Tomatoes Stuffed with Cheese and Herbs
Makes 4 servings
Adapted from “Mamushka: Recipes from Ukraine and Eastern Europe,” by Olia Hercules (Weldon Owen, 2015) Fresh cheese turns a little golden and creates a lovely top crust when baked into the summer’s best tomatoes. If you’re not a fan of dill, you can use basil or another fresh, leafy herb instead. Find farmer cheese, such as Friendship Dairies brand, at stores such as Whole Foods and Central Market. Or use tvorog from an Eastern European market.
1 teaspoon sunflower oil 4 medium, flat-bottomed vine-ripened tomatoes (about 2 pounds) 8 ounces farmer cheese or tvorog 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley 1/8teaspoon kosher salt 1/8teaspoon freshly ground
black pepper
Instructions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Use the oil to grease a baking dish just large enough to hold all the tomatoes with a bit of space between them.
Cut off the top of each tomato (just enough to cut off the stem). Use a spoon to remove some of the tomatoes’ interiors, while keeping the walls of the tomatoes intact (the walls should be about ½-inch thick). Discard the tomato tops and interiors or save for another use. Combine the cheese, dill, parsley, salt and pepper in a medium bowl, stirring until well incorporated. Use the mixture to fill all the tomatoes, dividing it evenly, then arrange the stuffed tomatoes in place in the baking dish. Bake (middle rack) for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the tomatoes are soft and the cheese starts to brown in spots.
Serve warm.
Nutrition per serving: calories: 140; total fat: 7 g; saturated fat: 3 g; cholesterol: 20 mg; sodium: 280 mg; carbohydrates: 7 g; dietary fiber: 2 g; sugars: 4 g; protein: 12 g.