Wednesday, April 20, 2011

impatient

Its almost that time of year when tomatoes are at their peak. But, since I am not the most patient person, I had to have my favorite summer staple a bit early. Besides, these vine ripened beauties I found at my local produce market didn't look too shabby even if it is still spring. But, just to be safe I decided to make my own stuffed tomatoes. I mean everything is good when stuffed with cheese, right?

I started by washing the red ladies and then removing the stems. Next I carved out their insides and used a small spoon to scoop out any remaining seeds and juice. I then diced up some fresh mozzarella. I place one small piece in the center of each. Next I created the stuffing by mixing together about 1/2 cup of seasoned bread crumbs, an egg, a tablespoon basil from a tube, and kosher salt and ground pepper until I had a gooey but firm consistency. I then spoon a bit of the stuffing into each tomato. Finally, I topped them with a bit more fresh cheese, salt and pepper.

I then bake these guys uncovered in an oven at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. I watched for the cheese to get browned and bubbly and the tomatoes to wilt a bit. That way I knew they were cooked all the way through. If your cheese isn't browning, remember you can always turn on the broiler for a few minutes at the end.


The result was mouthwatering. The sweet tomatoes contrasted nicely with the mild cheese and strong basil. It was like a warmed inslata caprese in an adorable package. As the tomatoes I got were fairly small, I got to indulge in two. Besides, I am too impatient to wait on leftovers too.

menu ideas:
When I had these for my main course, the carnivore had beer soaked chicken thighs. We each also had fried okra and grilled corn. This means I cooked half (tomatoes and okra), while he cooked the rest (chicken and corn). A perfect meal for sitting on the patio!

4 comments:

  1. Yum! That looks awesome. I make mini blt's this way too.

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  2. If only my hubby ate tomatoes, that would be a great idea!

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  3. Perfect! I'm putting this on my menu this week. Thanks for sharing.

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  4. AWesome post, thanks a lot for sharing this with us!

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