Gutsy Cooks Club - October Rice: Stuffed Tomatoes

It is the second week of rice with the Gutsy Cooks Club.

 Week of Oct 9 - Theme: Stuffed into something or with something

the I chose the tomatoes stuffed with rice recipe from Saveur. We grow a lot of tomatoes on the farm so I have a few of those handy! The large slicing tomatoes are so good right now. Ripened on the vine, fresh picked and bursting with a deep flavor. I was excited to see what stuffing them would be like.

 After looking at the recipe, I thought it was missing something... so, I decided to blanch up and add some chopped kale. I also chose to double most of the seasoning and added in a little oregano as well. The recipe below reflects all my changes.

You Will Need:
8 firm, ripe medium tomatoes
1/2 c, Italian arburio rice *partially cooked, see note
2 Tbsp.  parsley flakes
3 Tbsp. dry basil
1 Tbsp. oregano
1 tsp. onion powder
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 c. blanched & chopped kale
1/2 c. extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Slice the top off of each tomato and scoop out the flesh. Try not to scrape the skin too thin or break it. Reserve the scooped flesh in a bowl, and reserve the tops.

Blanch the kale for 2-3 minutes. Let it cool till you can handle it and chop it in small pieces. Put this in a medium sized bowl.

Add the rice, seasoning, garlic also to the bowl. Take the scooped out tomato flesh and puree it in the blender.  Then add it to the rice and kale mixture.

I salted and peppered each tomato before filling it. Then top with a reserved top and drizzle them all with olive oil.

Bake in a 400 degree oven for about an hour.

Mmm... Loved this dish. I especially flipped for the caramelized tomato top. I will be making it again, it was so simple and tasty, but I will be making a few modifications.

The biggest problem I had was the rice was not as tender as I would have wished. *next time I will partially cook the rice ahead of time. I really wanted the rice to be fluffy. I also think next time I make this I will add some chunks of italian sausage. I felt like it needed a fat or an added flavor.

Overall I loved trying this recipe. It was a great choice. Have you ever made stuffed tomatoes? Stay tuned to see what the next rice themed dish will be.