MAKES 6 SERVINGS

Slow-roasting tomatoes concentrates their sweetness and makes them the perfect addition to summertime salads, sandwiches, and pasta dishes. This dish is based on a recipe that appears in The Silver Palate Cookbook 25th Anniversary Edition by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins (Workman, 2007).

12–18 halved and seeded plum tomatoes
1⁄2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp. sugar
Freshly ground black pepper
Coarse or fine sea salt
Small whole flat-leaf parsley leaves
Mint leaves
Slivered basil

1. Heat the oven to 250°. Line a baking sheet with foil and rub it with a little extra-virgin olive oil. Arrange tomatoes on it in a single layer, cut side up. Drizzle evenly with olive oil, sprinkle with sugar, and season with pepper to taste.

2. Bake the tomatoes until they are still juicy but slightly wrinkled, about 3 hours. Transfer to a platter to let cool slightly. Just before serving, sprinkle tomatoes with sea salt and garnish, if you like, with parsley, mint, and basil.