I think every gardener will know what I mean when I say that there comes a point every summer when you are faced with a dilemma. Tomato season is in full swing, you've already eaten a million fresh slices, put up tomato sauce and salsa, and are still harvesting buckets of tomatoes each day. You don't want to waste any of them, because you know you'll miss them mid-winter, but you are out of ideas on new ways to use them.
We are starting to hit that point in our own garden, and I wanted to experiment with a variation on a favorite summer recipe of ours. One of the first things we do when tomatoes start to come in, is stuff them with sausage and cheese and serve them with fresh bread or over brown rice. I wanted to make a vegetarian version of this recipe, and had a jar of Roasted Garlic Spread in the fridge, and I came up with this recipe.
Ricotta, Spinach, and Roasted Garlic Spread Stuffed Heirloom Tomatoes
(Full recipe summarized at end)
4 Large Tomatoes
2 Packages Frozen Spinach - Fully Thawed
1 15 oz container of Ricotta Cheese
Salt and Pepper
Roasted Garlic Spread (About 4 Tablespoons)
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Take thawed spinach, and squeeze out as much excess liquid as possible. Mix with ricotta cheese. Season with salt and pepper (to taste).
3. Hollow out tomatoes, leaving about 1/2 inch of meat around all sides. Set pulp aside and use for a sauce or other recipe. Arrange in a shallow baking dish.
4. Fill about half of each tomato with the ricotta and spinach mixture. Top each with 1/2 Tablespoon Roasted Garlic Spread.
5. Fill rest of tomato with spinach and ricotta mixture, and add 1/2 Tablespoon of Roasted Garlic Spread to the top.
6. Bake tomatoes for about 40 minutes.
7. Remove from oven and serve immediately with a piece of fresh bread or over brown rice for a heartier meal.
Ricotta, Spinach, and Roasted Garlic Spread Stuffed Heirloom Tomatoes
4 Large Tomatoes
2 Packages Frozen Spinach - Fully Thawed
1 15 oz container of Ricotta Cheese
Salt and Pepper
Roasted Garlic Spread (About 4 Tablespoons)
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Take thawed spinach, and squeeze out as much excess liquid as possible. Mix with ricotta cheese. Season with salt and pepper (to taste).
3. Hollow out tomatoes, leaving about 1/2 inch of meat around all sides. Set pulp aside and use for a sauce or other recipe. Arrange in a shallow baking dish.
4. Fill about half of each tomato with the ricotta and spinach mixture. Top each with 1/2 Tablespoon Roasted Garlic Spread.
5. Fill rest of tomato with spinach and ricotta mixture, and add 1/2 Tablespoon of Roasted Garlic Spread to the top.
6. Bake tomatoes for about 40 minutes.
7. Remove from oven and serve immediately with a piece of fresh bread or over brown rice for a heartier meal.
