Tomato Rice

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1. 1Step 1: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. The baking sheet should be large enough to hold the tomatoes in a single layer.
2. 2Step 2: Put the tomatoes and unpeeled cloves of garlic on the baking sheet. Sprinkle with ¼ tsp salt and drizzle with 2 Tbsp oil. Use your hands to mix the tomatoes and garlic, making sure everything is coated in oil, then spread out on the parchment. Tuck sprigs of thyme around the mixture. Roast for 25-30 minutes until the tomatoes are very soft and charred a little. Set aside to cool.
3. 3Step 3: Remove extra starch from the rice by putting it in a fine mesh strainer. Set the strainer over a bowl and fill with tepid water, covering the rice with a few extra inches of water at the top. Let soak for 15-20 minutes, then rinse under cold water and set aside to drain.
4. 4Step 4: Once the tomatoes are cool, take a few minutes to peel each one, which will mostly slip easily from their skins. Discard the skins. Run your thumb and forefinger from the top to bottom of each stem of thyme to remove the leaves, letting them fall onto the peeled tomatoes. Scrape the tomatoes into a bowl with all the juices from the pan and set aside.
5. 5Step 5: Gently squeeze each clove of roasted garlic out of its skin. Mash well on a small plate and set aside.
6. 6Step 6: Heat remaining 2 Tbsp oil over medium heat in a 4- or 5-quart pot with a tight-fitting lid. Add diced onion with a couple pinches of salt and cook about 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft and translucent, but not brown.
7. 7Step 7: Add tomato paste and mashed garlic to the pot and mix together. Cook 3-4 minutes, stirring often, as the tomato paste darkens a bit in color. Be careful not to burn the mixture.
8. 8Step 8: Add the rice to the pot, stirring the mixture together very well to incorporate. Let cook another 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally and scraping the bottom to keep from browning.
9. 9Step 9: Add water, cardamom and remaining 1 tsp of salt to the pot. Turn up the heat to bring to a boil, stir, turn the heat down to low and cover. Simmer gently for 12-14 minutes until all the water is absorbed. The rice cooking time will need to be adjusted if other kinds of rice are used.
10. 10Step 10: Remove from heat and let stand, still covered, for 10 minutes before fluffing gently with a fork. Gently stir in about 2/3 of the roasted tomatoes.
11. 11Step 11: Spoon the rice onto a rimmed platter or into a wide bowl. Add the remaining tomatoes to the top of the rice and drizzle with the pan juices. Serve hot, cold or at room temperature.