Prepare a charcoal grill or smoker for smoking with the apple chips or grapevine cuttings.
In a large pot, blanch the tomatoes in water. Peel and seed. Place in a medium-size heatproof bowl.
Smoke the tomatoes in the smoker for 5 to 10 minutes. Or, if using a grill, place the bowl of tomatoes on the grill away from the coals, cover, and smoke vigorously for 5 to 10 minutes. You don’t want the tomatoes to cook, only to smoke.
When smoky, chop the tomatoes and set aside.
In a large saucepan, gently heat the olive oil and sweat the onions and garlic until soft. Add the smoked tomatoes and Charred Chili Oil. Simmer for 20 minutes. Season with salt and a few grinds of black pepper.