I've said it before and I'll say it again --
Raw tomatoes absolutely gross me out.
But the possibilities are endless once you add some heat to the little guys. And it's the perfect time of year to get some seriously fantastic tomatoes.
Word on the street is that tomatoes are growing out of control around this part of the country. Not sure if that's true or not... but my co-worker has brought in bags full of them on more than one occasion, so I'm going to go ahead and agree.
For the record: free tomatoes are better than not free tomatoes.
When you make this, please do yourself a favor and don't skimp on the cheese and pepper. I'm not kidding. There's something to be said for fresh parm and freshly ground black pepper. You'll love it. Promise.
PS: This isn't a pretty recipe. I'll be the first to admit it. Well, it's either not a pretty recipe... or these tomatoes really didn't want to work with the foodie papparazzi. Gah.
Oven Roasted Parmesan Tomatoes
INGREDIENTS
4 large ripe tomatoes
olive oil
salt
freshly shaved parmesan
freshly ground black pepper
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Drizzle a little olive oil in a Pyrex/glass dish; coat well. Slice tomatoes in half (like a hot dog, not a hamburger) and take a thin slice from the other side to make the tomatoes lay flat in the dish. Spread out in dish.
2. Drizzle tomatoes with just enough olive oil to cover -- don't overdo it. Sprinkle with healthy serving of salt. Top with parmesan to your liking (the more, the better). Add a good amount of black pepper.
3. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until cheese starts to brown.
