July 10, 2017

Slow-Roasted Tomato & Cheddar Toasts

Welp — Finally back to work.

Like many of you I decided to take July 4th and turn it into a week-long boozecation, but now it’s back to business. I honestly wish I had something healthier to share with you, but… I don’t. So instead of something ultra-lean, carb-less, and joy-less (you know you need it), we have this.

A deliciously cheesy, savory, herbaceous toast that’s a little aggressive for a Tuesday.

But if you bookmark it for the weekend, you’re good.

I never really appreciated the true value of slow-roasted tomatoes until I finally made them myself. I’d had them before, sure. But I didn’t pay attention to the nuanced changes that slow-roasting creates. So when I made my first batch, I savored every teeny morsel. And that’s because, for real: slow-roasting tomatoes takes FOREVER.

I know, slow is in the name. But this is almost painful. The roasting goes on and on and on and it feels like it’s never, ever going to end. Now obviously this is a shit advertisement to get you to make this recipe — I’m marginally self-aware. But I need to be honest that this is a recipe that requires patience. Do laundry, paint your nails, re-arrange a closet, binge Bravo, whatever! Just make sure you’ve got something to do while these roast.

Anyway, once you get over how boring this is going to be (I’m doing great, right?) start slicing the tomatoes. Using either plum or beefsteak tomatoes, slice into thick medallions before coating in salt, olive oil, and a touch of sugar. Next is the roasting, which you already know is torture. 2 hours at 300F is what it takes, which isn’t nearly as dramatic as I’ve been building it up to be. But it IS a long time for measly tomatoes, so you’ll understand the irritation once you do it.

… IF you ever do it, because I could not be making this sound worse.

The important thing is that when the tomatoes are finally done roasting, they’re the greatest tomatoes ever. As a true tomato lover I cannot believe I don’t do this ALL the time, irritation be damned. The skin develops a chewy toughness, while the insides are like an explosion of plump, juicy sweetness. It’s an incredible contrast of tastes and textures that’s worth every lousy second to taste it (I swear). And while you could easily, EASILY eat a batch of these all on their own — I’m not kidding here! — on these toasts, they’re magic.

The sharp cheddar is the perfect complement to the sweeter, more robust tomato flavor, it’s like a fancy-ass pizza for one. I actually prefer an extra-nutty bread here over rye (whoops), plus a few sprigs of rosemary for an added burst of freshness. And once the tomatoes are done, the toasts themselves only take minutes! So make the tomatoes beforehand, then prep the toasts to serve.

They’re great for lunch, brunch, apps, all of it. xo

Slow-Roasted Tomato & Cheddar Toasts

Yield: 6 toasts

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 2 hours 10 mins

Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes

Print Recipe

Ingredients:

TOMATOES:
3 large beefsteak tomatoes, sliced thick
1 – 2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
a few pinches of sugar
a pinch of salt
TOASTS:
6 slices multigrain bread
1 – 2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
1 1/4 cups shredded white cheddar cheese
1 tsp oregano
2 sprigs of rosemary

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 300F. Line a baking sheet with a fitted wire rack.
On a cutting board lay out the sliced tomatoes. Using a pastry brush, coat each with olive oil on either side, then sprinkle with sugar and salt. Transfer to the lined baking sheet, then roast on oven middle rack for 2 hours. Remove from heat and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes.
Raise the oven temperature to 400F.
Again use a pastry brush to coat each slice of bread with olive oil, then transfer to another baking sheet. Lightly toast on oven middle rack for 5 – 7 minutes, turning once. Remove the bread from the oven, then layer with cheese, roasted tomatoes, oregano, rosemary, and more cheese. Return to the oven for 5 minutes until the cheese has melted and begins to brown, then immediately serve! Leftovers can be wrapped in tin foil, frozen, and reheated as you please.