Herb-stuffed tomatoes
Instructions:
This Provençal-style starter is quick to prepare. Serve it with a little salad of seasonal leaves and a few broken pieces of robust goat cheese.
4 medium tomatoes (ripe but firm)
salt
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
12 wrinkly black olives, pitted and roughly chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup panko
2 tbsp chopped oregano
3 tbsp chopped parsley
1 tbsp chopped mint
1 1/2 tbsp chopped capers
black pepper
Serves 4 as a small starter
- Preheat the oven to 325 F. Trim off about 3/8 inch from the top of each tomato and discard. Use a little spoon or a melon baller to remove the seeds and most of the flesh, leaving a clean shell. Lightly salt the inside of the tomatoes and place upside down in a colander, to drain off some moisture.
- Meanwhile, put the onion, garlic, olives and 1 tablespoon of the oil in a medium pan and cook on low heat for 5 to 6 minutes, to soften the onion completely. Remove from the heat and stir in the panko, herbs, capers and some pepper. Taste and add salt, if you like.
- Wipe the insides of the tomatoes with a paper towel, then fill them up with the herb stuffing, pressing down very gently as you go. You want a nice dome of stuffing on top.
- Place the tomatoes in a greased ovenproof dish and drizzle lightly with the remaining oil. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until the tomatoes soften. Serve hot or warm.