Recipe: Stuffed Provençal Tomatoes
Every summer the moment arrives when slicing another fresh tomato just won’t satisfy, says Regina Schrambling in the Los Angeles Times. The same goes for grilling another eggplant or sauteing another zucchini. “With almost everything but corn on the cob, simple gets boring.” The palate craves more from the loads of vegetables hauled home from the farmers’ market. Here’s a suggestion: “Stuff it.” A baked tomato with a savory filling “is a great way to amplify the flavor, transform the texture, and turn a side dish into more of a centerpiece.” Though stuffed vegetables went out of style in the 1950s, they are still fashionable in several of the more sophisticated international cuisines, as in this adaptation of a traditional Provençal recipe. “There’s no more gorgeous presentation, plus the tomato flavor migrates top down as well as bottom up.”
Ingredients
- 4 large tomatoes (about 2 1/2 lbs)
- 1/4 cup very fruity extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small onion, minced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- Salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- 1/2 lb spicy pork sausage
- 1 1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs
- 3/4 cup chopped fresh basil
Instructions
- Slice off top of each tomato and reserve.
- Using fingers, extract as many seeds from the base of each tomato as possible.
- Hollow out centers, leaving only a shell (a grapefruit spoon works well).
- Coarsely chop pulp, place it in a strainer and set over a bowl to drain. Place shells cut side down on paper towel to drain.
- Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a skillet.
- Add onion and garlic and cook on medium-low heat until soft, about 5 minutes.
- Add chopped tomatoes and turn heat to medium. Cook 5 minutes longer, stirring occasionally.
- Season liberally with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and coll completely.
- Heat oven to 350 degrees.
- Transfer tomato mixture to a mixing bowl.
- Crumble sausage and add to bowl along with bread crumbs and basil. Mix well.
- Brush 1 tablespoon of oil over bottom of baking dish large enough to hold tomatoes without crowding.
- Place tomato shells in a dish cut side up and season inside of each with salt and pepper.
- Divide sausage filling among tomatoes, packing gently.
- Drizzle with remaining tablespoon of oil.
- Place reserved tomato tops over the filling among tomatoes.
- Bake until stuffing is cooked through and tomatoes are soft but not falling apart, 30 to 35 minutes.
Prep Time: 30
Cooking Time : 30-35
Number of Servings: 4
Culinary Tradition: French
Recipe Origin: Regina Schrambling, Los Angeles Times
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