Ingredients
-
20 roma tomatoes
-
5 sprigs oreganofresh, try fresh thyme or basil before settling for dried oregano
-
sea salt flakes
-
freshly ground black pepper
-
icing sugar
-
extra virgin olive oil
Directions
Semi dried tomatoes, say it to some and they’ll scrunch up their nose and make a “yucky” face, say it to others and they’ll smile and move closer to you. The difference I think is that some have only tasted the jarred variety, while the latter group has tried the homemade variety or tasted them from a nice deli.
The difference is quite staggering; the ones from the jars often taste like an oily shoe with liquorice laces. While a proper freshly dried tomato can taste like you’re actually eating a dozen tomatoes, with a bunch of fresh herbs and a whisper of extra virgin all in the one bite. Once you realize how easy it is to do your own you’ll wonder why you ever put up with the over-dried over oiled store bought variety.
- Preheat oven to approx 110 degrees (230 fahrenheit)
- Cut each tomato in half lengthwise and arrange on a drying/cooling rack.
- Set rack on a baking pan/sheet.
- Drizzle oil lightly along the rows of tomato halves.
- Strip the leaves off the stems of oregano and sprinkle liberally over tomatoes.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Dust very lightly with powdered/icing sugar.
- Place tray and rack in oven and leave for at least 4 hours, taste one at this point, if you like them drier keep going, up to 16 hours for very dry.
- If they won’t be consumed within a couple of days store them covered in oil, (but please use a nice virgin oil, not a blasphemous vegetable oil over your beautiful tomatoes).
