stuffed tomatoes

We're just over the peak of the tomato season here, but we've still got some big beautiful red fruits rolling in with our CSA share. I like to use the most perfect ones for slicing, tomato salads, or for stuffing. This recipe is best used with large tomatoes that aren't TOO ripe yet, so they don't fall apart while baking.

Stuffed Tomatoes

4 large round tomatoes
with flat bottoms
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
2 T olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 shallots, diced
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup orzo pasta (or other
small pasta)
1 3/4 cup vegetable broth
1/2 tsp oregano
3/4 cup grated Daiya
mozzarella

Cut the tops off the
tomatoes, in a circular
motion wide enough for
scooping and stuffing.
Then scoop out the
middles of the tomatoes
with a spoon (you can save
it for soup or sauce if you'd
like).

Sprinkle the kosher salt
into thebottom and sides of each tomato. Allow them to sit for a few minutes. Then turn them all upside down and let them drain for 10-15 minutes while you prepare the stuffing and preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium pot, heat olive oil, onions, shallots & salt over low heat. Cook until soft. Add orzo pasta, vegetable broth & oregano. Stir, bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to low. Allow to cook about 10 minutes, stirring once or twice. If you need to add any extra liquid, do so in very small amounts, like 1/4 cup at a time (kind of like making a risotto).

Turn off heat. Stir in 1/2
cup of the Daiya mozzarella
to the orzo mixture. Spoon
into the tomatoes. Place the
tomatoes in a deep baking
dish. Top with remaining
Daiya cheese. Cover and
bake for 20 minutes.

Remove
cover
and
bake
for
ano-
ther
five
minutes
then
remove
from
the
oven
and
allow
to
cool
for
a few
minutes
before
serving.

You can also stuff the tomatoes with a rice pilaf mixture, or some cous cous. Or to make it gluten-free, use quinoa or rice. This recipe is also soy-free.

First Food!

First a leftover from friday...I think I'm finally figuring out this new camera, sigh.
Ryan's lunch: julienne sesame salad over udon noodles; green beans; peanuts; carrots; mini creme cheese & jam sandwiches.

Saturday was AJ's 5th
birthday party.
He asked for a chocolate
cake with chocolate
frosting & chocolate
chips!!! It's a good thing
most of it got eaten at the
party because chocolate
cake is my favourite!
His party was at the
Discovery Children's
Museum in Acton.
I just couldn't face
a party of 10 boys
at our house in the
winter.


Here's Maia waiting patiently in the car for everything to be loaded for the ride home again.

Sunday I took Maia's
"day before 6 months"
photos. I have photos
of all the kids at this
age in black & white
in our bedroom.


She loved playing with
toys on the bed. She
also loves the flower
rattle that I had when
I was a baby.




Monday:
Ryan's lunch: leftover burrito & guacamole from Acapulcos (from AJ's birthday dinner on sunday); broccoli; honeydew melon.

AJ had his first turn
the class bear "Coop
Bear" from preschool.
He was very happy to
dress him in his pjs &
introduce him to his
giraffe at bedtime.

Tuesday:

Ryan
stayed
home
"sick",
which
I later
figured
out
was
his
attempt
not to
miss
Maia's
first
try of
food,
even
though I'd told him I'd wait until he was home.
AJ's snack (in his new Mario bento): mushroom pizza; mini pumpkin muffin; honeydew melon; Simply Booty.
Nate's
lunch:
a pickle;
mini
pumpkin
muffin;
a carrot;
broccoli
& onion
pizza;
honeydew
melon.







I steamed part of our last butternut squash from the farm for Maia's first taste of food...

"So where are the toys?"










"What's this stuff?"








"Um, I don't know about this."











"You want it, help yourself."








"Please take this stuff away!"








Apparently gnawing on a
banana is right up her
alley though. Sigh.

And for those of you
without kids...banana
comes out the other end
looking like little red/brown
worms in the beginning...
eeeew!


Wednesday:

Ryan's
lunch:
apple-
sauce;
chocolate
peanut
butter
sandwich
rolls;
grapes;
mini
pumpkin
muffin;
carrots;
peas &
corn;
honeydew
melon.
AJ's snack: Tings;
creme cheese & jam
snowflake sandwich;
grapes; carrots;
honeydew melon.




Thursday:
Ryan's lunch: mini banana blueberry muffin; carrots; rice triangle; grapes; cucumber salad; peanuts.

AJ's
snack:
grapes;
cucumber
salad;
mini
pumpkin
miso
muffin;
rice
flower.

Nate's
lunch:
mini
banana
blue-
berry
muffin; mini pumpkin miso muffin; grapes; cucumber salad.

Here's my version of cucumber salad that the boys all ask for:

Cucumber Salad

2-3 large cucumbers (I prefer the long thin english variety, or fresh from the farm, because there's no wax coating)
2 T. soy sauce
1 T. rice vinegar
1 tsp. grated ginger
1/2 tsp. mirin or agave nectar

Slice cucumbers thinly (I like to use a mandoline). Mix remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Pour over cucumbers.

Friday:
Ryan's lunch: spicy baked tofu over rice (with a snow pea garnish); yellow mini gel cup; carrots; mango slices; broccoli.

The boys go bonkers for my spicy baked tofu...feel free to double the amount of tofu & increase the sauce by 50% if you're serving a table full of tofu hounds!

Spicy Baked Tofu

2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
2-3 scallions, chopped
2 tsp. grated ginger
1/2 tsp. hot sauce (I make my own from fresh hot peppers in the summer, but bottled will do)
3 T. soy sauce
2 T. cooking sherry
2 T. rice vinegar
1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1 T. sesame oil
1 tsp. chili oil (optional)
1 package water-packed tofu

Prehear oven to 400 degrees.
Mix all but the tofu in a glass baking dish.
Cube tofu into small bite-sized pieces. Toss together with the sauce.
Bake for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.