A tomato’s flavor intensifies in the heat of the oven. All its sweet-sharpness comes to the fore. I eat these warm, sprinkled with a little herb vinegar, sometimes sandwiched inside a crisp and chewy baguette.

　　

Ingredients

enough for 4 as a side dish

　　medium tomatoes – 12

　　olive oil

　　thyme – 6 bushy sprigs

　　red wine vinegar

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Wipe the tomatoes and slice them in half across the middle. Put them, cut side up, in an ovenproof dish. Shake over a generous amount of good, though not expensive, olive oil and season with salt, coarsely ground black pepper, and the leaves from the thyme sprigs. Roast for about forty minutes, depending on the ripeness of your tomatoes, until they are puffed and tender. A few black edges will only add to their flavor.

　　

Step 2

As the tomatoes come from the oven, shake a little of the vinegar over them, then serve warm with crusty bread.

　　Tender