Gather the family around the dinner table this weekend for a Sunday Night Supper of fresh roasted tomatoes. Tomatoes for a main course? Yes, these tomatoes will make the meal.

In this classic Italian method of preparing tomatoes, slow roasting in olive oil concentrates the flavor of the tomatoes, making them oh, so delicious. The sugars in the tomato caramelize and offer up their sweetness. Browned and charred for even more flavor, these tomatoes are the star with pasta and freshly grated cheese. They are the perfect topping for grilled fish or bruschetta, a replacement for canned tomatoes in casseroles. Serve it atop creamy goat cheese with crackers for a terrific appetizer. Making a batch or two of these tomatoes is just the kind of perfect preparation for a great Sunday Night Supper — simple, fresh and easy.

As the weather warms and locally grown tomatoes become more abundant, look for the best tomatoes you can find. Remember that most tomatoes at the supermarket are generally not ready to eat. They are probably still firm and could stand a few days of ripening on your kitchen counter. Plan ahead, buy ahead. Leave tomatoes on the kitchen counter and let them ripen; even a day or two will greatly improve their flavor. Never refrigerate a tomato — you'll end up with a mushy, flavorless tomato.

When is a tomato ready to eat? A ripe tomato should be bright red, not orangy or pinkish-red, unless its color is characteristic of a particular variety. Ripe tomatoes should not be firm; they should give to a gentle squeeze. When you cut a tomato open, it should be red all the way through. Juices should run when a tomato is cut. There should be flavor in a tomato: tart with sweetness, a balance on the tongue that has more than one dimension. A good ripe tomato screams flavor in the mouth.

For roasting, choose the best tomatoes you can find. Beefsteaks are best, Romas work too. Save heirloom tomato varieties for salads: Their flavor should be savored raw and fresh. Smaller cocktail, cherry and grape tomatoes are good for roasting since they tend to have great flavor, but their skins can sometimes get a little tough.

Great-tasting tomatoes are best for roasting, but tomatoes that pack less than superb flavor will also work.

For more ideas, tips and recipes on fresh roasted tomatoes, go to www.ShareYourTable.com.