweetness through a briny rice and tuna salad, and act as the cornerstone of a summery tomato and corn pasta. Keep them in your fridge like you would a salad dressing or pickle. At some point you'll be in need, and they'll cheerfully, sweetly, come to the rescue."



Makes 4 to 6 cups

12 cups (1.7kg) of the tiniest, sweetest cherry (and/or Sun Gold!) tomatoes you can find
6 cloves garlic, Lightly smashed
Extra-virgin olive oil, for roasting
Coarse salt

Heat the oven to 425 degrees F (220C).

Pour the tomatoes onto two heavy baking sheets or roasting pans; they should fit in a single layer (if not, add a third pan). Add the garlic. Pour a generous layer of olive oil over the tomatoes, enough so that a thin layer of oil pools in the baking sheet. Season generously with salt.

Bake until the tomatoes are blistered and deflated and release their juices, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, discard the garlic, and let cool.

Make sure to save all the oily juices! Store in a container in the fridge for up to 10 days.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS:

An Impromptu Dinner from Merrill: "These tiny, sweet roasted tomatoes are truly nature's candy. Here's one way I use them to create a quick, summery dinner: Warm leftover Israeli couscous over low heat with a splash of water, several chopped kalamata olives, some boiled green beans cut into 1-inch (2.5cm) lengths, a handful of blistered cherry tomatoes, and a drizzle of olive oil. Stir in chopped fresh basil and a pinch of finely grated lemon zest, then top with an over-easy egg."

Tomato Iteration: Longtime Food52 recipe tester Anna Gass blends these tomatoes into aioli, she also uses them as a topping for a margherita pizza.

Jasmine Rice Salad with Blistered Tomatoes, Tuna, Olives, and Capers:
Combine 4 cups (630g) cooked jasmine rice, 1 1/2 cups (285g) blistered tomatoes plus some of their juices, 1 (7 ounce/200g) jar tuna in oil (drained and broken into chunks), a handful of your favorite pitted olives, 1 tablespoon chopped capers, and a handful of chopped flat-leaf parsley and basil in a big bowl. Add just enough extra-virgin olive oil to dress the rice, then gently fold everything together. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding salt, pepper, chile, lemon juice, and more oil as needed.

Lunch: Blistered Cherry Tomato Sandwich:
Spread sandwich bread with mayonnaise. Top with blistered cherry tomatoes. Grind some fresh pepper on top. Press the sandwich together and enjoy!

Used by permission to Recipelink.com from Clarkson Potter
Adapted from source: Food52 A New Way to Dinner: A playbook of recipes and strategies for the week ahead by Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs