Sun Dried Tomatoes

Of course I'm far from the first person to discover them---being a Mediterranean staple and all---and in fact I've been using them for years but I guess recently I reflected on how much of a little flavor bomb even one of these is. Fresh tomatoes are nice but they tend to be pretty crummy out of season, whereas drying captures (and intensifies) the flavor at its peak. They've got an intense tomato sweet 'n' sour flavor, some nice chew when left dried, and take nothing to prepare but a few seconds with kitchen shears or a knife, and perhaps a brief soak in some warm water if you want to rehydrate them. They're cheap and store well. They're versatile and can be used in many different savory dishes. Definitely on the list of kitchen essentials!