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Elizabeth Bard’s Petits Farcis Stuffed Tomatoes and Zucchini

This recipe comes from Elizabeth Bard’s latest book Picnic in Provence: A memoir with Recipes. This delicious summer recipe is published with her permission. The stuffed vegetables can be served as a lunch or light dinner.

Petits Farcis beef stuffed tomato Provence @ElizabethBard

Stuffed Tomatoes and Zucchini Légumes d’Été Farçis

This dish instantly transports me back to Jean’s garden — big, bright beefsteak tomatoes and croquet-ball-size round zucchini stuffed and baked to sagging perfection. Lovely for a casual dinner in the garden. Serves 8 as a light dinner
Course Main Dish
Cuisine French, Provencal
Servings 8 People

Ingredients
  

  • 2 Slices Slightly stale bread (sourdough or dense whole-grain)
  • cup milk
  • 4 ripe Beefsteak Tomatoes (10–12 ounces each)
  • 4 Round zucchini (7–8 ounces each) - see note
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 large Red onion, chopped
  • 1 cup Fennel chopped (about ½ bulb), with some fronds
  • 2 large Cloves garlic minced
  • ½ tsp Herbes de Provence
  • Ground Black Pepper
  • 1 handful Flat-leaf parsley, chopped
  • 1 large Egg
  • pounds best-quality pork sausages (you can use Toulouse, saucisse fraîche, or Italian, sweet or hot)
  • 1 pound Ground beef
  • ½ cup White Wine

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F.
  • Put the bread and milk in a small bowl to soak.
  • Cut the tops off the tomatoes and hollow out until you have about a ½- to ¾-inch shell. Chop the pulp and reserve with the liquid.
  • Hollow out the zucchini as you did with the tomatoes. Chop the inside zucchini flesh and reserve in a separate bowl. Place the hollowed-out vegetables in a large ovenproof dish, preferably one pretty enough to bring to the table.
  • In a medium frying pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Sauté onion, fennel, and zucchini pulp for 5 minutes, add garlic, and sauté for 3 minutes more. Add chopped tomato pulp, herbes de Provence, and a grind of black pepper; simmer for 5 minutes. Add parsley and stir. Remove from the heat and let cool.
  • Squeeze a bit of the excess milk out of the bread, chop into coarse crumbs, set aside. In a small bowl, lightly beat the egg.
  • Remove sausage meat from its casings and break it up without overworking the meat. Add the beef, bread, and tomato mixture and combine — I use my hands for this part. Then add the egg and give the stuffing a final mix. Divide the stuffing evenly among the vegetables. Drizzle with the additional 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the white wine to the bottom of the dish.
  • Cover the dish tightly with tinfoil and bake 1½ hours, until the sausage is cooked through and the vegetables are perfectly tender; the saggier the better, as far as I’m concerned. Remove the foil and pass under the broiler for 3 minutes to brown. There will be quite a bit of yummy sauce at the bottom of the dish.
  • Serve on a bed of quinoa or wild rice. Pass a bowl of sauce.

Notes

stuffed tomatoes #Recipe @ElizabethBardTip: Round zucchini are sometimes available at farmers’ markets and high- end grocers. If you can’t find them, buy 1 extra-large zucchini or 2 medium ones, cut them in half lengthwise, and hollow them out like a hot-dog bun. Stuff according to the recipe.
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Carolyne Kauser-Abbott

Carolyne Kauser-Abbott

With her camera and laptop close at hand, Carolyne has traded in her business suits for the world of freelance writing and blogging. Her first airplane ride at six months of age was her introduction to the exciting world of travel.

While in Provence, Carolyne can be found hiking with friends, riding the hills around the Alpilles or tackling Mont Ventoux. Her attachment to the region resonates in Perfectly Provence this digital magazine that she launched in 2014. This website is an opportunity to explore the best of the Mediterranean lifestyle (food & wine, places to stay, expat stories, books on the region, travel tips, real estate tips and more), through our contributors' articles.

Carolyne writes a food and travel blog Ginger and Nutmeg. Carolyne’s freelance articles can be found in Global Living Magazine, Avenue Magazine and City Palate (Published Travel Articles).

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