This is one of those easy-peasy, versatile recipes that it is nice to have in one's repertoire. Obviously it is best with delicious, summer tomatoes but still fabulous with less stellar tomatoes because cooking them seems to add flavor and remove any mealiness that one might detect if those particular tomatoes were served raw.
I like the fact that the tomatoes always add a nice pop of color to the dinner plate - something that I always consider, especialy when serving meat. There is something slightly depressing about a plate with meat and two veg - both of them beige.
This recipe take under 5 minutes to prepare and then bubbles away in the oven along with whatever you happen to have cooking there.
Recipe
2 large tomatoes, the ripest, juiciest smelling that you can find
1 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and white pepper to taste
1 Tbsp fresh basil leaves, cut into a chiffonade (long, thin strips basically)
Preheat the oven to 350.
Wash the tomatoes and cut them in half. Place the tomato halves in an oven-proof dish and pour 1/4 of the olive oil over each one. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.
Bake for 30 minutes if you like them warmed through but still firm or about 45 minutes if you like them softer and melting in upon themselves.
Sprinkle with the basil and serve.
There are lots of things that you can do to jazz this dish up. You can sprinkle the tomatoes with garlic and/or chopped anchovies prior to serving. One of my friends makes hers with chopped olives as well. I usually sprinkle about a teaspoon of Herbes de Provence on my tomatoes before baking but I happened to be out and forgot to buy some prior to making this dish. These also taste good room temperature so I have made them in the past as part of a picnic featuring charcuterie or as part of a vegetarian antipasti platter.
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