cherry tomatoes (about 500 g)
5 - 6 tbsp olive oil
1 - 2 garlic cloves
1½ tsp dried basil
1½ tsp dried oregano
1½ tsp dried rosemary
1½ tsp dried thyme
1½ tsp dried chives
pinch of salt
pinch of black pepper

Finely crush or grind the dried herbs in a mortar. You can substitute the herbs listed above with another ones, according to your taste. Press the garlic cloves through a garlic press and mix with the oil. Add the ground herbs and mix thoroughly.

Cut the rinsed and dried cherry tomatoes in half crosswise. If you are patient enough, remove the seeds from the tomatoes. Place a wire rack on a baking sheet covered with baking parchment. Place the tomato halves, cut-side up, on the wire rack. Sprinkle them with a little salt and pepper. Pour some oil mixture on every tomato.

Dry the tomatoes in cool oven (about 100 - 120 °C) for a few hours. When done, the tomatoes should be dryish and shrivelled, but still retain some moisture and softness.

Place the tomatoes in a clean jar and cover with olive oil. Seal with a lid and store in refrigerator. Serve the tomatoes to accompany various meat, vegetable or pasta dishes, added to salads or as a filling or topping on sandwiches.

Instead of cherry tomatoes, you can use regular sized tomatoes, only they will take a few hours longer to dry.

Recipe source: adapted from "Oven-dried tomatoes" by David Shalleck, WNED-TV/Michael Chiarello's Napa Casual Cooking, 2003.