Tomato Confit

The term confit means "preserve" and it's typically a technique that is used to preserve meat, primarily duck, by using its own fat as the preservative. BUT there are no rules (are there?) and I kept seeing different versions of confit in restaurants, so I thought I'd give it a try. To keep eating clean fun and flavorful, using foods and flavors like this is a must. It changes a simple meal into an outstandingly simple meal. Plus you just sound so fancy saying it and you can impress people with your culinary skills. 

I use it in all different ways. I blend it all up to put on top of a meat, or I'll just use the basil & garlic infused oil for a salad dressing or the whole mixture on top of a salad. Because it is "preserved" it will last in your fridge for about 2 weeks if placed in an airtight jar, like a mason jar. So you can just make a big batch, have it in your arsinel for the following 2 weeks and turn that grilled chicken into nothing short of amazing! 

Serving size: 16 oz. 

Prep time: 1 minute

Cook time: 25 minutes   

Total time: 26 minutes  

Ingredients: 

•  2 heaping cups of cherry or grape tomatoes (I used a rainbow variety for fun)  
• 2 cups of Extra Virgin Olive Oil 
• 4-5 cloves of garlic  
• 1 cup of fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 tbsp. of salt (sea salt or pink Himalayan salt)

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
• In a oven safe dish, lay out tomatoes evenly making sure none are stacked on top of each other. 
• Smash garlic just enough release flavor and drop them in the dish with the tomatoes, evenly distributing them throughout. 
• Add in the whole basil leaves, also evenly distributing them. 
• Cover the tomatoes with the olive oil to the point where they are almost completely submerged, just leaving a bit of the tomatoes sticking out the top. 
• Season with salt.
• Place in oven and cook for 25 minutes. You will know they are ready when your whole house smells like the heavens of Italy, is that a place? 
• Once bubbling and browned, pull it out of oven and let it cool completely before putting the whole mixture into a airtight container, like a mason jar. Place it in your fridge.
• It will keep for two weeks, if it even makes it that long! 

Peace and Clean Eats, 

Kaylee