stuffed tomatoes

Gratuitous vegetable photo. These are all from my grandfather's (Pop's!) garden. We made lots of things with them, like my second version of these fantastic stuffed tomatoes. Nothing beats fresh produce!!

So, the stuffed tomatoes . . . Kind of a recipe, kind of not. For dinner for one, with lots of leftovers, cook one cup of arborio rice in 2 cups of water, for about 20 minutes, or until the grains were soft and all water was absorbed.

For the filling, saute half a red onion and one clove of garlic in olive oil, until the onion is softened, and the garlic is fragrant. Then add in one zucchini - halved lengthwise, then sliced into little half moons - season liberally with salt and pepper and saute for about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat.



To prepare your tomatoes - slice off the top, remove the core, and then scoop the flesh out of the tomato with a spoon. You'll have a nice little vessel to stuff with rice! Add the scooped out flesh to your onion zucchini mixture.

Finally, add the rice to the onion/zucchini/tomato mixture. Add in about 2 tablespoons chopped basil, 2 tablespoons chopped parsley, 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper.



Stuff the tomatoes with the rice mixture, making sure to pack it into the cavity, and mound on top. Sprinkle with extra cheese, herbs, and bread crumbs, if you like. Place in an oven proof dish, and bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes, until tops are lightly browned. Enjoy!



- e