At the first sight of my homegrown tomatoes turning from green to red, my mouth begins to water for tomato sandwiches. Toasted bread, a little mayo, mozzarella cheese, ripe tomatoes and a few sprigs of basil (and sometimes a strip of bacon) make for the perfect summertime lunch.
But as much as I love my tomato sandwiches, I needed a new spin on this delicious fruit. I came across a grilled stuffed tomato recipe that featured similar elements of my favorite sandwich. Excellent! I don’t have to veer too far from the tastes I already love. Plus, grilling is a must when the weather is warm.
These stuffed tomatoes overflow with cubes of sourdough bread tossed in butter and garlic, diced pancetta (Italian bacon) for a salty bite, Parmesan cheese for a little tang and red chili flakes that create a subtle spicy kick. And 10 minutes on the grill gives this dish the right amount of smoky flavor. My summer lunches will now alternate between these and sandwiches, for sure. I’ll probably shed a tear when the last ripe tomato of the season is plucked from the vine.
Grilled Stuffed
Tomatoes
(adapted from recipe on foodiecrush.com)
6 medium tomatoes, tops cut off and inner fruit removed
3 Tbl. butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 ¾ cups sourdough bread, ½ inch cubes
¼ pound pancetta, diced, cooked, drained and cooled
1 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
4 Tbl. basil, chopped
⅛ teaspoon chili flakes
salt
Cook pancetta in a small frying pan and set aside to drain and cool. Cut the top of each tomato and hollow it out, removing all seeds and inner fruit; set aside.
Melt butter in a small pan over medium heat and add garlic. Cook for 1 minute and remove from heat. Add bread cubes and pancetta and mix to coat well with butter and garlic mixture. Let cool.
In a medium bowl, combine Parmesan, basil and chili flakes. Add cooled bread cubes and mix well. Season tomato halves with salt and fill with stuffing mixture.
Bring grill to medium high heat and grill tomatoes for 8-10 minutes. Remove and serve immediately or at room temperature.
