tomatoes....AGAIN?????

Mind you, I am NOT complainin'.
But we have got tomatoes spilling over bowls onto the counters.
We are eating tomatoes with a teeny bit of lettuce and calling it "salad".
For breakfast, I am eating big slabs of sliced tomatoes on toasted, whole wheat bread.
I am sneaking tomatoes into nearly everything!
But last week I came across a new cookbook that was recommended to me by the owner of the CSA I belong to.
"The Roasted Vegetable", by Andrea Chesman
I have little scraps of post-its scattered through this library book, so I might just have to bite the proverbial bullet, and purchase yet another cookbook!
Anyway...here is what I came up with, courtesy of the above mentioned book.

SLOW-ROASTED RICE -STUFFED TOMATOES

8 med. ripe tomatoes
12 fresh basil leaves
4 cloves garlic, peel but leave whole
1/2 cup Arborio rice
s&p
2 TBL olive oil

Preheat oven to 400.
Lightly oil 8" baking pan
Remove 1/2" slice from stem end of tomato. Using a small spoon, carefully scoop pulp from tomato and put in med size bowl. Be careful not to puncture wall of tomato. Arrange hollow side up in pan.
Combine pulp, basil, and garlic in food processor and process ountil mostly smooth. Return to bowl and mix in rice. Season with s&p. Spoon filling into tomatoes. (Cyn's note: this will be very juicy. Don't worry...the rice will absorb it eventually) You may place tomato tops back on if you wish. (I didn't)
Drizzle the oil over the tomatoes.
Roast for about 50 minutes, until the rice is cooked through and the tomatoes are tender and well-browned. (I actually had these in the oven for twice this long, as I strained some of the juice off the tomatoes before mixing with the rice, and the rice had nothing to absorb...until I eventually poured the juice back over the tomatoes)
Let stand for about 15 minutes.
Serve warm or at room temperature.

EAT RESPONSIBLY

PS...These are delicious re-heated the next day. I didn't want anyone to know they were in the fridge, so I hid them way in the back. Sam found them anyway.