Stuffed tomatoes with rice, lamb and basil pesto {gluten free}

Stuffed foods, particularly vegetables, are a favorite in Israel and across the Middle East. We stuff just about anything in this neck of the woods: grape leaves; giant beets and Vidalia onions; eggplant and zucchini; tripe for the Shabbat hamin; bulgur-wheat dough balls filled with seasoned ground meat called kibbeh; and even stuffed carp heads for the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah!

On special gatherings and during the holidays, mom would make (and still makes to this day) a glorious pot of bell peppers and cabbage leaves stuffed with a mixture of rice and meat, and festive Cornish game hens stuffed with jeweled rice -- a Persian-style steamed Basmati rice decorated with bits of dried fruits (and sometimes slivered almonds and pistachios).

A few years ago, while working as a freelance recipe contributor for the Israeli magazine Laisha, I was asked by the food editor to develop recipes for their annual monthly calendar. While I was brainstorming ideas for the month of July, the first ingredient that came to mind was tomatoes.   

Around the same time I was writing the recipes for the calendar, the first farmers’ market opened at the Tel Aviv port Shuk Hanamal. At the crack of dawn, farmers from regions far and wide bring their fresh fruits and vegetables; creating vast, colorful displays that attract buyers who appreciate the balance of exceptional quality and value. Friday mornings are special. Outdoor stalls welcome guests, who interact with the local growers. You can transform a whole week’s menu by adding produce from your local farmers’ market, the inspiration for this dish came right there and then.

When I was growing up in Israel, we had only one type of tomato! Nowadays, Israelis enjoy a wonderful variety of tomatoes, such as heirloom, cherry, grape, beefsteak and plum… tomatoes in all shapes and colors. Among them, the Tomaccio -- a special cherry tomato cultivated by several laboratories in Israel. Although tomatoes are grown year-round in greenhouses, the summer months are the natural peak season for the tomato harvest. For my best results, I always buy tomatoes that aren’t quite ripe and leave them on the kitchen counter to sit at room temperature, out of direct sunlight. This way, I can keep an eye on them and use them at their optimum desired firmness or ripeness.

This is my take on a classic Mediterranean-inspired dish. The emptied cavities of the tomatoes are being shmeared with a generous amount of fragrant basil pesto and stuffed liberally with a flavorful meat and rice filling that will transport you to Greece and Italy with the very first bite!

The stuffing and the pesto can be made way in advance. Serve them warm or at room temperature with a drizzle of good quality extra virgin olive oil, a dollop of tangy labneh and a leafy salad, if you like!

Support your local farmers’ markets!  Go visit and look for inspiration. Take a chance on a new ingredient. And don’t forget the tomatoes. :-)

Stuffed tomatoes with rice, lamb and basil pesto

By Tal Shofman-Schejter

Serves 12

Ingrediends
For the basil pesto:
2 bunches of fresh basil leaves
2 garlic cloves, peeled
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
1/3 cup good quality extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

For the filling:
12 ripe and firm medium-large tomatoes
1/4 cup pine nuts
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
200 gr. ground lamb or veal
3 cups pre-cooked basmati rice
6 oil-packed sun dried tomatoes, drained and finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

To Serve
Labneh (optional)

Method
Pesto:
Put all the ingredients in a food processor or a blender and whiz together until you get a chunky consistency. Store in the fridge until you are ready to use it.

Stuffed tomatoes:
Preheat oven to 450f degrees.
In a medium skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat, add pine nuts and sauté until golden. Transfer to a medium bowl.

Add another tablespoon of oil and the sliced onion, sauté until golden.
Transfer to the bowl with nuts. Add 1 more tablespoon of oil to the pan and the ground lamb or veal and sauté, over high heat, stirring and breaking down the meat, until golden brown. Transfer the meat along with the cooked rice, sun dried tomatoes and season with salt and pepper.

Slice tops of tomatoes and scoop out flesh.
Place tomato shells in a baking dish just large enough to hold them in a single layer.

Season insides of tomato shells with salt and pepper. Shmear tomato cavities with a heaping teaspoon of pesto each. Fill each tomato with the filling, place back tops and brush tomato skins with the rest of the oil, season all over with more salt and pepper.
Bake until tomatoes are soft and warmed though, for about 30 minutes.

Serve warm or at room temperature drizzled with high-quality extra virgin olive oil and a dollop of labneh.

Enjoy! xx

*This recipe was originally published in Laisha Magazine.