“Roasted” Tomato and Balsamic Vinaigrette – We really need to concentrate on this one!

I worked with a Chef, way back when, who made this amazingly delicious roasted tomato vinaigrette. He would slice a whole pan of Roma tomatoes lengthwise and slowly roast them in a very low oven until the sugars and acids in the fruit would condense and caramelize and concentrate into a delicious mass. This took about 5-6 hours. Then, these roasted tomatoes were cooled, pureed, and with the addition of some oil and vinegar, turned into a wonderfully complex vinaigrette. It was so good next to any grilled fish, meat, veggies, etc. The only thing I didn't like was the extended cooking time.

Now, the whole reason for the long, slow roasting was to concentrate the flavors. So, I thought I could duplicate it by using a really good, double-concentrate tomato paste and nicely aged balsamic vinegar. It worked. Is it as good? Who knows? Yet another "subjective mater of taste" argument. Do I always use the shortcut method? No, I do (when I have time) love a nice pan of slow roasted, caramelized Roma tomatoes. They are great served whole on burgers, and as a side dish with many main dishes. In fact, now I have to demo the original method! Anyway, here is a 5 minute version that will pair wonderfully with so many things, and you're only a few minutes away. I used this on my Pan Seared Perch with Fried Capers recipe, so if you haven't seen that one, check it out. By the way, this is also very nice with I touch of fresh garlic, which I didn't use this time…hey, I can't use garlic in every recipe! Enjoy.

Ingredients:

• 1 tbl tomato paste (double-concentrate)
• 1 tbl aged Balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbl rice vinegar
• 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 6 tbl olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste