Stuffed Tomatoes with Rice and A Farm Tour

Saturday we decided to drive up the Yachats river for the annual farm tour. The morning fog was thick on the coast with the promise of sunshine inland.  As we drove up the winding road we saw small farms dotting the landscape. There were pastures and ponds with animals grazing throughout.

The vegetable gardens and greenhouses were amazing. But it was the flower beds that I loved the most. There were dahlias of every shape and color. Roses and sunflowers. Large plants with many stalks.

The animals we saw looked well fed and had large pen areas. There were cows, chickens, goats, and these guys (alpacas), from the Starshine Farm who were the stars of the show. After returning home it only seemed fitting to end the day with a vegetarian dish with a vegetable from one of the farms. This recipe is from the blog,"Rachael Eats". The combination of  tomato and rice after baking reminds me of a tomato risotto I had a few years ago. The rice is creamy and the tomato is bursting with flavor.

Ingredients:

8 medium-sized tomatoes
8 basil leaves (torn)
2 clove garlic (minced)
10 tablespoons risotto rice
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (divided)
2 pounds potatoes (diced into inch cubes)
Salt and pepper

To prepare:

This recipe is very simple but from start to finish you will need a total of  three hours. Most of the time is resting or waiting time.

Begin by cutting the tops off the tomatoes and set aside. Scoop out the seeds, flesh and juice with a spoon over a medium-sized bowl to capture the contents. Sprinkle salt inside each tomato and place upside down so excess moisture can drain. Add garlic and basil to the tomato mixture and blast with immersion blender. Add rice and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Then generously salt and pepper. Mix ingredients together and let rest at least 45 minutes.

Toss chopped potatoes into a bowl and with remaining olive oil until well coated.

Preheat oven to 350°. Prepare a oven proof pan for tomatoes by lightly greasing. Spoon rice into empty tomato shells approximately 3/4 full and put lids back on. Scatter potatoes around tomatoes and bake for 45 minutes. The tomatoes should be soft and starting to shrivel and the rice should be soft and plump.

For the third and final step allow the tomatoes to sit about an hour before eating. Enjoy!