Dried tomatoes that haven’t been packed in oil are hard and leathery but very concentrated, with faintly smoky overtones. They’re usually a lot less expensive than the oil-packed imports. One way to use them is to make them into a thick purée and use it to season soups and stews or to spread thinly over toast or pizza crusts.

There are no added seasonings or sugar—just the intense flavor of the tomatoes. Pack the purée into a clean jar, cover it with olive oil, and store it in the refrigerator. It will keep several months.

One ounce will make nearly a cup of paste, which is a lot since it’s so concentrated, but it’s harder to make smaller amounts unless you have one of the mini–food processor attachments for your blender.