TOMATO PEN RECIPES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Spread tomatoes, onion and garlic in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper; toss to coat. Roast until the tomatoes burst and the onion is very soft, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Carefully transfer the tomatoes, onions and garlic to a blender. Add sugar to taste, thyme and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Blend, scraping down the sides as necessary, until very smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. (Use caution when pureeing hot liquids.) Garnish with more fresh thyme, if desired.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300°. Holding a bread knife so it’s parallel with work surface, slice ciabatta in half lengthwise (like opening a book). Slice each piece in half lengthwise down the center, then cut each strip on a diagonal into 4 pieces (you should have 16 pieces total).
• Drizzle 3 Tbsp. oil over bread and rub each piece to evenly distribute oil. Place bread on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until lightly browned and dried out, 30–40 minutes. Rub warm toast with cut sides of garlic; set aside.
• Meanwhile, slice a thin round off the bottom of each tomato. Starting at cut end, grate tomatoes on the largest holes of a grater into a medium bowl until all that’s left are the flattened tomato skins. Finely chop skins and mix into grated flesh; season very generously with salt.
• Spoon a generous amount of tomato sauce over each toast (you may have some left over). Let sit at least a minute or two so bread can absorb some of the juices. Drizzle with oil, sprinkle with more salt, and top as desired.