How do I love summer, let me count the ways.
When I was a sophomore in college, my friend Jay earnestly told me, “Saturdays are for playing. Sundays are for resting.” Now this might not sound like rocket science, but for someone as hard working and always on the go as Jay was, it was revolutionary. Over the past 10+ years (dear god) I’ve taken that sentiment to heart. As much as I’m able, (we are talking about me after all) I try and get my to-do list done during the week so that Saturdays can be all about friends, food, traveling, and parties, and Sundays can be all about resting, recovering from said parties, and recharging for the week ahead.
Sunday brunch is a critical part of the Sunday resting, so I’m always striving to think of recipes that will be utterly satisfying, while easy to make and clean-up from. Baked tomatoes fit that bill to a T. Easy to make, only one dish required, beautiful to serve, and the perfect complement to just about anything else you can think of, they are a standard in my kitchen. Make these on a Sunday when life has slowed down enough to let you take a deep breath and enjoy the idea of doing nothing but resting.
Baked Tomatoes topped with Fresh Garden Herbs and Pecorino
Serves 2
Beautiful baked tomatoes.
Two tomatoes (heirloom, hot house, roma, they all work), carefully cored, and cut in half
1/4 cup grated fresh pecorino or parmesan
Sprinkle of fresh garden herbs (whatever appeals, chives, thyme, sage, garlic)
Olive oil for drizzling
Salt and Pepper
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees
- Put tomatoes cut side up in a small baking dish (for two serving a bread pan works well)
Is there anything so great as perfect ingredients prepared simply?
- Top with cheese and then herbs
These can easily be assembled ahead and then popped into the oven right before you want them.
- Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper
- Bake 15 – 20 minutes until juices are flowing, tomatoes are slightly wilting, and cheese is bubbling
- Perfect served with toast, scrambled eggs, and bacon
Shut Up & Cook 
Perfect timing Erina! We have some ripened tomatoes waiting on the window sill–will do them tonight as a side to your dad’s special lamb chops. Thanks for continuing to inspire us with your stories and posts.
So glad you enjoyed!! Let me know how they turn out!
This great blog reminded me of the day one very adorable little 5 year old girl and her equally adorable 7 year old brother wanted to make
“baby pizza’s” . Having no dough , we improvized (as usual) and made
baked tomatoes. To the utter delight of these younguns, the chives
sprinkled on the tomatoes looked like faces. My, how they giggled with “naming” these tomatoes according to the people they resembled.
How funny. I can’t say I remember this, but I also can’t say I’m particuarly surprised. Sounds like something BenJammin and I would have done. Baby Pizzas, eh? Sounds like another Marnie Popism!
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