STUFFED TOMATOES WITH RICE

Stuffed Tomatoes With Rice image

Provided by Florence Fabricant

Time 2h

Yield 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 10

Ingredients

12 medium-size tomatoes
4 tablespoons sugar
1 cup extra virgin olive oil, preferably Greek
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 cup uncooked long grain rice
1/2 cup dried currants
2 tablespoons pine nuts, lightly toasted
2 tablespoons chopped mint leaves
Salt and ground black pepper
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs

Steps:

Cut a thin slice off tops of tomatoes and reserve. Scoop out tomato pulp, chop, drain and reserve. Sprinkle sugar inside tomatoes.
Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a 10-inch skillet. Add onion. Cook over medium heat until soft. Add rice, stir and cook a few minutes. Add currants, pine nuts, mint, half the tomato pulp and 1/2 cup water. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer 10 minutes.
Heat oven to 300 degrees. Purée remaining tomato pulp, and spread in bottom of shallow baking dish that will hold all the tomatoes without much room to spare.
Spoon rice mixture into tomatoes; it will not fill them. Replace tops, spoon a tablespoon of oil over each tomato, and sprinkle with bread crumbs. Bake 1 1/2 hours.
Allow to cool to room temperature before serving as an appetizer or with cold poached fish or grilled lamb.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 592, UnsaturatedFat 32 grams, Carbohydrate 58 grams, Fat 39 grams, Fiber 5 grams, Protein 6 grams, SaturatedFat 5 grams, Sodium 857 milligrams, Sugar 24 grams