Marinated Tomatoes

From: Pioneer Woman

This is a good recipe for all the summer tomatoes that are starting to come in, from the garden and the farm share. You can use any kind of tomatoes - large, small, red, yellow, etc. A few ideas on how to use them: as a side dish for a grilled dinner, on top of sliced mozzarella with cracked black pepper and sliced basil, piled onto slices of toasted baguette for bruschetta (or, top toasted baguette with the tomatoes, add sliced mozarella, pop into the toaster or under the broiler to melt the cheese), add to a green salad, or spoon over some quinoa or cous cous for a summer side dish.

Ingredients

1 cup Canola Oil (I used less, and substituted olive oil)
1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar
4 Tablespoons Sugar
1 teaspoon Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
3 whole Green Onions, Sliced
1/4 cup Chopped Parsley
18 whole Basil Leaves (chiffonade)
1/4 teaspoon Ground Thyme
2 cloves Garlic, Minced Finely
2 pounds Tomatoes, Cut Into Quarters (if Big) Or Halves (if Small)
1 whole Baguette, Sliced, optional
1 clove Garlic, Peeled, optional

Combine all ingredients except tomatoes in a large glass bowl. Whisk to combine, then add tomatoes. (You can increase the quantity of tomatoes if need be.) Use regular red tomatoes, or a mixture of red, yellow, heirloom, etc. Use different sizes of tomatoes, too--pretty!

Allow to marinate for at least 3 to 4 hours, several hours if possible. Tomatoes will give off liquid as they marinate.

Use leftover tomatoes to make bruschetta: slice baguette and brush slices with olive oil. Grill on a skillet or grill pan until golden. Rub slices with garlic cloves. Top with tomatoes, allowing juice to drip on the bread.