Facing the usual early-July glut of cherry tomatoes I made confit: basil leaves in a baking dish, a layer of whole cherry tomatoes, a few crushed cloves of garlic, a liberal sprinkle of salt and enough olive oil to come about halfway up the tomatoes. Roast at 325F for maybe an hour until slightly brown on top and wrinkled.

I was afraid I was wasting two pints of tomatoes but honestly the result is one of the best things I have ever eaten. (Though I do say that about once a month.) The confit went into a couple of half-pint containers in the freezer, whence I’ll have pasta sauce in a couple of months when the season is over.