When it comes to oven-roasted tomatoes, the wrinkles are where the flavour is! In anticipation of a future post about slow cooked breakfasts, I thought I would share this pearler of a dish that will be welcome anytime you might eat brekkie. (If the two-legged locusts are away, leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for several days, and they are delicious cold in salads or as condiments on a sandwich).

And, seriously, this is a zero spooner. Little kids love it because of the mud pie factor – it works best if you actually get your hands dirty, and the steps are perfect for the L plate cook. I use (egg-shaped) Roma tomatoes, cut length-wise to create a larger face for the goodies to be sprinkled on. Sprinkle each thing on in order, and please don’t fret about it being neat and eye pleasing:
- olive oil – a couple of tablespoons drizzled or brushed on (use oil spray if you like but be liberal)
- soft brown sugar – use your hands to crumble the lumps and sprinkle about 2 to 3 tablespoons for a full baking tray
- fresh ground sea salt and black pepper to taste
- lots and lots of basil – this was fresh, but dry works nicely too, or you could go with oregano if you like a milder taste
You want the tomatoes to cook slowly to keep their shape, so in the oven at no more than 160°C. An hour at least, but they will be fine for longer if you keep the heat down. So if I am slow cooking various things for brekkie, I just whack these in an hour out from meal time, or longer if the other things are cooking at a lower heat.