Garlic and Thyme Confit Tomatoes

Impress any guest this holiday season with these confit heirloom tomatoes! These jewels were a crowd pleaser at our New Year's dinner. But, to start off with, what exactly is "confit"? Well, confit traditionally means duck cooked in its own fat at a relatively low temperature. This method of cooking leaves the meat moist, tender, and flavorful.

Today I'll be writing about confit tomatoes. The slow cooking brings out the true sweetness and subtle earthy flavor. I chose to infuse my oil, and therefore the tomatoes, with garlic and thyme, but other herbs like rosemary would be just as delicious. The type of tomato used is also important to this recipe. But, this is mainly for the looks of the finished product. I chose to use baby heirloom tomatoes-- they're bright, colorful, and uniquely shaped. Confit tomatoes on a vine are also stunning.

The recipe and ingredients for this dish are truly simple. I adapted it from CookingLight. Make sure that you use the freshest and best quality ingredients. This is a dish that lets food shine for itself (the best type of food in my opinion!).

To start off, heat your oven to 275 degrees F. Line a baking tray or dish with tin foil. You're going to need quite a bit of olive oil so make sure that it won't spill. Place a handful of tomatoes onto your tray (the amount really depends on how much you want to make) and begin slicing garlic. Again, depending on how garlicky you like your food, add as much as you want. At the end, I probably sliced around five cloves. Next, add in a couple sprigs of thyme. Sprinkle on some salt and pepper and pour in good quality extra virgin olive oil until the bottom of the tray has been covered to about a half of an inch. And that's it! Bake in the oven until the skins of the tomatoes are wilted. My favorite part is when they burst a little-- the juices come out and the flavor intensifies. Enjoy!