The Perpetual Feast

I must confess that some of my culinary expeditions are based on the fact that I have aging groceries, especially produce, that has to be used.  The luscious chicken and grapes was invented to use up a sack of rapidly aging grapes, and I have posted bananas recipes until I couldn’t stand to look at bananas due to an over purchase.  My usual problem is that I see an item I like on sale, and buy too much, expecting that I will have time or appetite to use them before they get iffy.  This was the case with a container of organic cherry tomatoes that I thought I would nibble on as a snack…but instead found them wrinkling on the back of the kitchen counter.  You know of course, that you’re not supposed to refrigerate tomatoes or they lose their full flavor, but this does make them prone to the need to be used in a reasonable amount of time.

This recipe was part of a larger recipe that had something to do with chicken, but I was only interested in the tomatoes.  After tossing out the few tomatoes that had gone beyond iffy, I proceeded with this very easy recipe.

Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

2 cups grape tomatoes, washed and patted dry
2 teaspoons good quality olive oil
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 Tablespoon capers, drained
1/8 teaspoon salt (I used a grind of sea salt)
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 425. Combine tomatoes and 2 teaspoons of oil in an 8 inch square baking dish and toss gently. Bake at 425 for 18 minutes or until tomatoes are tender. Combine tomato mixture, parsley, and remaining ingredients and stir gently. Makes 4 servings at 2.5 grams of fat/serving. Serve hot, cold, or at room temperature.

Variation: add 1 ounce of reduced fat blue cheese and 1 gram of fat/serving.

l ate the roasted tomatoes hot as a side with a small buffalo steak, cold alongside tuna salad for lunch, and one day I added blue cheese to the cold tomato mix.  I think this would also be very good over grilled fish, and I plan to make it again when the snow goes away and grilling season begins. Yes, you guessed it, 5-9 inches of snow expected tomorrow.  Does snow blowing firm the abs?