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Holiday time in September’s kitchen!

So sorry I haven’t posted a recipe for a while. We’ve had a few sad family issues happening and the garden’s been keeping us so busy there hasn’t been time to sit on the computer to post!

So a quick one for the end of September to keep you going – with tomatoes.

We’ve had a really good crop of tomatoes in our tunnel and there’s still loads left to come – as long as we keep getting a bit of warm weather. This is one of our favourite dishes. It reminds us of holidays in Greece – we like to explore the islands and this is a great lunch dish along with a chilled glass of a light red before an afternoon siesta!

Large juicy beefsteak tomatoes are stuffed with gentle flavours and baked in the oven to release their juices.

Greek Style Stuffed Beefsteak Tomatoes

Serves 4 Preperation:15minutes. Cooking:20minutes

4-6 large beefsteak tomatoes

A little sugar

150g couscous

175ml boiling water

1 garlic clove, crushed

4 spring onions, sliced

Handful each of coriander and mint, roughly chopped

½ lemon, juice and zest

50g pine nuts

50g sultanas

2 tablespoons olive oil

  • Spread the pine nuts on a baking tray and pop in a hot oven for about 5 minutes until they turn golden brown. Leave to cool.
  • Tomatoes - scrape out middles
  • Cut the tops off the tomatoes about a quarter of the way down. Using a desert spoon scrape out the insides and put into a bowl along with any juices from inside the tomatoes. Sprinkle the insides of the tomatoes with a little caster sugar and leave to one side.
  • Chop the insides into small pieces and leave in the bowl. Add the garlic and some salt and pepper.
  • Tip the couscous into a large bowl and pour in 175ml of boiling water. Cover and leave for 5 minutes. Tip in the insides of the tomatoes and leave to stand for another minute. Mix together with a fork to fluff up.
  • Put the spring onion, sultanas, pine nuts, coriander and mint into a small bowl along with the oil and the juice and zest. Mix together then add to the couscous and stir well to combine.
  • Spoon the mixture into the cases, pressing down well. Allow the mix to form a dome on top then put the lids back on the tomatoes.
  • Tomaotes - stuff with filling
  • Put them in a shallow ovenproof dish and drizzle the tops with olive oil. Pop in the oven 200C/ fan180/gas6 for about 20 minutes till the tomatoes are soft and gently tinged brown at the edges.
  • Tomatoes - Bake till tender

We like to serve this on its own with a green salad and chunks of Feta cheese but it also goes really well with a gammon steak.