Confit Tomatoes

Tomatoes and garlic submerged in olive oil in the compay of fresh basil and other herbs, cooked very slowly and at a low temperature: that's confit. The tomatoes have a sweet, unctious, jammy consistency to them. The garlic is ever-so-slightly toasted, sweet, and spreads like butter. And the oil — the oil is the stuff every Italian restaurant aspires to give you on that plate of olive oil that accompanies the bread.

• 1 pint cherry tomatoes (preferably on the vine)
• 12 cloves garlic (peeled)
• 12 fresh basil leaves
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• olive oil (cheaper stuff will be fine)