OVEN-DRIED PLUM TOMATOES

MAKES 16 HALVES

PLUM TOMATOES HAVE A THICK fleshiness that suggests cooking rather than eating raw. Their flavor is intensified by a light seasoning and then a slow concentration in the oven. For me, they are like tomato raisins, and I use them to add body and flavor to pasta dishes and vegetable stir-fries. These tomatoes will keep for several weeks, covered with olive oil and wrapped tightly; or they can be frozen.

8 plum tomatoes, skinned, halved lengthwise, and seeded

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Dried or fresh rosemary leaves

Sugar

1 small head garlic, cut crosswise into thirds

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Put the tomatoes in a baking dish, cut-side down. Drizzle with oil, then sprinkle with salt, pepper, rosemary, and a little sugar. Add the garlic and bake for an hour, then baste with the juices. Return the tomatoes to the oven and bake until totally soft and slightly collapsed, about 30 minutes more.