she's gotta have 'em

This is the time of year when I am absolutely tomato-starved. I've spent all winter opening cans of San Marzanos--which are good for that soup or stew, sure.... but what I really want is to bite into a sun-warmed tomato with that unmistakable flavor and fragrance of summer.
So, in the meantime, I've come up with this plan--roasted cherry tomatoes, tossed with one of my all time favorite vegetables, fennel.

Roasting both of these vegetables brings out their natural sweetness and concentrates their flavors.
This is a very quick side dish, delicious with a lovely piece of pan-roasted fish or chicken, but I also love it as a vegetarian main dish--just add some cannellini beans and a little shaving of parmesan.
One pan.. stove to oven... perfect!

Roasted Tomatoes and Fennel

• 2 large fennel bulbs with fronds attached
•  1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 pints grape or cherry tomatoes
• 4 large fresh thyme sprigs
• 3 large garlic cloves, minced
• ¼ tsp dried crushed red pepper

   Preheat oven to 425°F. Trim fennel bulbs and cut each bulb into 1/2-inch-wide wedges, leaving some core attached to each wedge.
   Heat oil in large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat until very hot, then add fennel wedges in single layer and sprinkle with salt. Cook until fennel begins to brown and soften, turning occasionally, 10 to 12 minutes. Add tomatoes, thyme, garlic, and crushed red pepper, season with salt and pepper, folding together gently.

   Transfer skillet to oven. Bake fennel and tomatoes until soft, about 20 minutes.   Serve warm or at room temperature.
Yield: 6 servings (adapted from a Bon Appetit recipe)