Mediterranean inspired Stuffed Tomatoes

Many cultures have many different variations of this dish, but stuffed tomatoes are truly a beautiful celebration of fresh local Mediterranean inspired flavours. This might look like a complicated technique heavy recipe, but it’s easier than it looks – which is the best type of cooking! 

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Stuffed Tomatoes

I love stuffed tomatoes. I mean, I already really love tomatoes, and use heirlooms in so many of my sandwiches, but it is always exciting making a recipe that heroes the tomato. Some people may use capsicums for this recipe, but I stand by the tomato as being a delicious thing to stuff.

Which tomato?

There are so many different types of tomatoes, each bringing their own unique flavour and texture. I’ve experimented with a few types for this recipe, and as beautiful as heirlooms are, they are too watery for this recipe. I found truss tomatoes to be the best ones to use. Big, very ripe tomatoes are the best way to make this recipe a massive success.

Herbaceous and delicious

Herbs, herbs, herbs. They make all recipes taste even better. For this one, you’ll need a combination of dried and fresh. Big, fresh, flat leaf parsley as well as dried oregano. But, this is where you can go a bit crazy and add all the herbs that you’d like. Rosemary, basil, mint. This recipe really can be the cupboard cleanout that you need.

Rice, rice baby

The consistent ingredient in stuffed tomato recipes is rice. For this one, I use arborio rice. An Italian rice, this is what is used to make risotto. The thick, short rice pick up so much delicious flavour and make these tomatoes plump and tasty.

Say Cheese!

For a sharp and creamy taste, goat cheese is an important part of this recipe. It provides an important texture to the tomatoes, and oozes through the rice and herbs. Good quality goat cheese will add to the flavour and not overwhelm it, but it’s an ingredient that’s essential to bringing the Med to your plate.

Olive Oil, of course

It’s not a Daen’s Kitchen recipe with a bit of olive oil, of course! This recipe screams for lots of delicious oil – and it might seem like a lot on the recipe, but it doesn’t feel oily or fatty when you’re eating it, but rather a good quality olive oil will enhance the flavour and bring a delicious depth to these tasty toms.

Making the perfect Stuffed Tomatoes

Nothing goes to waste in this recipe, as the flesh of the tomatoes will go into a blender and become part of the stuffing that will go back into the tomato. 

The hardest part is fleshing the tomatoes, but just patience and have a couple of extra tomatoes on hand in case you pierce the skin. But, a little practice makes perfect and even the most basic home cook will nail this recipe.

FAQ

What other types of tomatoes can I use?

I have tried these with heirloom and they came out too watery. I use truss tomatoes but roma will also work well. Just make sure your tomatoes are very ripe for the best result.

Can I use cooked rice?

You can use cooked rice and this will cut down on the cook time however, by using uncooked rice, it allows it to soak up and absorb all of that delicious flavour and you have a much nicer texture.

Can I cook the tomatoes with anything else? 

You can add some potatoes that are dressed with olive oil and herbs for the tomatoes to sit on!

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