Tomato Porn

It's a slippery slope. In the pulpy afterglow of fresh tomato everything, comes (what's a girl to do) roasted tomato everything. I'm helpless. Give an inch, my grandmother would say, and you'll find yourself with a face full of seeds and olive oil dripping down your elbow.

Roasted tomatoes are inherently greedy. Slick with olive oil and mellowed with garlic, they are my attempt at pleasure hoarding, not unlike R's father's Playboy collection stashed in the attic (my mother never liked that girl). I want to be able to peek into the freezer in December and know I can use this spark of sunshine to light up a winter pasta sauce, or guarantee a sensational base for braised veal shank or white beans. Of course, the nature of greed means that I couldn't wait until December to explore my pasta fantasies. As it's bikini season, I've been doing my best to limit carbs, measuring out proper, back-of-the-box portions of whole wheat spaghetti (85 grams). I'm not one to deprive myself, so a moderate dose of pasta means lots of sexy topping to fill up my favorite shallow white bowls from Habitat.

The right dish is the oldest diet trick in the book. I recently bought a whole service of Limoge dishes at a local flea market. Guess what, my French dinner plates (like French baby clothes) are a good inch smaller in circumference than the set of American plates my mother brought over.

There's only so many times a week a girl can make ratatouille, so I used part of this week's eggplant allotment to make my pasta sauce. I used a tablespoon or two of the roasted tomato oil to sauté the eggplant until tender, then added shrimp, the roasted tomatoes, a splash of white wine and a pinch of cayenne pepper at the end.

I've never been sure if the realization of a fantasy is meant to satiate passion, or to fuel it. I suspect it's the later. Which, if my freezer holds out, is fine with me.

Roasted Tomatoes

4 lbs of perfect heirloom tomatoes, sliced approx. 1 inch thick
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 head of garlic - wet (i.e. fresh) garlic is ideal
Sea salt to taste

Heat the oven to 325F.

Line your largest baking sheet with aluminum foil. Arrange the sliced tomatoes in a single layer, tuck the cloves of garlic (unpeeled) between them, pour over the olive oil. Sprinkle with a pinch or two sea salt. Leave for 1 1/2 to 2 hours in the oven, until the garlic is tender and the tomatoes are soft and a bit wrinkly. Make sure you save all the liquid along with the garlic and tomatoes.

Store in the fridge (cover with additional olive oil to keep longer) or freeze for a snowy day.

Roasted Tomato Pasta with Shrimp and Eggplant

This is an approximation - who takes notes during a fantasy? Oh. Well, I don't.

2-3 tbsp of your tomato olive oil liquid
2 smallish eggplant, slim and dark
1 pound raw frozen shrimp (I don't ever recommend using frozen cooked shrimp - in my experience they are limp and watery)
2 cups roasted tomatoes (give or take), with a bit of the liquid
A pinch or two of cayenne pepper
A splash of white wine
1/2 tsp sugar (optional)
Small handful of basil leaves, ripped by hand

Slice the eggplant in thinnish strips (about 1/4 inch thick by 2 inches long), you want it to cook through in a reasonable amount of time. In a large sauté pan, heat 2-3 tablespoons of your tomato olive oil liquid. over medium heat, sauté your eggplant until really tender (nothing worse than eggplant that bites back. Add frozen shrimp, tomatoes, cayenne, wine and sugar. Cook until shrimp turn pink, about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat, stir in the basil, leaving aside a few leaves for garnish.

Serve over whole wheat spaghetti.

Serves 4