Thursday, July 18, 2013

Tomates A La Provencale

I decided to borrow my sister’s Julia Child’s cookbook and take a look at a few of her side dishes. Some may think her recipes are tough, but they aren't too difficult, it just seems that way because it’s a lot of steps to follow. Be patient, it’s wonderful at the finish line!

Since I’m doing Weight Watchers, I decided to try one of her side dishes that has a vegetable in it. Summers in New Jersey, mean Jersey tomatoes, and they are the best! So when I scanned through her recipes and came across this, my decision was made. I actually used shallots and green onions and added some panko to the bread crumbs for more of a crunch. Her recipe asks you to roast them on third level oven rack at 400 for 15 minutes, but I let them roast in the oven for about 45 minutes at 350* in the middle then moved to the top rack for ten minutes and they were so juicy and browned on top. This is the perfect (and healthy) vegetable dish to accompany your summer dinners! Bon Appetite!

Tomates A La Provencale

  • (8) firm, ripe, red tomatoes (about 3 inches in diameter)
  • Salt and Pepper
  • 1-2 cloves mashed garlic
  • 3 TB minced shallots or green onions (I used both)
  • 1/8 TSP Thyme
  • 1/4 TSP salt
  • Big pinch of pepper
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 bread crumbs (I used a mixture of regular bread crumbs and panko for a bigger crunch)
  • A shallow, oiled roasting pan just large enough to hold the tomatoes easily in one layer

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
  2. Remove the stems, and cut the tomatoes in half cross wise (the equator of the tomato). Gently press out the juice and seeds. Sprinkle the halves lightly with salt and pepper.
  3. Blend all the ingredients except bread crumbs and oil together. Correct seasoning if needed. Fill each tomato half with a spoonful or two of the mixture. Sprinkle with a few drops of the olive oil. Arrange the tomatoes in the roasting pan; do not crowd them.*may be prepared ahead to this point*
  4. Shortly before you are ready to serve, place them in the upper third of the preheated oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, until the tomatoes are cooked through and the mixture has golden browned on the top. **I cooked these at 350* for about 45 minutes on the middle rack, and placed on upper rack for last 10 minutes and they were great!