Description
Enjoy the delightful flavors of Julia Child’s Provencal Tomatoes. This dish features ripe tomatoes filled with a savory mixture of breadcrumbs, herbs, and cheese. Perfect for a quick dinner or a comforting side dish, its simple prep and fresh ingredients bring a taste of France to your table.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 large firm ripe tomatoes
- salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 cup bread crumbs (homemade preferably)
- 2 tbsp. minced shallots
- 1 tsp. dried herbes de Provence
- 3 tbsp. freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
- 3 tbsp. olive oil (plus more for drizzling)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and set a rack in the upper level.
- Slice the tomatoes in half and remove the cores. Squeeze out the seeds and juice gently over a bowl or sink.
- Clean the tomato cavities of any remaining seeds and place them cut side up in a shallow baking dish.
- If needed, trim a small bit off the bottom to make them stable. Season with salt and pepper.
- Combine the bread crumbs, shallots, herbes de Provence, Parmesan cheese, and parsley in a bowl.
- Add 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil to moisten the mixture and mix well.
- Stuff the tomato halves with the breadcrumb mixture, pressing it into the cavities and mounding on top.
- Drizzle olive oil over the tomatoes. If preparing ahead of time, you can cover and refrigerate at this point.
- Bake for about 20 minutes until the tops are browned and the tomatoes are heated through but retain their shape. Serve them hot in the baking dish or transfer to a platter.
Notes
You can use day-old bread to make breadcrumbs for added flavor.
Feel free to adjust the herbs according to your taste preferences.
These tomatoes can be served warm or at room temperature for a delicious starter.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 tomato half
- Calories: 120
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 210mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 10g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 5mg