Stuffed Tomato Bliss recipe

Here's what I love about the Series of Tubes Known as the Internets:  You have the Last Hurrah of summer's tomatoes on your kitchen counter, and someone-- in this case, the lovely Molly on her food blog Orangette-- posts a stuffed tomato recipe that even a rookie can cook.

Here is a recipe that uses delicious, meaty tomatoes to good advantage, squandering neither their rich hearty flavor nor their firm pulpy texture.

You will need: Four ripe fresh tomatoes, 1/3 cup Arborio rice, 1/3 cup water, a small yellow onion, a few leaves of fresh basil, two potatoes (optional), olive oil and salt.

First, you slice the top off the tomatoes, then scoop their fleshy interior, seeds juice and all, into a glass bowl. (Don't use metal as the acidity of the tomatoes can take on an off-taste from aluminum.)

Chop the pulp into bits, right there in the bowl.

Meanwhile, chop and saute the onions until translucent, then add the 1/3 cup Arborio rice and let it cook a couple of minutes.  (NOTE: You really do want Arborio rice if at all possible, as it will take on a fabulous creamy texture to the finished product). Then add the tomato pulp, 1/3 cup water, salt and chopped basil.  Reduce the heat and cover the pot, letting it simmer about ten minutes. This is to "par-boil" the rice, which is a fancy way of saying that you are not cooking it completely, only starting the process which will finish later in the oven.  This is also a good time to pre-heat your oven to 350 degree F.

Arrange your empty tomatoes on a 9 x 13 baking pan that has been oiled. 

Take two baking potatoes and cut them into 1/4 inch thick wedges. Toss these very lightly in oil and season with salt and pepper. Then surround the tomatoes with the potatoe wedges, which also serve to support the tomatoes in the pan.

Now, using a large spoon,  you can carefully fill the tomatoes with the rice and onion mixture. Do not over-pack it tightly, but be generous. Then sprinkle bread crumbs over the top  and drizzle with olive oil.

Bake the whole shebang in a 350 degree F. oven for an hour and fifteen minutes. Let it cool about fifteen minutes before serving.

I have no picture of the finished product, because these beauties vanished as quickly as the warm memory of summer.  This dish was an unmitigated success, and will no doubt become a staple in our home. And oh, it pains me I didn't learn this recipe at the beginning of tomato season rather than at the end!

Comments

[Laurie]

Tomatoes, rice, onions, what's not to like! Yum!

[Sara]

These look great, I'm a big fan of stuffed tomatoes.

[Swedish Mike]

I'll definatively need to try this one. It looks awesome. Only change I'd make would probably to add some garlic to it all, but that's just me ;)

// Mike

http://www.freestylecookery.com