Sundried Tomatoes: Some History and a Recipe

So, lets talk a little bit about sun dried tomatoes, because they're kind of a weird food, on a cultural level. Tomatoes come from the Americas, originally, but the whole sun drying process seems to come from somewhere in the Mediterranean-- or at least that's what the historical evidence seems to say and what the marketing wants us to think. But then it gets confusing again, because nowadays, most of the sun dried tomatoes you're likely to find in a United States grocery store are made in the United States. Even more weird is the fact that brands often advertise this fact right on the front of their label, along with their faux Italian imagery. Look at this nonsense.

Obviously, brands that call themselves "Bella San Luci" and "Mezzetta" (and let's not ignore Mezzetta's slogan, "Don't Forgetta Mezzetta") are posing as providers of Italian food, potentially trying to appeal to our desire for foreign things. But then, right on the front, you've also got the "California Grown" and "Premium California" labels. I'm honestly not sure what to conclude from this, except that perhaps this is an attempt to create a food that feels a little special, because of the foreign connections, but is also ordinary and American enough that people feel comfortable using it regularly in a variety of dishes.

If you look at the variety of recipes containing sun dried tomatoes, this certainly seems to be true, though this may be a relatively new development. Until a few years ago, I was certain that sun dried tomatoes were a foreign food, and that they were to be used in Mediterranean dishes only. This was probably instilled in me by my mother’s pasta salad, which I used to eat several times a week as a child. It was a relatively simple meal to throw together, a mix of fusilli pasta, Kalamata olives, artichoke hearts, marinated mushrooms, feta cheese, and sun dried tomatoes, and it was beautiful (this isn't really a recipe, but you could throw it together if you want. You really don't need any more directions than this to make it. Go for it). It was also a mix of several very strong flavors, and at some point my enjoyment spiraled into hatred of everything in it (except the pasta; no matter how hard you try, you can’t hate pasta). In the hierarchy of foods that I suddenly hated, the sun dried tomatoes were at the top, and I didn’t even want them touching my food, much less taking over as a main ingredient. However, like other things I irrationally hated as a child (The Haunted Mansion ride at Disneyland, the musical Annie, sleeping), I have recently come around to sun dried tomatoes again, and now I basically want to put them in everything. My return to sun dried tomatoes was inspired by a breakfast casserole recipe which I now make regularly, so I'd like to share that recipe now.

Cheesy Potato Breakfast Casserole with Cheddar & Sun-Dried Tomatoes

(Adapted from The Kitchn)

Photograph by The Kitchn

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Chop a small onion, or really however much onion you want, and mince 6 cloves of garlic, then saute in a large skillet with with some butter for about 5 minutes. Then, add 2/3 of a cup of chopped sun-dried tomatoes (ideally the jarred ones, and make sure a little of the flavored oil gets into the pan too) and cook for about another 5 minutes, until your mixture starts to brown, then remove from heat. When you add the sun dried tomatoes, you can also add some thyme or rosemary or whatever other seasoning seems like it might work for you (fresh herbs are the best if you can get them). In a bowl, beat 9 eggs, then mix in 3 tablespoons of hot mustard (Trader Joes has a sweet and hot mustard that I think is ideal for this) and a cup of milk (whole is suggested, but not necessary, though I'm not sure what would happen if you tried to make this with soy milk or almond milk). Stir in some salt and pepper, and two cups of shredded cheese. Get creative! The original recipe calls for 2 cups of cheddar, but I would recommend a cup of sharp cheddar and a cup of smoked gouda, and I'm sure there are a dozen other good options. Now mix in a pound of shredded frozen potatoes and vegetables from the skillet. Transfer to a greased casserole dish (or if you're cooking with a really large cast iron skillet, pour the mixture back in there and bake it like that to save yourself from having to wash another dish later!) Bake at for 35 to 45 minutes, or until the eggs are firm and the top is slightly golden. Tell yourself you're going to make a salad, and then just eat a third of the casserole by yourself and call it a meal (and this can be any meal, breakfast, lunch, or dinner).

If you actually make a salad and conform to a more reasonable portion size, this can be dinner for 8ish people, or 4 people if one of them is my 6'2" teenage brother.