It's still winter. Last week, my dog stared out the window at the blowing snow and frozen trees and looked contemplative. I worked, she napped, and by midday I decided we needed to do something that would brighten our spirits.

A treat from sunnier Mexico beckoned: two containers of tomatoes—not organic or local or seasonal, just on super sale—were sitting on the counter. Cutting into one of the little golf-ball size fruits, I found it to be perfectly ripe and juicy. So, without an end plan for them, I roasted them at 275 degrees—just enough to heat up the apartment a little—with thyme, oil, salt, and pepper.

Two and a half hours later, they were dried, a little chewy, and caramelized from the inside out. I popped more than a few into my mouth: a salty, tangy snack. They were so delicious I could barely save any.

With the rest, who knows? A pasta? Topping a piece of fish? With salami and crackers? In a frittata? In a pesto?* Tucked inside a sandwich? All would be good. The week will tell.

Slow-Roasted Tomatoes

Heat the oven to 275 degrees. Halve your tomatoes through their middles and place them on a parchment-lined sheet pan, cut side up. (Any size of tomato will do, but do core the larger ones.) Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pull off the leaves of some thyme, if you have any, and sprinkle over the top. (Dried thyme, herbes de Provence, or rosemary would work too.) Place in the oven and roast until shriveled, caramelized, and almost completely dry—for smaller tomatoes, a couple of hours, for larger ones, longer. Store in a jar as is, refrigerate, and eat within a few days, or cover with olive oil to extend their refrigerator life. Add to pasta, sandwiches, cheese plates, grain bowls (ug--hate that term), salads, egg dishes, etc.   

* A quick pesto with these tomatoes would be great: in the food processor, grind up the roasted tomatoes, a small handful of toasted almonds (or other nut), a little parsley, a garlic clove, salt, and olive oil. Stir in some grated pecorino or parmesan at the end if you like. Toss with hot pasta.