Roasted Tomato Salad

Recipe from Near and Far, by Heidi Swanson, because we are obsessed with her, and the lady really knows her Bay Area tomatoes!

Our tomatoes are so good.  They don't need any dressing up to make a delicious meal.  My two year old eats them like he would an apple, and by the end of each summer day the front of his shirt is stained red with juice and stuck with seeds.  As delicious as they are, if you want to experience them in a different way, try this salad.  It gives our tomatoes a whole new twist, and keeps them interesting.

--Jenna Muller

2 lbs. tomatoes, halved (or if they are very big, into 1 to 2-inch chunks)
2 tablespoons plus 1/3 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon brown sugar or maple syrup
Sea salt
1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
1 large clove garlic
1 tablespoon harissa
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 small head of lettuce
soft cheese (i.e. goat cheese or something similar)

Preheat the oven to 350º.  In a bowl, toss half of the tomatoes with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the sugar and a bit of salt.  Arrange them in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet (cut side up).  Bake them for 45 minutes to an hour until they shrink and begin to caramelize.  Set aside and cool.

While the tomatoes are roasting, toast the caraway  seeds in a dry skillet until fragrant.  Transfer to a mortar and pestle and crush.  Add the garlic, a pinch of salt and mash into a paste.  Add the harissa and lemon juice and then the remaining 1/3 cup olive oil.  Toss the roasted tomatoes with the uncooked tomatoes with about half of the harissa oil and lettuce.  Top with the cheese and the remaining oil.