Oven-Roasted Early Season Tomatoes

INGREDIENTS:
(makes 4–6 servings)

  • 10 early season or unripe tomatoes
  • 4–6 oz Villa DiTrapano olive oil
  • 10 sprigs rosemary
  • 10 sprigs thyme
  • 2 T fennel seed
  • 2 T mustard seed
  • 2 T pink peppercorns

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350°F
Halve tomatoes, place cut side up on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil
Toast fennel, mustard seed and pink peppercorns in a pan
Crush toasted spices with salt, rosemary and thyme using a mortar and pestle
Season tomatoes with spice blend
Bake for 10 minutes

Oven-roasted early season tomatoes come from simple farm and Mediterranean cooking traditions, where unripe tomatoes are used at the start of the season. Roasting softens their acidity and brings out a deeper, slightly sweet flavor, turning an early harvest ingredient into a rich, flavorful dish.