Roasted Tomatoes à la Provençale Stuffed with Zucchini and Fresh Herbs
In France, the verb farcir means to stuff, but somehow it sounds better in French. Les Peitits Farcis is one of the traditional “signature” dishes from Nice, although you can find it on menus throughout Provence. For this dish, local vegetables such as tomatoes, zucchini and peppers are stuffed with sausage meat or in some cases fish.
My recipe for Tomatoes à la Provencale is inspired by the typical cuisine, but it is a lighter version with a zucchini-herb stuffing (farce) intended as a starter or pre-dinner bite. The tomatoes are filled and baked and then served as an appetizer with cocktails.
Tomates à la Provençale (stuffed, roasted tomatoes)
Ingredients
- 8-9 medium Red Tomatoes
- 1 zucchini (courgette) diced
- 1 tbsp fresh rosemary finely chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves peeled and finely chopped
- ½ cup breadcrumbs fine, dried
- 1 tsp coarse sea salt
- 6 oz sun-dried tomatoes julienne-cut
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- black pepper to taste
- fresh basil leaves chiffonade (cut in fine ribbons for garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C)
- Cut the stems and cores from the tops of the tomatoes and place them with the cored side up, in a shallow baking dish.
- In a small mixing bowl, mix together the chopped rosemary, thyme, garlic and diced zucchini.
- In another bowl mix the bread crumbs and salt.
- Alternatively layer the zucchini-herb mixture and the bread crumbs 3 times or until each tomato is filled.
- Then place 4 small slices of sun-dried tomato strips on top. Drizzle the olive oil on top of the tomatoes.
- Grind black pepper on top.
- Bake in the oven for 25 minutes.
- Serve hot or at room temperature.
- Garnish with basil leaves, cut in chiffonade ribbons.
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