Garlic-Roasted Tomatoes

Tomatoes

I love taking part in food-blog events. It's just that they require timing - cooking and posting and emailing by a certain date - and most of the time my life is just too hectic to remember all of that. So it's a nice surprise when I see an event that I can take part in - and I already have the perfect post for! Grow Your Own is an event that "celebrates the foods we grow ourselves and the dishes we make using our homegrown products." OK. So maybe I didn't grow these beautiful tomatoes, but my dad did, and since he gave them to me they're fair game.

Daddy's Tomatoes

This was a super-easy lunch - and a Martha recipe to boot - so you guys know I was happy. For the last several months I've been subscribing to Everyday Food, and I've been pleasantly surprised. There was only one recipe that I didn't enjoy, but I think that's because I'm not used to the taste of the dish and was expecting something different.

Tomatoes

I loved the simplicity and easy clean-up of these roasted tomatoes. In fact, as soon as I turned the page and saw the recipe I tore it out and used it the next day. And it was that good - everything I was hoping for. The biggest benefit? These tomatoes are easily used for other dishes - and I used them again in a few days. Of course, fresh, ripe, homegrown tomatoes are the best kind and it doesn't take much to improve them - if they need improving at all. But a little butter and garlic never hurt anybody, did it?

Spicy Tomato Pasta

Garlic-Roasted Tomatoes
Adapted from Everyday Food
Printer-friendly version

I used my roasted tomatoes to make a simple bowl of spicy pasta. While the tomatoes were roasting I cooked until al dente enough whole-wheat macaroni for two of us. Once it was drained I dropped in 3 to 4 tomato slices per bowl and added a shake of red-pepper flakes. I gently stirred the ingredients to incorporate the tomatoes, being careful not to break the pasta. A generous shaving of fresh Parmesan was added to the top. Et voila, lunch was served.

Ingredients
4 large beefsteak tomatoes, halved crosswise
2 tablespoons butter, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Coarse salt
Ground pepper

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line large baking sheet with foil.
2. Place tomatoes on sheet, cut side up. Top with butter and garlic, and season with salt and pepper.
3. Bake 40 to 45 minutes, or until tomatoes are tender.