Tomato confit

Ingredients:

• 800g assorted tomatoes*, quartered and halved 
• 1 cup (250ml) olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, sliced
• 3 Tbsp (45ml) balsamic vinegar
• Juice (60ml) of 1 lemon
• A few sprigs thyme or rosemary 
• Salt and milled pepper
• Olives, pitted
• Handful fresh basil

For serving:

• Sliced and toasted baguette 
• Handful watercress

Method:

1. Combine tomatoes with olive oil, garlic, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice and thyme or rosemary. Season generously. 
2. Roast at 140°C for 1- 1 ½ hours until tomatoes are limp but not falling apart. 
3. Place roasted tomatoes in a bowl with olives and basil. 
4. Drizzle liberally with the oil from the roasting tray. 
5. Serve on toasted baguette, garnished with watercress. 

*At their ripe, red best in summer, there are so many varieties of tomatoes to choose from these days:

Vine tomatoes are best for roasting – don’t waste time, roast them whole with a glug of oil. PnP’s tomato medley is not only a visual treat of red, green, yellow and orange, but these bite-sized flavour bursts add great zing to salads or snacking.

Coeur de boeuf tomatoes, or beefsteak tomatoes, are “meaty” with little juice, making them especially good for sarmies or burgers. 

Salad tomatoes might be the plain Jane but they’re cheap and cheerful and perfect for bulking up a salad and for making sandwiches. They’re also the juiciest tomato of the lot.