Recipe transforms winter tomatoes into tasty side dish

Easy baked tomatoes are perfect any time of the year.

I would bet that I enjoy a fresh-off-the vine summer tomato more than most. And no one probably scorns the winter tomatoes with their pale, bland taste more than I do, either. So when I came across today’s recipe for Provencal Rosemary Tomatoes in an old recipe file of my mom’s, I was a bit skeptical that it would be worth trying until next summer.

But life often gives me opportunities to change my mind — and change the firm “rules” of previous years. So while looking for a simple and flavorful side dish, I sliced a few tomatoes in half and topped them with fresh breadcrumbs, rosemary, salt, and pepper and drizzled them with extra-virgin olive oil. Then I popped them in the oven and voila! An amazing, flavorful, full-bodied tomato taste with just the right amount of seasoning was the result.

Provencal Rosemary Tomatoes

Start to finish: 25 minutes

Yield: 6 servings

3 large ripe tomatoes, halved

1 slice hearty wheat bread

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray a small baking dish with nonstick cooking oil and arrange tomatoes in a single layer, cut side up. Set aside.

Using a small food processor, chop the bread, rosemary, salt and pepper together until the bread is in fine crumbs. Sprinkle the crumbs over the cut sides of the tomatoes, divided equally among them. Drizzle each tomato half with about 1/​2 tablespoon of olive oil. Bake for 20 minutes or until crumbs are golden brown and tomatoes are cooked through. Serve immediately.

Approximate values per serving: 92 calories, 7 g fat (1 g saturated), no cholesterol, 2 g protein, 7 g carbohydrates, 2 g dietary fiber, 127 mg sodium.

You can serve these delightful tomatoes at breakfast, lunch, or dinner, as they pair well with just about everything. Give this simple side dish a try and let me know what you think at www.kitchenscoop.com. I’d love to hear if you have a recipe that surprised you and changed your culinary opinion at alicia@kitchenscoop.com.