If you’re like me, you LOVE Sun-dried Tomatoes; not the regular mass-produced ones in a plastic bag, though, those are pieces of crap. We’re talking about the Oil-Cured Tomatoes, the ones floating in a small glass jar with pieces of dried rosemary and other herbs. Ohhh god, they’re just so rich and concentrated, like the best tomato sauce ever; I swear it’s the closest I’ve gone to orgasmic outside of Foi Gras. Not to mention after eating you still have that super-tomatoey oil left over to use… or just drink as-is… don’t look at me like that.
Working with my dehydrator a couple days ago, I figured I’d halve some of the leftover cherry tomatoes that are starting to get wrinkly. Dried them up, popped into a Tupperware with olive oil and dried herbs, and now they sit in my fridge for use. Certainly something I suggest people try if they have the ability; if you have an oven that goes down to 135-150, you should be able to dry them out nicely, just go as low as it can go and wait 6+ hours.
Besides munching on them alone, I love using these for garnishes to things (they are perfect in the morning with cottage cheese, a bit of pepper, and some of that oil drizzled on top). Just so happened I had a leftover grilled sausage in the fridge (it was like a chicken-andouille thing…), great for lunch.
Lucky for me, there’s still some of that special Scottish Whole-Grain Mustard, cooked and preserved with Whiskey of course, in the pantry. A little line of dried cherry toms, big glob of that Mustard (surprisingly delicate in flavor, but that’s what happens when you don’t grind them), and I got myself a nice little Hot Dog Snack.
And yes, that is a slice of bread… we used all the buns, and I find it an easy way to eat hot dogs.
If I was really trying to make my perfect homage to the Hot Dog, think I would just HAVE to make a tarragon aioli to sprinkle on top. Maybe take some spicy pickle slices and deep-fry them for a crispy component on the Dog.
What special ingredients and things do you like putting on your Hot Dogs/Sandwiches?
Reviews on Wheels 
How ironic. I never liked sun-dried tomatoes – until I had them packed in oil. They are wonderful! As I was cutting them I could smell summer!
I know right!? They’re fantastic; I once used them as an antipasti component in an Italian 5-course I did. Everything else I manipulated, but they were the only thing I left as-is.
They are fantastic! I have a new appreciation for them. I only had them in restaurants and they were never good. So I definitely will be trying more recipes with them. In fact I made an egg bake with them and meatloaf. My husband loved both. 🙂
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