Anyone growing a vegetable garden will now be reaping the benefits of all your hard work. Have you ever stopped and thought about how many summer vegetables are fantastic for hollowing out and stuffing? Any vegetable with a fairly sturdy shape can become an edible vessel for dinner. All we need to do is scoop out the middle and fill the inside with a stuffing of our choice. A little time in the oven until everything is heated through and dinner is ready!
When my siblings and I were growing up, my mother had many unique ways of teaching us how to take responsibility. On one side of her huge farm vegetable garden, she designated a ‘strip’ each for the three of us older siblings. The strips were each about 4 feet (1.22 m) wide and the length of her garden. The deal was that we could grow whatever we choose to, but it was ours to weed and care for all summer. At the end of the season, it was fun to see who had the most success. One of my sisters absolutely loved to grow pumpkins as they grew fast and large. I can’t really remember my mother stuffing a lot of vegetables but the idea of stuffing ‘things’ always appeals to me.
It’s hard to beat a summer tomato. They’re plump and juicy and filled with sweet and savory notes. You can certainly eat tomatoes in the wintertime, but this is one of those vegetables that showcases its best aromas and flavors in the summertime.
Aside from the visual presentation of a stuffed tomato, there’s the matter of flavor. I think the real beauty of a stuffed tomato is what you put inside it. And to be honest, the sky’s the limit. Any manner of meats, cheeses, carbs, and veggies can make for great choices. The blended flavors make for some pretty tasty meals.
Whether it’s stuffed cabbage, stuffed zucchini or these stuffed tomatoes, food just tastes better when it comes in an edible package!
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- 4 large Roma tomatoes
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 250 gm ground pork/beef combo
- 1/2 cup onion, finely diced
- 1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp Herbamare veg salt
- 1 1/2 cups cooked Jasmine rice
- 100 gm extra old, cheddar cheese, grated or cheese OR cheese of choice.
- 50 gm Parmesan cheese, grated
- veg salt & pepper to taste
- Arugula for serving
Ingredients
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- In a large saucepan, heat olive oil & add ground meat, breaking up the meat with a spatula. Cook for 5-6 minutes or until meat is browned. Drain off any excess grease then add the onion, Italian seasoning & salt to the pan. Cook 3-4 minutes or until translucent. Add the garlic & cook for 30 more seconds.
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly butter an 8-inch baking dish.
- Turn tomatoes blossom side down to give you a flat bottom. Trim a thin slice off the 'top'. Hollow out the insides of the tomatoes with a knife or grapefruit spoon. Chop pulp finely to be used in filling.
- Stir the rice, most of the cheeses (save a bit to top tomatoes with) & tomato pulp into meat mixture. Season to taste with salt & pepper.
- Mound the filling mixture evenly into tomato shells. Place remaining filling in the baking dish. Nestle the stuffed tomatoes into it so they will stay upright during baking time.
- Bake tomatoes about 15-20 minutes then top with remaining grated cheese. Bake for another couple of minutes until cheese is melted.
- Place a bed of arugula on serving plate & top with loose baked ground meat mixture. Place the roasted Romas on top & serve hot.
