Recipe: Slow-Roasted Cherry Tomato Bruschetta

Photo by Mike Nizza

1 pint of cherry tomatoes
3 cloves of garlic, peeled
5 sprigs of thyme
¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil
salt, pepper
1 baguette

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Drop tomatoes, thyme, and garlic into baking dish. Season with salt and pepper, then add the oil. Toss with fingers, emphasizing pinkies. Slip onto center rack of oven for an hour, maybe a little more. Tomatoes will explode, releasing juices that will evaporate before they emerge. Once the thyme and garlic is picked out, only intense, sweet tomato flavor shall remain.

Slice bread on an angle to maximize surface area. Lay on a baking sheet, drizzle with tomato oil from baking dish, salt and pepper. Broil until golden brown on edges yet moist inside.

To serve, lay toast on a plate and then carefully but quickly--the bread must be warm when served--place as many tomatoes as possible on top of each.