This crackadelic add-in is just the recipe you need for that last partial box of real, end-of-season (ie non hydro-effing-flavorless-PONIC) cherry tomatoes that are getting mushy in your fridge. It just takes a few minutes and a couple of ingredients to make. The end result is about as soft as pudding, with a sweet/salty/acidic richness that’ll make damn near anything taste utterly sublime. I mixed in with plain white boiled rice last night and it was noms, to say the very least. I could have mainlined the rest of it with a spoon.

Here we go. As usual, amounts are merely guidelines.

half a box of cherry tomatoes (I used yellow ones, but it doesn’t matter)

1 stick of butter, softened

Salt (preferably homemade garlic salt, but whatever)

Wash tomatoes and pop the stems off. Place on a rimmed baking sheet lined with a Silpat. Roasting stuff on a Silpat gums it up pretty quickly, so I’m about to invest in a second one so I have one that still really works right, and one just for stuff like this. Stick the pan in a hot (450ish) oven til the tomatoes start to blacken up. Let cool a bit, then toss in a food processor, scraping up blackness and tomato liquor. You want that stuff for the flavah! For a single batch, your Mini-prep’s up to the job, or even a stick blender. Give it a twirl, then add the butter and pulse again, and then season with your (garlic) salt. If using salted butter, salt may not be needed, but for unsalted, you’ll need it. You should cook with unsalted butter exclusively for a number of reasons, but important one is this: you control the amount and type of salt in your cooking.

Use on, in, and with everything. And yes, you’re welcome.