The poor oft maligned tomato, a fruit that has been declared a vegetable by the Supreme Court and numerous republican legislatures since Reagan. Thought by others to be poisonous and inedible. Perhaps Columbus’s most important discovery, we could have done without North and South America, but who could survive without pizza?
Fruit or vegetable doesn’t matter , stuffed and broiled it makes a wonderful accompaniment to any meal.
Ingredients for Stuffed Broiled Tomatoes
Large ripe tomatoes
2-3 Tbs Bread crumbs (Italian style, per tomato)
Garlic cloves ( 1 per tomato finely diced)
Fresh Mozzarella (2 tbs per tomato, finely cubed)
1 tbs Parmesan (per tomato)
1tsp Olive Oil
Mix the bread crumbs and Parmesan together.
Core the tomato and cut in half. With a spoon or melon baller scoop out the insides being careful not to break the skin. Take the the insides and chop to a very fine dice place into a bowl add the garlic and Mozzarella and the bread crumb Parmesan mixture. Mix until all is well combined. Stuff into the tomatoes. Drizzle Olive Oil lightly over the top. Place into a lightly buttered baking dish and bake at 375° for about 20 minutes ( you may place near the broiler for the last 2 minutes to brown the top).
My exuberance of buying vegetables often results in the necessity to come up with instant menus to keep from allowing some of my purchases from ending up on the garbage heap.
Ratatouille Casserole is one of those recipes. My beautiful little zucchini were about to go south so I needed to use them. I have always loved ratatouille, the name , saying it, eating it (if it’s done right), the greasy slop you find in some restaurants is rather unappetizing. This eliminates some of the problems and makes a great main course.
Ingredients for Ratatouille Casserole
5 or 6 small zucchini ends trimmed not peeled
5 or 6 baby eggplant ends trimmed not peeled
flour for dusting
1 red pepper
1 large red onion or 1 small red onion and 1 shallot
4 or 5 cloves of garlic
1 large tomato
cooking oil for frying
olive oil for sauteing
salt & pepper
4 to 5 oz fresh mozzarella (thinly sliced)
cooked rice
sour cream
Slice the zucchini in about 1/4 inch thick slices long ways. Slice the eggplant into 1/4 inch rounds. Dust the slices lightly with flour and fry in oil until lightly golden brown. set onto a paper towel to drain.
Thinly slice the pepper and begin to saute in the olive oil. Thin slice the onion and garlic and add to peppers. When they begin to soften cube the tomato and add, cook until tomatoes begin to give up their juices.
In a 9 X 9 inch pan place a layer of zucchini, put a layer of eggplant on top of that. Place a few slices of the mozzarella on top of that and cover with half of the onion pepper tomato mixture. Repeat the process.
layers of zucchini eggplant and mozzarellacover with tomato mixtureratatouille casserole
Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 400° for about 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for about 10 minutes more. While it’s baking make the rice. Serve with a dollop of sour cream.
1 large red onion or 1 small red onion and 1 shallot
4 or 5 cloves of garlic
1 large tomato
cooking oil for frying
olive oil for sauteing
salt & pepper
4 to 5 oz fresh mozzarella (thinly sliced)
cooked rice
sour cream
Instructions
Slice the zucchini in about 1/4 inch thick slices long ways. Slice the eggplant into 1/4 inch rounds. Dust the slices lightly with flour and fry in oil until lightly golden brown. set onto a paper towel to drain.
Thinly slice the pepper and begin to saute in the olive oil. Thin slice the onion and garlic and add to peppers. When they begin to soften cube the tomato and add, cook until tomatoes begin to give up their juices.
In a 9 X 9 inch pan place a layer of zucchini, put a layer of eggplant on top of that. Place a few slices of the mozzarella on top of that and cover with half of the onion pepper tomato mixture. Repeat the process.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 400° for about 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for about 10 minutes more. While it's baking make the rice. Serve with a dollop of sour cream.
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