Young & Hungry

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again….sometimes the best recipes are the most simple. Case in point: these delicious, juicy tomatoes Provencal, based off of a recipe I found in an Alice Waters cookbook. Just a few main ingredients and a little bit of time in the oven produce a side dish so succulent, you’ll swear that the recipe had to have been dramatically complex. While tomatoes meet their peak during summer months, this recipe is a great way to “doctor” winter tomatoes, as the basil and cheese add herbal and umami notes that help enhance the tomatoes’ subtle flavor. I served mine alongside a fillet of salmon and Mrs. Cochran’s roasted potatoes that I prepared for friends and received rave reviews, tomatoes polished off in no time.

A quick, healthy, delicious accompianiment.

 
Ingredients
• 4 tomatoes, Roma or other sweet variety
• 1.5 c bread crumbs
• ¼ c grated Romano cheese (or can sub Parmesan)
• 6-8 fresh basil leaves, torn
• Kosher salt & pepper
• Olive oil
 
Directions
Preheat oven to 400.
 
Halve tomatoes and squeeze or scoop out seeds and guts. Season insides with salt and pepper.
In a bowl, combine bread crumbs with cheese and basil. Season to taste with salt and pepper (remember that the cheese is already salty.) Lightly pack mixture into tomato halves and place on foil-lined baking sheet.
 
Drizzle tomatoes lightly with olive oil and bake until golden brown on top, about 20 minutes.
 

As part of a lovely meal.