oven-roasted tomato confit.

I should probably let you in on this fact before I begin: I don’t like ketchup.

I know, I know. How can one not like ketchup? Probably comparable to how I feel about people who don’t like cheese. Or chocolate. Or garlic.

{I have one friend who doesn’t like any of them! Can you believe that? Well, she is lactose-intolerant, but she chooses not to like chocolate or garlic – which just baffles me}

And people who love ketchup, well – let’s just say there are definitely ketchup enthusiasts out there. People who will put ketchup on anything. I have another friend who used to put ketchup on her pizza. Doritos, even. See? A-N-Y-T-H-I-N-G.

If you’re wondering what I eat on my fries, it’s mayo. I’m sickly into mayo – especially homemade. Ketchup is just too sweet and overpowering for me. It has that artificial taste that I just can’t deal with. Maybe one day I will try homemade ketchup.

For now, I’m all about the slow-roasted tomato confit. I love tomatoes. And you’ve heard it before: Roasting tomatoes makes something magical happen. Well, slow-roasting doubles that magic. The flavor that comes out of these tomatoes is just incredible. They are so dramatically sweet, and the essence of the thyme runs throughout. I like to leave the thyme leaves on the stems – you can remove them when the tomatoes are finished cooking, and the flavor is still there.

The method is also totally foolproof – depending on how much time you have, you can turn the temperature down to 200 degrees and so, and let them go for 5 or 6 hours. Or, alternatively, if you’re short on time, you can up the temperature and roast them for an hour or so. You can’t screw these up. They’re just too perfect.

Enjoy them on burgers. Enjoy them on sandwiches. Enjoy them thrown in with a bowl of pasta, or perhaps tossed into an antipasto. Enjoy them in salads, on pizza or crostini…

Just enjoy them.

Oven-Roasted Tomato Confit

• 2 pounds plum tomatoes – peeled, halved lengthwise, and seeded
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Handful fresh thyme
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment, and arrange the tomatoes cut side up. Drizzle with oil and scatter thyme throughout. Season with salt and pepper.

Roast for 2 – 3 hours, until the tomatoes have softened and partially dried out. To serve, place tomatoes in a dish and pour the oil from the pan over the tomatoes.

MAKE-AHEAD: The confit can be made in advance – it will keep in the fridge for about a week. Bring to room temperature before serving.