Sweet Tomato Conserva Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Arrange tomatoes, cut-sides up, on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet; season with salt. Roast until tomatoes shrink and collapse slightly, about 1 hour. Let cool completely, then pack into a 2-cup-capacity jar.
• In a small saucepan, combine oil, herbs, and garlic. Bring to a bare simmer over medium heat. Carefully pour mixture into jar, topping with more oil if necessary. (Oil should fully submerge tomatoes and herbs and reach about 1/2 inch from top.) Let cool completely, then cover and refrigerate until ready to use, up to 1 month.

Steps:

• For the Tomato Conserva
• Core the tomatoes and roughly chop them. Pile into a large pot, preferably one with a wide surface, which will speed up cooking. Add 1/4 cup olive oil and bring to a boil over high heat.
• Reduce the heat to medium or whatever temperature keeps the tomatoes simmering (you need to be careful not to scorch the tomatoes on the bottom) and cook until you've got the consistency of tomato sauce, 30 to 50 minutes. Work the tomatoes through a food mill to remove the skins and seeds. If you don't have a food mill, you can do this by pressing the tomatoes through a fine-mesh sieve or very fine colander, but a food mill makes the job much easier.Heat the oven to 300°F. Oil a rimmed baking sheet (a 13 x 18-inch half-sheet pan or two smaller pans), a couple of 9 x 13-inch baking dishes, or a large Dutch oven.Add the conserva and bake until the consistency goes from liquidy to a thick puree, about 3 hours. You'll need to tend to the conserva several times during cooking because the tomato close to the edges will brown more quickly. Use a heatproof silicone spatula to move the tomato from the edges of the pans into the center (and vice versa) to promote even cooking and create deep flavors.Reduce the heat to 200°F and bake slowly for as long as you can, even overnight. You won't need to give the conserva as much attention at this point, but you should check it now and then anyway. The finished conserva should be very thick, like tomato paste, and deeply tomatoey. You can freeze in small freezer bags, or put into jars and refrigerate, or even can in a pressure-canner (follow the instructions in a good canning manual).
• For the Dish
• Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and the garlic and cook slowly to toast the garlic so it's very soft, fragrant, and nicely golden brown-but not burnt-about 5 minutes.
• Add the tomato conserva and cook for another 30 seconds or so, stirring and scraping so the tomato doesn't burn but does get a bit darker. Add the scallions and cook, stirring, until they start to get fragrant and soft, another minute or so.Add the tomatoes, chile flakes, and butter, and season generously with salt and black pepper. Cook, stirring the tomatoes occasionally, until they start to burst and render their juices, another 3 to 4 minutes.Add the clams and wine, cover the pan, and cook until the clams all open; this could take as little as 2 minutes or up to 6 minutes, depending on the size and type of clams. When the clams are open (toss out any that refuse to open even after another couple of minutes cooking), add the parsley, corn, and lemon juice. Taste and adjust the sauce with more salt, black pepper, chile flakes, or lemon juice.Arrange the grilled bread on plates or in shallow bowls and spoon the corn and clams over the top, dividing the juices evenly, too. Finish with a generous drizzle of olive oil, and serve with a knife and fork, and a bowl for empty shells.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Put the halved tomatoes in a bowl and toss with the olive oil. Oil a rack that will fit on top of a baking sheet. Place foil on the baking sheet and oil the foil, and place the rack on top. Place the tomatoes, cut side up, on the rack. Sprinkle with coarse salt and a tiny amount of sugar. Place in the oven and roast for 2 hours. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for about 30 minutes. The tomatoes will look a little dry on the surfaces and the skin will be tough. But when you bite into the tomatoes you'll experience a rush of incredibly sweet juice and pulp. If you want to use these for a sauce, put through the fine blade of a food mill.

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients, cover and cook 15 to 20 minutes.
• Uncover and continue to simmer about 40 minutes longer, until it has become pleasantly thick. Test for thickness from time to time by putting some of the mixture on a refrigerated saucer.
• When done, pour it into very clean jars and seal it up with two thin coats of parafin and a lid.