Recipe courtesy of Heath Goldman for Food Network Kitchen

Silky Tomato Toasts

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  • Level: Easy
  • Total: 1 hr 20 min
  • Active: 15 min
  • Yield: 16 servings
This hors d'oeuvre recipe transforms canned tomatoes into luscious ruby gems. Perched on slabs of olive-oil toast, they’re full of sweet-tart flavor that will remind you of summer tomatoes. Unlike hot appetizers that need to be carefully timed and eaten immediately, these toasts can be set out in advance of a party for guests to enjoy as they trickle in. The secret to their sweet, slow-cooked tomato flavor is tossing the tomatoes in double-concentrate tomato paste and sugar before roasting. Feel free to cook the tomatoes on the spot or a day ahead of time, which helps them develop an even more complex flavor. Just make sure to bring the tomatoes to room temperature before serving.

Ingredients

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
  2. Whisk the vinegar, tomato paste, sugar, 1/4 cup of the olive oil and 3/4 teaspoon salt and 3/4 teaspoon pepper together in a medium bowl.
  3. Lift the tomatoes out of their liquid. Slice off any hard stem ends. Cut the tomatoes in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds and juice inside with your fingers; save all the extra seeds and juices for another use (such as bloody marys or gazpacho). Add the tomatoes to the bowl with the olive oil mixture and toss to coat them completely.
  4. Spread out the tomatoes on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer and pour any mixture remaining in the bowl over the tomatoes. Bake the tomatoes until they’re drier on the outside, plump and juicy inside and caramelizing around the edges, 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes. Taste a tomato and season with a few more pinches of sugar if desired; the tartness and sweetness should be balanced.
  5. Position the oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat the broiler. Slice the bread lengthwise into 1-inch-thick pieces. Cut each piece in half crosswise, then cut on the diagonal to create triangles. Spread the bread out on a baking sheet and drizzle it with the remaining 1/2 cup olive oil. The surface of the bread should be saturated with oil; add more if necessary (loaves can vary in size). Mop up any oil pooled on the baking sheet by moving the bread around. Sprinkle za’atar all over the bread so it’s generously covered and season it with salt and pepper. Broil the bread, watching it closely, until lightly golden brown and toasted.
  6. To serve, drape several tomatoes over each piece of bread and shower the tomatoes with parsley and mint.

Cook’s Note

The tomatoes can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Bring them to room temperature before serving.