Baked lemon + parsley stuffed tomatoes

Look, stuff one delicious thing with other delicious things, and I’m happy. Top it with olive oil, salt, and cheese and bake it in the oven until brown and bubbling, I’ve hit the jackpot. Remember these stuffed capsicums? And these mushroom versions? So good!

I will put just about anything in a tomato, but the trick for me is adding breadcrumbs, which soaks up all the gorgeous tomato juices and binds all the ingredients together so the whole thing doesn’t fall over the minute you cut into it.

I don’t think you can go too far wrong with the lemon and parsley combo with tomatoes (or if I’d had basil to hand, it would have been the star of the show), and they’re something that is usually around in my kitchen.

This recipe is for 4 large tomatoes, so halve, double or whatever, to your liking.

Have a think too about what you’ve got in your fridge or pantry that would jazz them up a bit, or if you’re just looking to use it up so it won’t go to waste. You might prefer a lighter filling if these are for a side dish, but as they were the main for us I made them a bit heartier with the addition of mushrooms – swiss browns, if you can get ’em.

In a large frying pan, saute one onion chopped fine and a clover or two of garlic, minced, in a little olive oil and butter over medium heat.

Cut the tops off your tomatoes, use a knife to run around the ribs and turn the contents out into a bowl. Salt the insides of the tomatoes a tad and turn them upside down to drain.

Chop the tomato innards and add to the onion and garlic with 4 medium mushrooms, diced, about a quarter of a lemon, zested (and the juice of about half), a cup of breadcrumbs, a handful of chopped parsley, some crumbled feta or goat cheese, and plenty of salt and pepper. We did chilli flakes, too, because they are a staple.

Saute for a bit until everything is golden and the breadcrumbs and veggies have absorbed the tomatoey lemon goodness.

Stuff the tomato shells with the mixture, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with flaky sea salt, and top with grated parmesan-style cheese.

Bake in a hot oven 20 minutes or so until everything is cooked through, the tomatoes are soft and rich, and everything smells like you want to eat it RIGHT NOW.

Enjoy!