Cherry Tomato Confit

Tomato confit is a cooking technique that involves slow-cooking tomatoes in oil until they become soft, cooking down and becoming intensely flavored and slightly caramelized. This method helps concentrate the natural sweetness of the tomatoes. This cherry tomato confit is a great way to use your garden bounty.

Cherry tomato confit

Yield: 3 cups

This caramelized onion confit or jam is excellent on bread, served over pasta, or mixed into rice.

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Ingredients

• 6 -8 cups cherry or grape tomatoes
• 6 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1-1/2 cups olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon craclked black pepper
• Pinch of red pepper flakes
• 5 sprigs fresh thyme

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 260
• Put the tomatoes and garlic in a 13-inch by 9-inch rectangular baking pan.
• Pour in the olive oil. And spread them into a single layer.
• Season with red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper. Tuck the Thyme sprigs amongst the tomatoes.
• Roast the tomatoes for 3 hours until they are wrinkled and juicy and have deepened in color.
• Let the tomatoes cool to room temperature before transferring them to a half-pint or pint container or mason jar.
• These tomatoes can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
• You can freeze the tomatoes, and the olive oil will become solid in the fridge's chill. Let the container sit at room temperature to turn to liquid again.
• Serve with fresh bread or grilled toasts.

Once you have a few pints of these, you can store them in the refrigerator or freeze them (be sure to leave a bit of headroom for expansion when freezing Here are some common uses of tomato confit:

1. Pasta: Tomato confit can be tossed with cooked pasta to create a delicious and simple pasta dish. 
2. Pizza Topping: Spread tomato confit over pizza dough as a flavorful alternative to traditional tomato sauce. 
3. Bruschetta: Spread tomato confit on toasted bread for a delectable bruschetta appetizer
4. Grain Bowls: Add tomato confit to grain bowls for a boost of flavor and richness. It pairs nicely with various grains like quinoa, farro, or rice.
5. Omelets and Scrambles: Mix tomato confit into scrambled eggs or omelets for a savory and aromatic breakfast.
6. Fish and Seafood: Serve tomato confit as a flavorful accompaniment to grilled fish or seafood dishes. The sweetness of the tomatoes can balance out the flavors. You can cook the fish in parchment with the confit.
7. Dips and Spreads: Transform tomato confit into a dip or spread by blending it with ingredients like cream cheese, goat cheese, or Greek yogurt. This can be served with crackers or fresh vegetables.
8. Soup: Puree tomato confit to a roasted tomato soup
9. Stuffed Vegetables: Use tomato confit as a stuffing for vegetables like bell peppers or zucchini.
10. Charcuterie: Serve as a side on a Charcuterie platter