About a week or so before Christmas, I had a free afternoon and not a clear plan for dinner. So I saw an opportunity to try out Molly Wizenberg's Slow Roasted Tomatoes with Coriander from her wonderful cookbook-slash-memoir, A Homemade Life. The tomatoes roast for a very long time - in her version, between 4 and 6 hours - but I got away with 2 1/2 hours since I wanted to maintain the juiciness of a fresh tomato. Slow-roasting brings out the natural sweetness of the sometimes bland roma tomato, which is perfect for satisfying that 'midwinter tomato craving,' as Molly describes.
This combination of sauteed zucchini and roasted tomatoes came together out of a desire for something healthy like a salad, but something warm and rich for the season. I thought it would be a great recipe to share for anyone planning a New Year's Eve dinner, since the bold colors & flavors are the perfect complement to a winter entree like a braise, stew or prime rib. For us, it accompanied a butternut squash soup pureed with apple cider, ginger & cardamom, and a simple flat bread on the side.
This combination of sauteed zucchini and roasted tomatoes came together out of a desire for something healthy like a salad, but something warm and rich for the season. I thought it would be a great recipe to share for anyone planning a New Year's Eve dinner, since the bold colors & flavors are the perfect complement to a winter entree like a braise, stew or prime rib. For us, it accompanied a butternut squash soup pureed with apple cider, ginger & cardamom, and a simple flat bread on the side.
Warm Zucchini & Roasted Tomato Salad
3 roma tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise
1 tbsp olive oil
3 sprigs fresh thyme
pinch ground coriander
pinch ground coriander
salt
2 medium zucchini, quartered and chopped into 3/4" pieces
1/4 cup chopped sweet onion
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup (or so) feta cheese
6 kalamata olives
1. First, roast the tomatoes. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Toss the tomato halves in a bowl with 1 tbsp olive oil, 2 thyme sprigs, coriander & salt. Lay the tomatoes on a baking sheet cut side up. Roast for 2 1/2 hours, or until bright red & tender.
2. After the tomatoes have roasted, sautee the zucchini & onions. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a skillet & add zucchini, onions, and 1 tsp thyme leaves. Saute for about 10 minutes or until soft with brown edges.
3. Arrange 3 tomato halves on each plate. Top with zucchini & onion mixture, then top with feta & kalamata olives.
Serves 2.
Enjoy the rest of your holiday!
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