a slow-roasted cherry tomato confit to put on everything

The window that tomatoes hit their summer peak is the exact moment of hot, sweltering weather where turning on the oven becomes unfathomable. Unfortunately, peak tomatoes and the oven are a match made in a fiery inferno kind of heaven. Slow-roasting them in loads of olive oil, confit-style, transforms them into what is in my opinion one of the most versatile condiments a person can have in their fridge: a kind of cooked Italian salsa that’s ready to be used on pasta, in a grilled cheese, on toast, or spooned over grilled fish filets (like mahi mahi or swordfish) with an herby salad.

How to make it: a non-recipe

You can use whatever kind of tomato you have—sungold, cherry, grape, Campari, Roma—or a mixture of the ones you have laying around. You roast them along skin-on garlic (whose papery covering slips off easily at the end, revealing roasted garlic ready for smashing) and whatever herbs you happen to have: basil, thyme, rosemary, whatever. Add a pinch of salt, then pour olive oil until the tomatoes are nearly submerged. Pop into a 350ºF oven for 60 minutes, and you’ll get this:

While there is not really such a thing as too many tomatoes, sometimes they start to get wrinkly before they’ve found their higher purpose. This non-recipe is great for using those up quickly and extending their life. No matter how many tomatoes you have, though, the technique doesn’t change much—just use enough oil to make sure the tomatoes are mostly submerged before roasting, and stir them around periodically to ensure everything’s coated evenly. Once you’ve made the confit, you can keep it for about a week in the fridge if not longer; mine, however, is yet to last that long. Highly recommended as a topping to ricotta toast, mozzarella toast, or just regular toast straight from the freezer.