Tomato Confit

Tomato Confit

by | Aug 25, 2018 | 0 comments

Slow roasted, jammy and infused with garlic and herbs, Tomato Confit is delightful on crostini.  It’s my personal favourite way to enjoy it.  I find the subtly sweet tomatoes to be the perfect match with soft tart cheese, in this case, goat cheese.  The copious amount of olive oil, along with a long slow roast makes it all luscious together and a great addition to pasta, fish and vegetables.  

Thanks to Nigel Slater for this lovely recipe that I found in a copy of The Guardian.  I’ve made the recipe pretty much as written, other than being in my own words.  Sometimes things don’t need to be messed with.  The beauty of this Tomato Confit is its simplicity, and how only a few ingredients can be transformed into a versatile delight. It is concentrated goodness in a jar, and handy to have on hand. It will keep for a solid week in the refrigerator, giving you numerous possibilities for snacks and meals throughout the week. 

Recipe source for Tomato Confit:  Nigel Slater’s Tomato Confit

Tomato Confit
Print Recipe
    Servings Prep Time
    3 cups 45-50 minutes
    Cook Time Passive Time
    3 hours 1 hour
    Servings Prep Time
    3 cups 45-50 minutes
    Cook Time Passive Time
    3 hours 1 hour
    Tomato Confit
    Print Recipe
      Servings Prep Time
      3 cups 45-50 minutes
      Cook Time Passive Time
      3 hours 1 hour
      Servings Prep Time
      3 cups 45-50 minutes
      Cook Time Passive Time
      3 hours 1 hour
      Ingredients
      Servings: cups
      Instructions
      1. Preheat oven to 260℉.
      2. Bring a large pot of water to a simmer. Wash and core large tomatoes. Cut a small X through the skin on the bottom of each tomato. Plunge tomatoes into simmering water and allow to sit for 40-60 seconds (you will start to see the skins slough off). Remove tomatoes to a cold water bath to stop the cooking. Repeat with remaining tomatoes. Peel skins off tomatoes by grabbing the flaps of the cut X.
      3. Cut large tomatoes in half horizontally and scoop out seeds. Place tomato halves, cut side up in a roasting pan.
      4. Wash cherry tomatoes and cut in half. Squeeze or scoop out seeds and scatter with larger tomatoes, tucking some in along side the larger ones. Tomatoes should be tightly packed.
      5. Trim herb stalks of any thick woody ends. Scatter herbs and garlic over tomatoes, pressing them down among the tomatoes.
      6. Lightly crush peppercorns and along with the sugar and salt, sprinkle over tomatoes and herbs. Pour olive oil evenly over tomatoes and roast for 3 hours.
      7. Pour boiling water into your sealable jars to help sterilize and warm them. Scoop hot tomatoes, along with herbs and garlic into jars. Top with remaining juice/oil. Screw on lids and allow to cool at room temperature, then refrigerate. If eating cold, allow to come to room temperature first, to allow olive oil to return to its original state.
      Recipe Notes

      -Seeding  the cherry tomatoes is tedious, but only takes 10-12 minutes once you get going.

      -Will keep for a solid week in the refrigerator.

      -Makes approximately 3 cups.

      Roasted Tomato Pumpkin Soup

      Roasted Tomato Pumpkin Soup

      by | Jan 18, 2017 | 0 comments

      Today I am very excited to share with you my collaboration with The Jungle Farm, creating easy and delicious recipes using fresh locally grown fruits and vegetables.  The Jungle Farm, centrally located in Alberta is a family orientated farm committed to providing locally grown quality fresh produce.  Along with grain farming, The Jungle Farm offers a gorgeous array of herbs, bedding plants, hanging baskets, lettuce gardens, preserves and of course fruits and vegetables. They don’t stop there; you’ll also find family and group activities such as wagon rides, corn maze, farm animals and field trips.   You can find out a whole lot more about The Jungle Farm at www.thejunglefarm.com

      My personal favourite is the U pick fruits and vegetables and the vegetable box programs.  Over the spring and summer months they offer a weekly vegetable box that includes that week’s seasonal bounty, cleaned, boxed and ready for pick up.  Along with each box is a weekly e-newsletter highlighting The Jungle Farm events and providing recipes for the items included in that weeks box.  This is where I come in, working with produce from The Jungle Farm providing a spattering of wonderful, easy to follow recipes to help you use the items in your weekly vegetable box. So be sure to check out the recipe links provided in your newsletter.  While I encourage all visitors to my site to roam around and look at all recipes, I know time is short for most people.  Therefore, I have provided a tab called “The Jungle Farm Produce” in the recipe index specifically for recipes using Jungle Farm produce.  So for those who don’t have time to browse but are in need of a recipe for your gorgeous produce, you can find it all under one tab any time you visit Compelled To Cook.

      The first recipe I am sharing is Roasted Tomato Pumpkin Soup using The Jungle Farm sugar pumpkin, onions and leeks.  Healthy, luscious and delicious swirled with sour cream and topped with crispy leeks.  What I love about this recipe is the deep flavour that develops from roasting the pumpkin and tomatoes, then all ingredients are added to one pot to make it super easy to put together.  It makes a big pot and freezes very well too.  Although this is a simple recipe overall it does require a little extra time due to the roasting, so it makes for a wonderful weekend soup when you might have a little more time.

      I look forward to creating and sharing many more recipes using local, quality fresh produce from The Jungle Farm and encourage those following today to find me on their favourite social media platform.  You can find my Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook links on the homepage.

      Roasted Tomato Pumpkin Soup
      Print Recipe
      Thick, luscious and a little spicy with roasted flavour. Delicious swirled with sour cream and topped with crispy leeks.
        Servings
        6 people
        Servings
        6 people
        Roasted Tomato Pumpkin Soup
        Print Recipe
        Thick, luscious and a little spicy with roasted flavour. Delicious swirled with sour cream and topped with crispy leeks.
          Servings
          6 people
          Servings
          6 people
          Ingredients
          Roasted Tomato Pumpkin Soup
          Crispy Leeks
          Servings: people
          Instructions
          Roasted Tomato Pumpkin Soup
          1. Preheat oven to 300℉. Peel pumpkin using a vegetable peeler and cut off stem. Cut in half vertically and scoop out seeds (reserve seeds for roasting if desired). Cut into approximate 1 1/2" chunks and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Remove stem from tomatoes and cut into quarters. Spread out on a parchment lined baking sheet. Drizzle the pumpkin and tomatoes with 2 tbsp olive oil and roast in preheated oven for 1 1/2 hours. Add garlic cloves to the tray during the last 1/2 hour.
          2. Peel and chop onion into 1/2" chunks. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large soup pot or dutch oven over medium heat, add onion and sauté until starting to soften, approximately 5 minutes. To the pot add roasted vegetables and all remaining ingredients, reserving 1 cup chicken broth to adjust consistency later. Cover and simmer for a minimum 30 minutes. Remove from heat and blend with a hand held emersion blender until smooth. Adjust constituency using reserved chicken broth. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Ladle into serving bowls and swirl in 1 1/2 tbsp of sour cream and top with crispy leeks.
          Crispy Leeks
          1. Combine flour, cornstarch, salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Trim ends from leek and rinse well, making sure to rinse under any loose leaves. Cut leek into 1/4" slices and separate rings. Toss leek slices in flour mixture to gently coat. Add oil to a shallow pot or skillet and heat until the oil sizzles when a sprinkle of flour is added. Scoop out half of the leek slices shaking off any excess flour and add to oil. Fry for 4-5 minutes until golden, turning once. Using a slotted scoop remove leeks from oil and allow to drain on a paper towel lined plate. Repeat the frying process with remaining leeks. Keep uncovered at room temperature until ready to use.
          Recipe Notes

          In this recipe, two baking sheets were used to demonstrate the roasting of the pumpkin and tomatoes, however roast all on one baking sheet if desired. A stand blender can also be used to puree the soup.  Makes approximately 10 cups.