Recipe from food blog, “Running to the Kitchen”
These roasted stuffed heirloom tomatoes are filled with a goat cheese, creme fraiche, thyme mixture and topped with garlic butter breadcrumbs for a wonderful late summer side dish.
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
9 medium sized heirloom tomatoes
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
4 oz goat cheese
1/3 cup creme fraiche
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
1 tbsp butter
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp breadcrumbs
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Slice a sliver off the bottom of the tomatoes so they stand upright. Carefully cut a circle down from the top with a sharp serrated knife. Use a spoon (a grapefruit spoon works well here) to gently hollow out the center of the tomato still leaving a bit of flesh around the sides.
Place the tomatoes in a baking dish, drizzle with the olive oil, season with salt and pepper and roast for 25-30 minutes until just started to shrivel but still hold their shape.
Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Pour out any excess liquid that accumulated inside the tomato cavity while roasting.
Combine the goat cheese, creme fraiche, thyme, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Whip with a handheld beater or vigorously with a whisk until fluffy. Set aside.
Heat the butter in a small skillet over medium low heat. Once melted, add garlic and saute for about 1 minute. Add the breadcrumbs, stir to combine in the butter/garlic mixture and remove from heat.
Spoon the goat cheese filling into the tomatoes, top with the breadcrumbs and garnish with extra thyme before serving.