v:gourmet

I mentioned in my mushroom parcel recipe that the inspiration for those little parcels of delight was from a new cookbook that I’m loving! called Plenty. Here’s another one. This could be a side-dish, it could be a main with a little salad and baguette to provide company. It could be a nice antipasto-type starter. Totally versatile, quick, colourful, and scrumptious. Nothing pretentious – just plain old goodness in a nice package. And with tomato season almost upon us (I had my first local cherry tomato just yesterday; it’s coming folks!) what could be better?

4 – 6 medium tomatoes (ripe but firm)

1 large onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

12 black olives, pitted and roughly chopped

2 tbsps olive oil

1/4 cup panko or course bread crumbs

2 tbsps chopped fresh herbs of your choice

1 1/2 tbsps capers, chopped

salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. 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 tbsp 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 bread crumbs, herbs, capers, and some pepper. Taste and add salt if you like.

Fill the tomatoes up with the herb stuffing, pressing down 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.