In general I would say that February is the worst month of the year. It’s cold, it has no holidays (in Quebec), and it’s vegetables taste like nothing. On top of that it has Valentines Day, which for a chronically single person is unpleasant to say the least. It’s the shortest month of the year but it takes sooo long.
To combat my dislike of February, I’m planning on taking 3 of its 4 Friday’s off of work. Instead of dreading it, I’m now looking forward to my 4 day weeks. Unfortunately this has had a side effect. I now feel that January is the worst month of this year. It’s cold, its holiday is over, and its vegetables taste like nothing.
I think the tomato is the worst culprit when it comes to lacking flavour in winter (yes, I know it’s a fruit). In the summer, tomatoes are juicy and flavourful and fun. In the winter they are grainy and weird.
Thankfully, there are steps that can be taken to fix this. Steps like drizzling them in olive oil and popping them in the oven to roast. Roasting tomatoes gives them a nice rich flavour. If I close my eyes when I take a bite I can almost believe it’s July and they came from my parents garden instead of some farm in Peru. Almost.
The recipe is from Ina Garten’s How Easy Is That. It takes roasting tomatoes one step further by using pesto instead of olive oil. I decided to push it a little further by adding goat cheese to the mix. It’s a simple combination that tastes wonderful.
What She's Having 
I LOVE pesto- this looks awesome!
Awesome use of pesto! These look so tempting.
I totally agree with you, Feb is the worst. At least it’s a short month! I’ll have to try flavoring up my tomatoes with this recipe, sounds great!
This looks so yummy! I hate January and February, too…this looks like it could perk up these dreary months!
I loooovee roasted tomatoes but I especially love pesto. The two together sound absolutely perfect. I miss having flavorful tomatoes during the winter months and what a great way to bring out the flavor in tomatoes! YUM!!! :)
Mmmmm, your so right. The roasting really concentrates the flavor allowing you to use ingredients that may not be fresh during these long winter months. The dish looks fantastic:)
Lynn you’re hilarious! I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who hates a month so much that they schedule days off of work. Hopefully these lovely tomatoes helped to turn that mood around a little. They look great. By the way, how do you like Ina’s new cookbook? I have read some pretty mixed reviews about it.
So far I’ve tried 3 recipes from the book. Two turned out great, the third was a cake that was just so-so. I guess my review is mixed too! I need to try more before I make a decision on it.
Looks wonderful!
1/12 of your life is January! Don’t hate it :D Happy eating!
Yup, even in Dallas, January and February are the worst. I won’t complain about the cold to a Quebecois, but needless to say, I’m eagerly anticipating March.
The tomatoes look fantastic, though – you’re definitely making the most of things during the bummer months!
You’re not the only one. I hate February too.
Love tomatoes! But in winter, I stick to canned tomato, thank you. Sad how fresh tomato could taste like nothing in winter..
This definitely looks amazing! Simplicity at it’s finest! And I love How Easy Is That!
This really looks and sounds fantastic!
I think if these yummy things showed up in my kitchen, my husband would have them gone before I would get any!
Wonderful combination! I love your goat cheese addition.
Ina really is the queen of simple comfort food, I have yet to be disappointed with her recipes. The goat cheese is a great addition. These would be great with some warm crusty bread!
I love anything with pesto… especially roasted tomatoes- looks great!
The tomatoes look great, but I got such a giggle out of how January has now become the worst month of the year. I was thinking you were BRILLIANT for finding a way to beat February, but those pesky winter months got back at you.
I love roasted tomatoes and goat cheese! Yummy! These look great! :)
These look amazing. And good for you for taking off some days in February — that would do good for anyone’s mood!