{"id":2053,"date":"2016-09-05T06:14:02","date_gmt":"2016-09-05T12:14:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/french-barn.com\/blog\/?p=2053"},"modified":"2016-09-05T06:14:02","modified_gmt":"2016-09-05T12:14:02","slug":"beef-rice-stuffed-tomatoes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/french-barn.com\/blog\/food-wine\/entrees\/beef-rice-stuffed-tomatoes","title":{"rendered":"Beef and Rice Stuffed Tomatoes"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Beef<\/p>\n

I wait for tomatoes all year, abstaining from the store-bought ones for a few months before the new season brings us a local harvest, building anticipation for that first juicy slice. Recipes are pinned, cookbooks are dog-eared, and experiments are conducted (the only exception to buying store-bought in those early summer months) in preparation for what\u2019s to come.<\/p>\n

The first tomatoes get eaten fresh, with little (if any) adornments, sliced and maybe sprinkled with flaky sea salt.<\/p>\n

As the season progresses, we start mixing it up. Mid-season tomatoes get layered with fresh mozzarella and basil and drizzled with olive oil, tomato wedges get tucked into salads, and slices of the meaty ones top open-faced sandwiches and avocado toast.<\/p>\n

Towards the end of tomato season, when the fruit arrives cracked and blemished, is when I turn to the recipes that I\u2019ve been saving and creating all year.<\/p>\n

\"stuffedtomatoes-12\"\"stuffedtomatoes-3\"<\/p>\n

There were two stand out recipes this year.<\/p>\n

The first was barely a recipe, a super simple roasted tomato pasta sauce. Small tomatoes (or chopped up large ones) are tossed in a baking dish with chopped garlic, a very generous drizzle of good tasting olive oil, and a few good pinches of salt. They\u2019re roasted in the oven until they collapse and slightly reduce, transforming into the best tomato sauce ever.<\/p>\n

The second highlight were these stuffed tomatoes! These are based on a recipe that I\u2019ve always made with bell peppers and I was curious to see how the tomatoes would fare in their place.<\/p>\n

Spoiler alert: they did really well!<\/p>\n

\"Beef\"Beef\"Beef<\/p>\n

What I love most about this recipe is that the tomato parts that get scooped out, all that delicious juice and flesh, are blended up and added to the stuffing. The flavours in the stuffing are simple, yet distinctively present, and that tomato sauce adds just enough body and acidity to bring it all together. Enjoy!<\/p>\n

\n

\n
\n
\n
<\/a><\/div>