double duty: scalloped roasted tomatoes

freestyle friday
notes from maggie's farm

Well, then. 
Summer appears to have arrived.  
The forecast for our area, next week, calls for temperatures all above 100 degrees.
100 degrees!

I act as if this is some kind of shock or something.  Really, it's not.  It's over 100 degrees many, many days of summer in Central Hell Texas.  In fact, it's been uncharacteristically temperate, so far. But that makes these upcoming days no less horrifying to those of us who work outside.  Even a little.  Who even GO outside, for that matter.


Luckily, we have a few tricks up our sleeves for maximizing effort, expended oven heat, and time, in the kitchen.  Our effort will work double duty.  We cook once, and eat twice, three times, four, and even more.  This week's oven roasted tomatoes are a perfect example. 

This is how we stretched that one hour of roasting: 


Monday: Oven Roasted Tomatoes with Homemade Ricotta on bruschetta
Tuesday: Grilled Pizza with Oven Roasted Tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella on whole grain crust
Wednesday: Oven Roasted Tomatoes tossed with whole grain pasta and fresh basil almond pesto*
Thursday: Meatloaf 'Cakes', made with olive salad and Oven Roasted Tomatoes
Friday: Lemon-Baked Cod* with, today's, Scalloped Oven Roasted Tomatoes--

For each individual ramekin:


Oven Roasted Tomatoes (I used the equivalent of two large tomatoes. Adjust according to size of tomato halves.)
3T Bread crumb mixture (recipe, below)


Oil individual ramekin with olive oil. Layer 1T bread crumbs, 2 halves tomatoes, 1T bread crumbs, 2 halves tomatoes, and finally, 1 remaining tablespoon of bread crumbs.


Cover with foil, and bake in a 350 degree, preheated oven, middle rack, for about 20 minutes, or until tomatoes are bubbling at the edges.  Remove foil and bake additional 5 minutes, or until bread crumbs are golden.

Bread crumb mixture
1 cup panko crumbs
1 cup day-old bread, toasted, processed into fine bread crumbs, tossed with a teaspoon of olive oil, and toasted, again, until golden and crisp. (no day old bread crumbs?  double the panko, or use packaged bread crumbs)
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1-2 T dehydrated minced onion
ground black pepper
chopped fresh herbs--chives, oregano, parsley, rosemary--any one or a combination of all, minced finely
Optional--2 T almonds, walnuts, or pecans, chopped finely

Note: I make this bread crumb mixture ahead, store it in an airtight container in the fridge, and dole it out whenever a slightly cheesy, herbal-ly bread crumb mix is called for. Feel fry to substitute your favorite herbs, seasonings, spices, or omit some altogether.  It's a work in progress. You'll be surprised at the many things that call out for it.


Peaches are in season here in Central Texas.  Join us next week on Notes From Maggie's Farm where everything's Just Peachy!

*keep an eye out for these recipes in the days ahead.