There are about as many ways to prepare this dish as there are varieties of tomatoes–we have seen them prepared a million ways so feel free to be creative but don’t mess with the core ingredients : wonderfully sun-ripened tomatoes, garlic, basil, bread crumbs, provencal herbs (fresh or dried) and salt.
Ingredients
6 – 8 medium sized ripe tomatoes or smaller if you wish
approx 1 cup fresh white bread crumbs
1/4 cup minced fresh basil leaves
2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)
1/2 teaspoon Provencal Herbs (mixture of thyme, rosemary, sage, basil, fennel)
1 tsp sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup grated Gruyere cheese or fresh parmesan or roman blend
olive oil
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Slice tomatoes in half crosswise and remove the seeds and juice. Arrange them in a baking dish.
Combine the bread crumbs (either homemade or dried) with provencal herbs or chopped fresh herbs (basil, parsley). Add 1 teaspoon salt. Sprinkle the tomato halves with salt and pepper. Scoop bread crumb mixture over the tomatoes and bake until they are soft and tender–20 mins or so. Sprinkle with the cheese, drizzle with olive oil, and bake for another 10 mins more.
