Roasted Tomato and Couscous Salad

Number of Servings: 6

Salad and Vinaigrette Ingredients:

2 small baskets of cherry or grape tomatoes (about 3 cups), divided
2 tablespoons (30 mL) olive oil
2-3 cloves of garlic, unpeeled, left whole
Granulated sugar; sea salt; freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon (15 mL) balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons (30 mL) extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon  (15 mL) white/dark balsamic vinegar or white wine vinegar
Hot water
Sea salt; freshly ground black pepper

¾ cup (185 mL) Israeli couscous, uncooked

1 cup (250 mL) bocconcini cheese balls (cocktail or pearlette size), or cubes of feta cheese
1 cup (250 mL) loosely packed fresh basil leaves, left whole if not too large

Method:

1. Slow-Roast tomatoes: Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Line a heavy rimmed roasting pan with some parchment paper. Coat paper with some oil.   Prepare 1 ½ cups of tomatoes (about 1 basket, reserving the remainder of the fresh tomatoes for the salad) by cutting them in half and arranging them, cut side up, in one layer on the parchment-covered roasting pan. Add unpeeled garlic cloves. Drizzle with the 2 tablespoons of olive oil; sprinkle with a little sugar, salt, and pepper. Drizzle a little balsamic vinegar over all. Slow roast for about 2-3 hours, or until tomatoes are dark red in colour, and have collapsed. Watch carefully during the last hour of roasting as you don’t want the tomatoes to char.   Let cool for 20-30 minutes.
2. Make vinaigrette: When tomatoes have cooled, place ½ cup (reserve the rest of the roasted tomatoes for the salad) of the roasted tomatoes in a food processor. Peel garlic and squeeze the roasted garlic into the food processor. Pour the roasting oil into the food processor, along with 2 more tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon of white or dark balsamic vinegar.   Puree until it becomes of vinaigrette consistency, adding a little hot water or extra oil if necessary… the vinaigrette may be a little ‘chunky’, but that’s a good thing.    Season to taste.   Set aside.
3. Prepare couscous: Pour couscous into a pot of boiling salted water. Cook for about 8 minutes, or until al dente (or according to package directions). Drain, give a quick rinse in cold water; and spread out on a parchment-covered baking sheet to cool (5 minutes). Place cooled couscous in a large salad bowl. Immediately stir in 2-3 tablespoons of the vinaigrette.   Refrigerate to further cool (1/2 hour).
4. When couscous has cooled down, add remaining roasted tomatoes (chopped), remaining fresh tomatoes, bocconcini cheese, and remaining vinaigrette. Chill until serving time.
5. Just before serving, fold in fresh basil leaves.

Questions and comments are always welcome   alex@chilipeppersandpears.com ^[1]