I made dried tomatoes and then I brought them to the beach with me.  Okay, so that actually happened back in July.  I, along with a gang of friends, took full advantage of a van service that for $12 can drive you away from the catwalk that is N7th & Bedford of Williamsburg, Brooklyn all the way to the desolate beach area of Fort Tilden.  We did this for 3 – 4 weekends in a row.  As the driver swiftly cruised through the back streets of Brooklyn–streets that we never thought of visiting voluntarily before but were quite happy to have discovered–we had a good hard lesson on Bob Marley & The Wailers.  Inside the van we listened to endless reggae songs and watched documentaries with live footage of Marley & Co.’ concerts, courtesy of the driver/owner of Alexis Van Lines.  While I found this to be very pleasing and educational (the music lover in me gives credit where credit is due), I couldn’t help but feel sorry for my husband, who is keen to run away from any public place where Marley is played…except this time, there was no where for him to run to.  And that made me devilishly happy!  He opened up to the music, and I believe he may have finally disassociated the rastafarian’s wailing with drunken, hippie, college kids singing loudly in unison.  In truth, there was nothing about the music he really disliked.  It was the Marley fans he really couldn’t deal with.  As a takeaway, anytime I hear “Is This Love“, I will stop, smile, and sway as I reminisce of the summer of 2012 in complete and utter hippie fashion.

All whimsies aside, let’s talk about these damn tomatoes!

Sunday was the chosen day for our beach outings.  Little by little, each member of our Sunday ritual would show up at the designated meeting spot.  Through the eyes of my fellow beach-going friends, I imagine seeing my picnic-basket holding self quietly walking up to the group as I take my spot and wait for the next person to join.  Then together we’d all wait patiently and quietly for the habitual latecomer.

Now let your imagination run wild and picture that scene happening in black & white, silent film format.  I think you’ll find that image to be quite endearing.

Okay, okay, I’ll stop.  Really we were all like a bunch of kids cracking jokes, taking turns in watching our stuff while someone makes a quick iced coffee run before boarding the van.  Either way, that’s how it “kinda” happened.

Moving on to the contents of my picnic basket.  (I know you’re all dying to know!)  Inside the basket we have: cured meats and aged cheeses from Murray’s Cheese Shop, homemade dried tomatoes, olives, french baguette, apples, raisins and dried cranberries, water, wooden board, fork/knife, paper towels, and finally one leopard print beach blanket.  I was all too happy in the end, when most of the contents of my picnic basket ended up in our tummies, making it much lighter to carry back home.

Dried Tomatoes:

-Choose any variety of tomatoes (I used large beefsteak tomatoes from the farmers market.)

-Extra Virgin Olive Oil

-Sea Salt

Preheat oven anywhere between 200⁰ F or 250⁰ F, no higher.  Cut tomatoes into quarter inch slices and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  With your finger or a pastry brush, lightly coat each tomato with the olive oil. Sprinkle each tomato lightly with sea salt (you can always add more, if necessary).  Then when oven is sufficiently preheated, place the baking sheet into the oven and allow 2 to 2 1/2 hours to cook without flipping the tomatoes over.  After 2 to 2 1/2 hours, tomatoes should be done.  If tomatoes are still slightly juicy, keep in the oven and check on them every 10 – 15 minutes or so, until visibly dry like the photos above and below.

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These dried tomatoes make a great addition to any sandwich, salad, or pasta.  Even alone, these tomatoes are a great snack.  If you’re not going to eat right away, you can store it in a glass jar filled with extra virgin olive oil.  Kept in the jar long enough (a day or two), the olive oil will take on a really nice tomatoey flavor and a pretty reddish hue.  Eventually the tomatoes will disintegrate into little chunks, making it too perfect for you to tear off a piece of baguette and dip right in.

Brooklyn, EAT your heart out!