Barley Stuffed Baked Tomatoes

Summer has well and truly wound up now, except it my vegetable garden.

There are some remaining plants hanging on and still producing. There are just a few of the 40 planted tomato plants left in the vegetable garden now but they are that are continuing to bring me glorious sweet tomatoes.  I planted these remaining plants later than the others in the garden. This staggered planting approach is something that I will definitely repeat next year in order to prolong the harvests.

If you are wondering about the glorious color of these tomatoes that I used for the recipe – they are a Yellow Jubilee, an organic heirloom variety from a seed producer in my local area. The fruit has been large, juicy and perfectly sweet. I will be disappointed when they end over the coming weeks. For the time being we are enjoying this simple fresh flavor combination in the recipe below.

Barley Stuffed Baked Tomatoes.

 A simple combination of gorgeous flavors to enjoy the last of the Summer vegetable garden produce.

Author: Kyrstie Barcak - A Fresh Legacy

Recipe type: Entree

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• ¼ cup of barley - soaked in water for 2 hours
• Drizzle of olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic
• ⅓ onion - finely diced
• 3-4 pieces of pancetta - finely chopped
• 4 large fresh tomatoes
• 1 small capsicum - finely diced
• fresh basil leaves
• 1 tablespoon fresh Parmesan - shaved
• pinch salt

Instructions

1. Set the oven to 170 degrees
2. Add ½ cup of water to a saucepan and bring to the boil with the barley, cook until the water has been absorbed.
3. Drain any excess water from the barley and set aside in a mixing bowl
4. Add the oil, garlic, onion and pancetta to a warm pan and stir, cook until the onion becomes translucent and softened. While it is cooking complete the next steps
5. Slice the top off each tomato (to make a lid) and set it aside
6. Use a small sharp knife to hollow out the center of the tomato - leaving a wall around that outside that is greater than 1 cm in thickness.
7. Roughly chop the tomato that you have removed from the center of the tomatoes and add it to the bowl with the barley
8. Add the cooked onion, garlic and pancetta to the barley and stir to combine
9. Add the capsicum to the pan that was used for garlic and stir, cooking until it starts to soften (approximately 3-4 minutes)
10. Add the capsicum to the bowl with the barley and other ingredients and stir to combine. Add a pinch of salt to season
11. Place the tomatoes into a baking tray
12. Place a basil leaf (or two) into the base of each hollowed out tomato
13. Add a sprinkle of Parmesan to each of the tomatoes, on top of the basil
14. Add the barley mixture to fill each tomato
15. Drizzle with olive oil and cover with the lids
16. Cook in the preheated oven for 20 - 25 minutes until the tomatoes are releasing juice into the pan and look like they are starting to collapse
17. Serve with additional fresh basil leaves if desired.

Notes

*It is not a requirement to soak the barley prior to cooking but it does make the cook time faster.
Soaking time is not included in the preparation time
You will have some stuffing left over after filling the tomatoes - it makes a fabulous lunch the next day on it's own.

Stuffed tomatoes make a gorgeous side dish.  They take a little time to prepare but once you put the first piece into your mouth, the deep melding of the flavors will that time insignificant – time well spent.  You can make the preparation quicker by preparing the barley in the morning, or the day prior. The left over stuffing I enjoy the following day for a wholesome lunch.