tomatoes – Myfrenchkitchen

This tomato feta bake is a recipe that’s been going around for a few years. I’m a bit late on the wagon, but here it is, with a twist. In summer we devour tomatoes. We are accustomed to picking our own tomatoes from the potager for the last 10 years, but here in Provence we don’t have a potager yet, having moved here only January this year. It is in the pipeline for next season, but in the meantime we rely on the Provencal markets of which there is one in a town each day of the week. So no excuse not to have fresh local tomatoes in the bowl!

We serve this tomato dish with just about everything as a side or on its own with crusty, rustic country bread. It makes a delicious sauce which all goes to waste if you don’t mop it up with bread. Originally on the internet and on TikTok it is served over pasta. It can be lunch or dinner or apero. I serve it here with baked salmon and I can’t tell how well they match together. You have to try it for yourself.

The ingredients are very simple and available. And of course you can play around with herbs and onions, omit the onions if you wish, or even change the feta cheese for goats cheese.

Recipe

A handfull of cherry or grape tomatoes
half a red onion
block of feta cheese
several branches of fresh thyme
Fesh basil leaves
3 cloves of garlic
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper

Clean the tomatoes and add to an ovenproff dish.
Add the block of feta cheese and press it inbetween the tomatoes.
Clean and finely slice the onion, add to the tomatoes and feta.
Chope the garlic and sprinkle over the tomao feta.
Sprinkle with fresh thyme and drizzle finally with olive oil and a splash of balsamic vinegar.
Season with salt and freshly milled pepper.
Bake in a preheated oven at 210 degr C for 15 to 20 minutes, until the tomatoes are shrivled.
Remove from the oven and serve with pesto and fresh basil.

Serves 4

A pinch of salt

Use goats cheese instead of feta cheese
Use any other fresh herb of your choice.
Add some drizzled freshly squeezed lemon juice.
Sprinkle grated lemon peel over the feta
Use shallots instead of red onion.
Use a mix of grape and cherry tomatoes.
Bake at a higher temperature for a shorter time, until the tomatoes are charred.

A bientôt!

Ronell

I prefer semi dried tomatoes to fully dried ones. They are much more flavorful than the often leathery and chewy dried tomatoes. In a salad they are unbeatable, with pasta unforgettable and as a crostini for apero with a glass of wine , just delightful. I don’t give quantities in this recipe, it depends on how many tomatoes you have on hand. I used tomatoes from our potager which is bountiful at the moment. So come on, make your summer linger a bit longer and dry some seasonal tomatoes, from your own vegetable patch or from the market!

Recipe:

plum or roma tomatoes
salt and pepper
olive oil and sunflower oil
dried provencal herbs

Preheat the oven to 130 degrees C.
Line baking trays with baking paper.
Wash and dry the tomatoes, cut in half and remove the seeds.
Place the tomatoes in rows, cut side up on to the baking trays.
Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Bake for about 2 hours or until the tomatoes start to curl up at the sides. Turn the heat down to 100 degr C and bake for another hour. Keep an eye on the tomatoes from now on so they don’t burn.
Remove from the oven, leave to cool and add tightly packed to glass jars with lids and fill with olive oil or a mix of olive oil and sunflower oil, Store in fridge. ( Will keep for about 2 weeks) Use the oil for cooking or vinaigrette.

In the potager.