This was a complete experiment. I know that stuffed tomatoes are usually baked in the oven, but I wanted to see how they would turn out if steamed. The result? Good, but very juicy. Steaming them not only preserved the water naturally in tomatoes, but also added to it. The flavors in the tomato and the "salsa" inside were kept very fresh, but I had to let the tomatoes sit on a plate and "drain" a bit before I could eat them. Next time I will try the oven and see if the flavors are as good -- or better! I made three large stuffed tomatoes, but I didn't include measurements in the recipe below because it depends on what veggies you like and what will fit in the tomatoes you have. Prepare the topping separately and add after the tomatoes are finished steaming, so it doesn't get soggy.
Fiesta Tomatoes
Large red and/or yellow tomatoes
Onion, diced
Jalapeño pepper, diced
Lemon zest
Fresh parsley
Black pepper
Mozzarella cheese, shredded
Topping:
Corn meal
Plain bread crumbs
Grated Parmesan cheese
Olive oil
Cut a circle in the top of the tomatoes and spoon out a portion of the center, taking care not to break through the sides of the tomato. Keep the tomato insides and place in a bowl, adding to it the other ingredients in the "salsa". Steam until the cheese is melted and the skin of the tomato begins to crack (about 10 minutes).
Heat olive oil in a skillet, add bread crumbs, mix in corn meal (a bit less than the amount of bread crumbs used) and cheese (to flavor), stirring constantly. Remove from heat when bread crumbs begin to brown. Spoon topping onto warm tomatoes and enjoy!
(Recipes and photos by H. Farrell)
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