Roasted Stuffed Tomatoes with Israeli Couscous
Recipe by Courtney McDonald

6 medium red-ripe tomatoes, such as Early Girl

1 cup Israeli or pearl couscous, cooked, drained and cooled

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

1 small shallot, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2/3 cup day-old bread crumbs

1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

1/4 cup golden raisins

1/4 cup julienned sun-dried tomatoes

1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley

1/4 cup julienned opal basil or Genovese basil

1/4 cup chopped capers

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1/2 cup crumbled fromage blanc or fresh chevre

Salt and pepper, to taste

 

Preheat oven to 350. Cut the tops and shoulders off the tomatoes and scoop out the seeds. Turn upside-down on a paper towel to remove any excess juice. In a small sauté pan, heat the butter and cook the garlic and shallot until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the bread crumbs and cook until lightly toasted. Divide in half and set aside. 

In a medium mixing bowl, toss half of the bread crumbs, cooked couscous, pine nuts, raisins, sun-dried tomatoes, chopped herbs, capers, and olive oil together with half of the fromage blanc and season to taste with salt and pepper. Place the tomatoes cut-side up in a small baking dish and fill each one with the couscous mixture. Top the stuffed tomatoes with the remaining bread crumbs and the other half of the fromage blanc. Bake in the preheated oven until tomatoes just begin to shrivel—about 20 minutes. Serve immediately. Serves 6.