30 fresh tomato recipes

Tomatoes are humble enough to blend into the background of sauces and salads, but robust enough to star as the main ingredient in a dish.

3. Tomatoes stuffed with summer squash

The Runaway Spoon
Use up tomatoes from the garden or the farmers market by stuffing them with a squash mix.

By Perre Coleman Magness, The Runaway Spoon

Serves 6

6 medium tomatoes
2 yellow squash
1/2 small yellow onion
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Cut a small slice off of the top of each tomato and use small spoon to scoop out the seeds and pulp, leaving a nice little hollow cup. Sprinkle the insides lightly with salt, then turn them upside down on several layers of paper towels to drain for 30 minutes.

2. Grate the squash on the fine holes of a box grater and place in a colander. Leave to drain for 30 minutes. Transfer the squash to a clean tea towel and twist and squeeze to remove as much moisture as possible. Grate the onion on the same small holes and add to the squash.

3. Melt the butter with the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, then add the squash and onions. Sauté for about 5 minutes, until the squash is soft, stirring frequently to avoid browning. Stir in the chopped oregano. Pour in the heavy cream and cook, stirring frequently, until the squash has absorbed all the cream and is thick and there is no cream left in the pan. Stir in the Parmesan cheese until melted, then remove the skillet from the heat and leave to cool slightly.

4. Place the tomatoes in a lightly oiled baking dish in which they fit snuggly – basically holding each other upright. Spoon the squash into the tomatoes, filling the hollows and pressing down, but be gentle so you don’t break the tomatoes. Fill the tomatoes, but don’t leave mounded squash overflowing. You may have some filling leftover – chef’s treat!

5. You can cool and refrigerate the tomatoes for a few hours at this point.

6. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake the tomatoes for about 20 minutes, until heated through but the tomatoes are still holding their shape. Serve immediately.

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