Stuffed Roasted Tomatoes

One cold autumn afternoon and I was craving something warm, hearty and not too heavy. This immediately caught my eye, the rich tomato flavour, mixed with the herbs and breadcrumbs made the perfect dish and definitely hit the spot!

So simple to do, but so tasty these little treats will work wonders for a starter if you are cooking for friends as they take 30 minutes in the oven so you can literally pop them in as your guests arrive.


Ingredients:

Large round tomatoes (2 per person - I made six)
12 Semi-dried black olives (the wrinkly kind)
2 Anchovy filets (preferably in olive oil)
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
1 small onion finely chopped
a small handful of parsley, basil and mint
Olive oil
Fresh breadcrumbs made by tearing a large chunk of crusty bread into shreds (you could use packet ones but its better to keep the rough texture)
a small handful of parsley, basil and mint (roughly chopped)

Method:

Pre heat oven to 160ºC. Start by chopping the tops off the tomatoes about 1cm down, then using a spoon scoop the inner flesh and seeds out, leaving a nice shell to stuff. Sprinkle in a little salt and then place tomatoes upside down in a colander to drain any excess water. Next (de-stone) and chop up the olives into small chunks and cut the anchovies (or use capers if you want a veggie/vegan version) and mix this along with the garlic, onion, herbs and breadcrumbs. Next using about 1tbsp of the breadcrumb mix stuff each of the tomatoes leaving a nice dome of crumbs. Then place on a greased or lined baking sheet, drizzle with the oil and bake for 30 minutes. Serve with a little rocket salad (I added a little goats cheese and balsamic) and enjoy!