Ingredients

6 Roma tomatoes

1/4 + 1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon dried oregano

6 tablespoons olive oil

3 garlic cloves, thickly sliced

2 tablespoons drained capers

1/4 cup chopped Greek or Siilian black olives

1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

1 recipe Tossed Green Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette (see page 38)

Pomodori Fritti

Serves 4

Cut the tomatoes in half crosswire, sprinkle the cut sides with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and place cut-side-down on paper towels or a rack to drain for 20 minutes. Pat the cut side dry. Sprinkle with the remaining salt, the peppr, sugar and oregano.

Heat 3 tablespoons of the oil in a large saute pan set on high heat until sizzling, about 2 minutes. Put the tomatoes in the pan cut-side-down and cook for 1 1/2 -2 minutes, until browned. Remove to a plate.

Add the remaining oil to the same pan along with the garlic anc cook over medium-high heat until the garlic begins to brown, about 1 minute. Add the capers, olives and basil and cook for 1 more minute. Remove from the heat.

Place 3 tomatoes on each plate and spoon 1/4 of the pan juices over them. Serve the tossed green salad alongside the tomatoes. Garlic toast is a great accompaniment for this dish.