Entrée: France – Tomates Farcies aux Champignons de Paris (Stuffed Tomatoes with Oyster Mushrooms)

Food safety reminder: Follow safe food-handling practices and use a food thermometer to verify safe internal cooking temperatures.

Serving Size: 4

Approximate Time

Prep 15 min

Cook 25 min

Total 40 min

Ingredients

4 large firm tomatoes
7 oz / 200–250 g oyster mushrooms, chopped
1 small carrot, finely diced
1 / 2 cup (50 g) breadcrumbs (made from white bread)
3 / 4 cup (75 g) shredded cheddar
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp (30 ml) vegetable oil
1 tsp chopped fresh parsley or 1 / 2 tsp dried
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 190°C (375°F). Slice tops off tomatoes and scoop out pulp; reserve pulp and place tomatoes upside down on a rack to drain briefly.
2. Tear white bread into pieces and pulse into coarse breadcrumbs or cube and toast then crumble.
3. Heat vegetable oil in a skillet over medium; sauté garlic until fragrant, add carrot and cook 3–4 minutes, add chopped oyster mushrooms and reserved tomato pulp; cook until liquid reduces. Season with parsley, salt and pepper.
4. Remove from heat, stir in breadcrumbs and half the cheddar; spoon mixture into tomato shells, top with remaining cheddar.
5. Place in a baking dish, bake 20–25 minutes until tomatoes are tender and cheese is melted and golden. Serve hot.