Piquant Roasted Roma Tomatoes

1. Set the oven to 275 degrees F to preheat.
2. Taking a medium bowl, combine extra virgin olive oil, thyme, garlic, and salt.
3. Add tomatoes to the mixture and mix until they are fully coated.
4. On a baking sheet, place tomatoes, halves cut side up.
5. Pour the remaining mixture of oil, thyme, garlic and salt on the top of the tomatoes.
6. Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and let the tomatoes cook for two and a half hours. Time of baking may differ depending on the size of tomatoes.
7. Remove from oven and let the tomatoes cool completely before serving.

Trivia

• Tomato was once known as the “Apple of Paradise.”
• Roma tomatoes are essentially grown for canned tomatoes and tomato paste due to their size and nature.
• Roma tomatoes are also known as Italian tomatoes or Italian plum tomatoes.
• Roma tomatoes are disease resistant and grow to an average of four to six feet.
• Roasted Roma Tomatoes are easy to cook because the tomatoes used in the dish are not juicy and they have thicker and drier flesh which makes it easier to prepare an individual dish out of it.
• Roma tomatoes were developed in 1955 using the process of hybridization. Roma tomatoes are believed to be a product of cross plantation of Pan American tomato with San Marzano.

They are believed to be brought into the United States by the Italian immigrants.