Roasted Tomato Meze | A Cold Garlic and Olive Oil Appetizer

Preheat the oven to 220°C / 430°F. Wash the tomatoes, cut out the stem ends in a cone shape, and arrange them upside down on a baking sheet. Place the long green peppers alongside them. Drizzle with 1 spoonful of olive oil; the oil helps the skins blister and roast.

Place the baking sheet on the upper rack and roast for 25 minutes. The skins will tighten, then crack and lift in several places, while dark brown spots form around the edges. If you remove them before the spots form, they will have no smoky flavor; if they blacken completely, they will taste bitter.

Transfer the hot tomatoes to a deep bowl, cover, and let them steam for 5 minutes. This resting time is not included in the stated recipe time, but do not skip it: the steam separates the skins from the flesh. Pull off the skins with your fingers, then remove the skins and seeds from the peppers as well.

Coarsely chop the peeled tomatoes; do not use a food processor, as this should remain a chunky meze rather than a smooth dip. Add the crushed garlic, salt, Turkish red pepper flakes, and dried thyme rubbed between your fingers, then drizzle with olive oil. Do not discard the liquid released by the tomatoes; stir it back into the meze. That liquid carries much of the roasted tomato flavor.