Stewed Tomato
Here’s a lenient, veg-forward recipe to use up bits and bobs you have laying around! A personal stewed tomato to be served as a side or a main. In some cases, people add ground pork or beef, but this recipe highlights our summer bounty instead! See how it’s made here.
Ingredients
½ cup basmati rice
1 bay leaf
4 medium tomatoes (about the size of a peach)
Half of a zucchini
A quarter or half of a red onion (depending on size)
1 garlic clove
Splash of white wine
Olive oil
1 tbsp. fresh thyme leaves
2 tsp. herbs de provence
Salt
Fresh ground black pepper
Optional: a handful of chopped, toasted walnuts
Make it!
Preheat the oven to 350° F.
Rinse the rice in a fine mesh sieve until the water runs clear. Combine in a medium sauce pot with ¾ cup water and a bay leaf. Bring to a boil and then simmer, covered, until al dente, about 12 minutes. Remove from the heat and drain any excess water. Allow to cool, uncovered.
Prepare the tomatoes! With a small paring knife, carefully carve a little hat out of the top of each tomato. Once it releases, use a spoon to scrape out the guts into a bowl. Save this mixture for later. Repeat for all tomatoes and then sprinkle the inside of each one with salt and flip upside down on a plate to allow the excess water to drain.
Make the filling! Roughly chop the zucchini, red onion and garlic. Add to a blender with a handful of the tomato guts (not the tomato water). Blend until smooth. Once the rice has cooled, add to a large mixing bowl. Add in half of the blended mixture and stir to combine. It should coat the rice but not look soupy. Use your own judgment and adjust for texture. Add a splash of white wine, a glug of olive oil, thyme, herbs de provence and a few pinches of salt, a few grinds of pepper, and your optional walnuts. Taste and adjust.
Stuff each tomato with the rice mixture and place the “hat” back on top. Drizzle the tomatoes with olive oil and bake for 30 to 40 minutes. The skin should begin to wrinkle just a bit, but not completely collapse.
Enjoy!
