Provençal stuffed tomatoes with herbed rice

Serves - 4

You’ll need

• 8 large ripe tomatoes
• 200g long grain rice
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small onion, very finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 small courgette, finely diced
• 50g black olives, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp capers, roughly chopped
• Small handful flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• Small handful basil, finely chopped
• Small handful mint, finely chopped
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 50g breadcrumbs
• Sea salt
• Black pepper

Method

1. Get the tomatoes ready

Heat the oven to 190°C fan. Slice the tops off the tomatoes and set them aside if they look neat enough to use as lids later. Scoop out the insides with a spoon, being careful not to go tearing through the sides, then place the tomato flesh and juices into a bowl. Sit the hollowed tomatoes in a snug baking dish and give the insides a little sprinkle of salt.

2. Cook the rice

Cook the rice in well-salted water until just tender, then drain well and leave it to steam dry. You do not want it soggy here. It is going into tomatoes, not a puddle.

3. Build the filling

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onion with a pinch of salt and cook for 6–8 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and courgette and cook for another 4–5 minutes until the courgette has softened nicely.

Chop the reserved tomato flesh and stir it into the pan. Let it cook down for a few minutes so it loses some of its excess water and starts tasting a bit more concentrated.

4. Bring it all together

Tip the cooked rice into a large bowl and add the onion mixture, olives, capers, parsley, basil, mint, lemon zest, lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil. Season well with black pepper and a little more salt if needed, then mix everything together. It should taste bright, savoury and herby enough to carry the tomatoes rather than just sit inside them.

5. Stuff the tomatoes

Spoon the filling generously into the hollowed tomatoes, packing it in lightly. Top each one with a little breadcrumb for texture, then place the tomato lids back on if using. Pour a small splash of water into the bottom of the dish so things stay soft and friendly rather than catching.

6. Bake

Bake for 30–35 minutes, until the tomatoes are tender and starting to slump, and the tops are lightly golden. They should look relaxed, not collapsed into total defeat.

7. Serve

Serve warm, with any juices from the dish spooned over the top. These are very good on their own, but just as happy alongside a green salad or some grilled vegetables.

A couple of helpful notes

- If your tomatoes are especially juicy, turn them upside down on kitchen paper for 10 minutes after hollowing them out to let some of the excess moisture drain away.
- You can swap long grain rice for basmati if that is what you have, but avoid anything too sticky.
- A few toasted pine nuts stirred into the filling are a very good idea if you want a bit more richness and texture.