Provencal Tomatoes

Gardening is cheaper than therapy and you get tomatoes. ~Author Unknown

Provencal Tomatoes

recipe adapted from Ina Garten (Barefoot Contessa) 

Cook's notes:

I found this recipe to be the essence of late summer harvest with vine ripened tomatoes and fresh herbs. It was emphasized in recipe preparation to use fresh bread crumbs and fresh herbs. But I did find 1-1/2  TB. herbes de provence an excellent substitution for fresh if not available.
Bread crumbs were made by cutting off crusts of either whole wheat or white bread and pulse in food processor. 

Since I found the stuffing a little dry I drizzled a little olive oil over top of each bread stuffed tomato before baking. It was recommended in the recipe to use a good olive oil.
Ingredients:

• 6 ripe tomatoes
• 1-1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs (about 5 slices)
• 1/4-1/3 cup minced scallions, white and green parts
• 2 TB. minced flat leaf parsley
• 2 tsp. minced garlic (2 cloves)
• 1 tsp. minced fresh thyme leaves
• freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 cup grated Gruyere cheese
• 2 TB. grated Parmesan cheese
• olive oil 
• fresh basil
• optional: using 1/1/2 TB herbes de Provence instead of fresh herbs

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400
• Cut core from tomatoes, removing as little as possible. Cut them in half crosswise and remove seeds and juice. 
• Turn tomatoes upside down on a paper towel to get all of the juices out
• Place tomatoes in greased baking dish right side up
• In food processor, add bread to make crumbs and then add in scallions, garlic and spices
• Pulse a few times to blend
• Sprinkle tomatoes with a little salt and cracked pepper
• Fill the cavities of the tomatoes with bread mixture add basil and drizzle with olive oil
• Bake 15 minutes
• Sprinkle with Gruyere cheese and Parmesan cheese and bake for 2-3 minutes till cheese melted