Slow-Roasted and Fresh Cherry Tomato Salad with Feta, Basil and Honey

Serves 4.

Note: Author Eden Grinsh­pan is a self-proclaimed "tomato freak" who came up with this salad to get her fix and to showcase tomatoes in both their raw and roasted form. Serve this with plenty of crusty bread to sop up all the delicious juices that mingle at the bottom of the bowl. From "Eating Out Loud," by Eden Grinshpan (2020, Clarkson Potter). Urfa pepper is a very hot dried Turkish chile pepper.

Roasted tomatoes:

• 3 c. cherry tomatoes

• 1 head of garlic, separated into cloves (about 12), but unpeeled

• 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 tbsp. honey

• 2 tsp. Urfa pepper, cayenne pepper or chili powder, see Note

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Dressing:

• 1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. red wine vinegar

• 1 tsp. honey

• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste

• ¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

• 3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

For serving:

• 3 c. cherry tomatoes, halved

• 1/2 small red onion, finely chopped

• 1/3 c. feta

• Handful of fresh basil leaves

• Urfa pepper or red chile flakes

• Flaky sea salt

• Crusty bread, such as sourdough, for serving

Directions

To roast the tomatoes: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. In a baking dish, combine the cherry tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, honey and pepper. Sprinkle with kosher salt and black pepper to taste and use your hands to give everything a good toss. Roast until the tomatoes are blistered, soft and caramelized, about 1 hour. When they are cool enough to handle, peel the garlic cloves.

To prepare the dressing: In a medium bowl, combine the vinegar, honey, kosher salt and black pepper. Add 6 of the roasted garlic cloves and whisk to combine. While whisking, slowly stream in the olive oil and continue whisking until the dressing is smooth and emulsified. Adjust the seasoning with more kosher salt and black pepper to taste, if desired.

To serve: Scatter the halved fresh tomatoes and the red onion in a shallow bowl. Add the roasted tomatoes and remaining garlic cloves and give everything a toss. Crumble the feta over the top and finish with the dressing, basil, and a sprinkle of Urfa and flaky sea salt to taste. Serve with plenty of crusty sourdough bread.