Stuffed Tomatoes & Tomato Vinaigrette

It's tomato time on the farm and our slicers are just begging to be stuffed. This recipe utilizes so many fresh ingredients that are in season right now- and gives us both a main course and a side dish.

Stuffed tomatoes are super versatile, so let this recipe be your canvas. Add some ground meat or beans for a protein boost, top with breadcrumbs or your favorite cheese. I like to enjoy this veggie forward meal while appreciating all the abundance that we have during the peak of our farming season. 

The stuffed tomatoes may be the star, but the vinaigrette that is made with the discarded bits might be my favorite part of the meal.  I make his over and over using cherry tomatoes whenever I need a quick and savory salad dressing.

Ingredients
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6 large slicer tomatoes
1-2 summer squash or zucchini, diced small
1 bell pepper, diced small
1 cup of cooked and cooled rice or your favorite grain like quinoa or farro
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp smoked paprika 
1 tsp ground corriander
1 bunch of basil
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp honey
1/4 cup red wine vinegar 
1/4 - 1/2 cup olive oil
1 bag of salad greens 
2 cucumbers, thinly sliced into half moons
salt & pepper to taste

Method of Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Warm a frying pan over medium heat and add 1 Tbsp olive oil. Once hot, add the diced pepper and summer squash and season with a pinch of salt. Let this cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, then add the dried herbs.  *add whatever herbs you love!* Cook for another 5 minutes or until the vegetables soften but still have some texture. 

2. As the vegetables cook, prepare the tomatoes by cutting a thin slice from the tops and carefully scooping out the core/pulp. You can gently cut around the inside of the tomato, to make this easier, but try not to cut into the walls of the tomato. Reserve the tomato tops and about 1 cup of the tomato pulp and add to a blender. 

3. Blend the tomato for about 30 seconds- you'll use half of this tomato "juice" for the stuffies, and reserve half for the vinaigrette. 

4. In a bowl, combine the cooked and cooled rice, sauteed vegetables, and tomato "juice" *now is a great time to add a cup or so of beans, cheese, or your favorite cooked protein* Taste the mixture now and adjust the seasoning to your taste.

5. Stuff each tomato with the filling, gently packing in as much as you can and mounding even more filling over the top. *here's where you can top with breadcrumbs or cheese!* Arrange stuffed tomatoes in a baking dish and cover with foil. 

6. Bake for 30 minutes covered- optional- uncover and broil at the end to toast the tops, especially if adding cheee.

7. While the stuffed tomatoes cook, make the tomato vinaigrette. Blend the tomato "juice", garlic, red wine vinegar, honey and a handful of basil leaves together until smooth. Slowly drizzle in about a quarter cup of olive oil to emulsify the dressing. Keep blending until smooth!

8. Assemble the side salads by adding sliced cucumber to mixed greens. Toss with the tomato vinaigrette and serve with the stuffed tomatoes.