Ingredients:
Fresh basil leaves Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 6, 400°F (200°C).
Skin the tomatoes first of all by pouring
boiling water over them and leaving for 1 minute, then drain and, as soon as
they are cool enough to handle, slip off the skins. (Protect your hands with
a cloth if necessary.) Now cut each tomato in half, around the middle rather
than vertically, and place the halves in the roasting tin (cut side
uppermost) and season with salt and freshly milled pepper.
After that, sprinkle on the chopped garlic,
distributing it evenly between the tomatoes. Follow this with a few droplets
of olive oil on each one, and then top each one with half a basil leaf,
turning each piece of leaf over to get a coating of oil.
Now place the roasting tin in the top half
of the oven and roast the tomatoes for 50-60 minutes or until the edges are
slightly blackened. Then remove the tin from the oven and allow the tomatoes
to cool. All this can be done several hours ahead.
To serve the tomatoes, transfer them to
individual serving plates, then whisk the oil and balsamic vinegar together
and drizzle this over the tomatoes. Finally top each one with an olive and
garnish with basil leaves. Lots of crusty bread is an essential accompaniment
to this.
|
