I have a confession to make. While I like my salads, I am rarely motivated to eat them in the winter or cold weather. I guess I'm a bit of an environmental eater. Roasting my salad veggies totally fits the bill when I want something warm and need another veggie serving in my day. It's surprisingly satisfying too!
I came up with this recipe as a combination of a tomato recipe my friend made when I visited her house once, and a warm salad I had at a steak house. A warm salad? Yes! Let those flavors wilt down into a nice flavorful combination. It just melts onto your tongue.
To start off, slice whatever tomatos you have on hand in half. I've used everything from beefsteaks to grape tomatoes for this. Just slice 'em and place them cut side up in a baking dish.
Drizzle a little EVOO and a bit of balsamic vinegar on it, as well as a sprinkle of salt and pepper.
Then sprinkle some parmesan cheese and fresh herbs. Any fresh herb combo you like will do. Today I had oregano, basil and parsley. But I've also had various combination with those and rosemary, cilantro, thyme and dill too. I use whatever is nearby.
Roast in a 450 degree oven for 10 minutes.
Take it out and put on the second layer. This is a handful of greens. I usually use a spring mix because I get the giant bags at Costco, but fresh spinach works just as well. Then repeat your seasoning layers: salt, pepper, EVOO, balsamic, parm, and the rest of your fresh herbs.
Return to the oven for another 5 minutes.
Let it cool for about 5 minutes. You want to eat it warm, but those tomatoes are crazy hot right out of the oven!
Serious yum.
