Tomato Confit Recipe from Oprah Magazine

This recipe looked fantastic, but as we are just out of abundant tomato season, I'd like to save it for next summer. The recipe was posted in the September 2008 issue of Oprah Magazine, in a great article about the local slow-foods movement (great organic whole food, fresh from local farm to kitchen). The recipe was provided to the magazine from Dan Barber of Blue Hill at Stone Barns. They indicate that the recipe is a delicious topping for sandwiches or served with crusty artisanal bread and a great cheese. Confit is a cooking term for a variety of foods, usually meats, that are preserved through salting or being slow cooked in their own fat. Confit can also be also a condiment of fruit or vegetables cooked to the consistency of jam.

• Ready In: 5 hrs 20 mins
• Serves: 10

Ingredients

• 10  large plum tomatoes (about 3 pounds)
• 2  tablespoons olive oil, plus more for storing
• 3  garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
• 8  small fresh thyme sprigs
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 1⁄8 teaspoon sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 200°. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Fill a large bowl with ice and water.
2. Using a sharp paring knife, cut out cores from tomatoes; cut a small X on the other end. Place half of tomatoes in boiling water about 20 seconds; remove with a slotted spoon and plunge into ice water. Repeat with remaining tomatoes.
3. When cool, remove the skin from each tomato, cut in half, and squeeze out juices and seeds. Gently toss tomatoes in a large bowl with olive oil, garlic, thyme, salt, pepper, and sugar.
4. Arrange tomatoes, cut side down, on baking sheet. Bake until very soft, about 5 hours.
5. To store: Pack tomatoes in an airtight container, adding olive oil to cover. Store refrigerated up to 3 weeks.