Tomato Raisins

I think I like these better in theory than practice. I love the idea of a concentrated pop of tomato flavor in a salad (Batali uses these in a salad of arugula dressed with a lemony vinaigrette).

These cherry or grape tomatoes, tossed with EVOO and salt, are baked in a 250 degree oven for about 4 hours. The smell in the kitchen starts to be fabulous about 15-20 minutes into the baking time.

And the tomatoes that come out of the oven are pretty adorable and have a nice taste and texture. I used them in a modified caprese salad, tossing them with some fresh artisanal lettuce from Costco, along with some diced fresh mozzarella and a lemony basil vinaigrette.

But here's the thing ... the tomatoes are nice. Just fine. But we just didn't like them as well as well as fresh tomatoes in our salad.