This month, the Cookbook Guru’s feature cookbook is The Food of Morocco, by Paula Wolfert. Paula Wolfert is an acclaimed American cookbook author who specialises in Mediterranean cooking.
The Food of Morocco is her latest book. It is an expanded version of her 1973 book, Couscous and Other Good Food from Morocco, a book which is still in print after 40 years. If you have this book or can get it from your local library, why not join in? Just make a recipe from the book, write a post and then send a link to the post to Leah, alias the Cookbook Guru. Leah will then reblog your post on The Cookbook Guru site.
I was keen to post this recipe, asap, because I know many people currently have tomatoes galore and slow roasted tomatoes are the best way I know of preparing them. Even if you don’t have a vegie patch, tomatoes are very cheap at the moment. Roasted tomatoes freeze very well so it is a great way of preserving some for later in the season.
Most people would be familiar with slow roasted tomatoes but the addition of rose-water makes this recipe just a little different. The recipe is actually called ‘Oven-roasted tomatoes with toasted pine nuts’ but I thought, “Since the addition of rose water is what makes these tomatoes stand out from the norm, I will take liberty with the recipe title.”
This is the third time I have made this recipe. The reason is three-fold: I have loads of tomatoes, they taste great but, most significantly, it took me 3 tries to get it right.
The recipe calls for the tomatoes to be slow roasted for 3 hours at 250°F (120°C). The temperature is then turned up to 400°F (200°C)for 30 minutes. On my first attempt, I put them in the oven for 3 hours and forgot about them. When I finally checked, I had dried (not roasted) tomatoes. The next time, I roasted them for 2 hours then turned up the oven for an additional 30 minutes. They were fine, but a little too charred for my liking (see picture on the left). I eventually settled on 2 hours at 120°C (top photo). If you prefer your tomatoes a little dryer, or a little more charred, by all means adjust the cooking time.
The recipe calls for 6 Roma tomatoes but each time I used many more than that and had sufficient topping. I guess it depends on how heavy a ‘sprinkler’ you are.
Ingredients:
- ripe Roma (or similar) tomatoes
- coarse sea salt
- 1 tbs* raw sugar
- pinch of ground cinnamon
- 1 tbs* olive oil
- 2 tbs* rosewater
- 2 tbs* pine nuts or sesame seeds, toasted.**
*These are 15 mil tablespoons
** To toast the pine nuts or sesame seeds: put them in a dry pan and heat until lightly golden, stirring all the while.
Method:
- Cut each tomato in half, horizontally, and scoop out the juice and seeds.
- Lightly salt the tomatoes.
- Place the tomatoes cut side down on paper towels, and let drain for 30 minutes.
- Arrange the tomatoes in a single layer in a baking tray which is either lined with baking paper or has been lightly oiled.
- Mix one teaspoon of coarse salt with the sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle a pinch over each tomato half. Drizzle with the olive oil.
- Preheat your oven to 120°C.
- Roast the tomatoes in the preheated oven 2 hours.
- Remove the roasted tomatoes from the oven. Splash with the rosewater. Set aside until cooled to room temperature.
- Sprinkle the toasted pine nuts or sesame seeds on top and serve. Very yummy.
Passion Fruit Garden 
Love the addition of rose water, sounds delicious and must give the combination a try 🙂
Hi Moya, it was a bit different and very nice.
Don’t they say 3rd time’s the charm? My first thought on your first attempt was “wow” over 3 hours to roast tomatoes sounds like a very long time. Guess you found that out right?
This is so interesting with the rosewater & the nuts on top – very different from anything I’ve tried. Of course right now our tomato supply here is pretty pathetic. They’re red and they’re shaped like tomatoes but other than that they have no resemblance to tomatoes in the taste department.
If you plant some seeds now (or at least when the snow melts), you will soon have tomatoes galore, Diane. 🙂
Wow, this sounds absolutely exquisite!
Thanks Liz.
I’d like to try this, and coming into the cooler months the tomato offerings are rather uninteresting so it would be a great way to liven them up, and warm the apartment at the same time 🙂
Hi Ella, I love slow roasting tomatoes. It really brings out the flavours.
Pingback: Kefta tagine with herbs, spices and lemon | Passion Fruit Garden
I’ve never ever thought about rose water in a roasted tomato. What a great idea and I can’t wait to give it a try.
Hi Maureen, I would never have married the two either but it works amazingly well.
Interesting recipe, I look forward to trying it when our tomatoes are in season. I recently saw a recipe for tomatoes with vanilla salt, which also sounds interesting. I don’t usually think about highly perfumed things with tomatoes.
Isn’t it an interesting book? I’m looking forward to reading more posts inspired by it.
Hi Liz, It is a great book. I think Paula Wolfert is great.
Very nice – though not a fan of rosewater, I really like the cinnamon here. I think everyone’s ovens are a tad bit different. I know mine is on the hot side, so this may explain why it took you so many goes – well, except the first time! Oh, how I wish for lovely fresh tomatoes from the garden! Lucky you.
Hi Debi, It is tomato time of the year here 🙂 I usually roast my tomatoes for about 1.5 hours but I thought I would follow the recipe to see what it was supposed to look like. Certainly in my oven it was way too long.
The rose water is a lovely addition. Sounds delish
It really does work Louise.
Oh wow, I love seeing floral savoury food! I made Rose Harissa last week and it was fab, look forward to trying this one out 🙂
Thanks for visiting, you won’t be disappointed.
Reblogged this on The Cookbook Guru and commented:
Glenda has launched us into The Food of Morocco with a slow roasted tomato recipe with a twist… make sure you check out the post.
Happy Reading and Happy Cooking,
Leah
wow, this sounds amazing! I would never think of combining rosewater with tomatoes but loving the glut of ripe ones about I’ll have to give this recipe a go. Picking up my copy of the book tuesday, I can’t wait 🙂