Slow-Roast Summer Tomatoes

August tomatoes are damn good. And with a little kitchen magic, they can be even better. All it takes is low, slow heat to concentrate their flavor.

Molly Wizenberg, author of  A Homemade Life, co-owner of Seattle's Delancey, and writer behind the food blog Orangette, uses the even heat of the oven, a little coriander for a nutty flavor, and olive oil to make the best slow-roasted summer tomatoes you’ve ever tasted.

The recipe is low on effort, but requires several hours in the oven, so it’s best saved for a lazy Sunday. When you're grocery shopping, don't worry about beauty—farmer's markets often sell large boxes of 'seconds,' the uglier tomatoes, at a reduced price, so stock up and make a few extra batches for freezing.

These tomatoes will bring new life to your favorite sauce recipe, if they last that long, as I've been known to eat them straight out of the oven. If you can handle the delayed gratification, give these guys a rough chop with some basil, spread them on toasted hunks of baguette, and top with some shaved Parmesan for a riff on the basic bruschetta, or toss a few in with your scrambled eggs with a crumble of goat cheese for a quick breakfast upgrade.

Oh, and remember those weak, watery, pale tomatoes you had back in January? This winter, try slow-roasting them, too—a few hours in the oven will make them almost as good as August's heirlooms.

Slow-Roasted Tomatoes with Coriander

What you'll need:
3 ½ lbs ripe Roma tomatoes (about 20 tomatoes)
1 T olive oil
salt
ground coriander

How to make it:
1. Preheat the oven to 200°F.
2. Wash and dry the tomatoes, trim away the stem end, and slice them lengthwise. Place them in a large bowl, and, using your hands, toss them gently with the oil.
3. Arrange them cut side up on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and ground coriander, about a pinch of each for every 4 to 6 tomato halves.
4. Bake until the tomatoes crinkle at the edges and shrink to about half of their original size, 4 to 6 hours. They should still be juicy in their centers. Remove from the oven, and set aside to cool at room temperature.

Adapted from A HOMEMADE LIFE by Molly Wizenberg. Copyright © 2009 by Molly Wizenberg. Reprinted by permission of Simon & Schuster, Inc. Photos courtesy of Molly Wizenberg and Simon & Schuster, Inc.