Tomatoes Stuffed with Italian Sausage

Ah Paris! Already more than a month in the past, it now seems like a dream.

On our last day, we noticed sausage-stuffed tomatoes at the Mediterranean deli across the street. We had plenty of food left, and although they looked delicious, my frugality once again maintained the upper hand.

I passed, thinking I could make them back in Wisconsin.

Tonight, the end of a sunny and breezy high summer day, I did just that. The result was July’s equivalent of a September favorite, stuffed green peppers.

Sausage-Stuffed Tomatoes

• 5-6 large tomatoes
• ½ pound spicy Italian sausage
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 3 tablespoons green pepper, chopped
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• dash herbes de Provence
• Pinch fleur de sel
• Dash pepper

Preheat oven to 350. Slice off the tops of the tomatoes. Gently remove the pulp, juice and seeds.

Brown sausage in olive oil, breaking into small pieces with wooden spatula. When sausage is brown, remove it and set aside. Add garlic, onion and pepper and cook until tender. Add sausage, thyme and herbs and cook over low heat for about 10 minutes. You may want to add a bit of tomato sauce or leftover spaghetti sauce for color.

Place tomatoes in lightly greased backing dish. Fill with sausage mixture. If there is some left over, place this in the dish, too.

Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. After about 15 minutes, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

I served this with French bread and an off-brand white shiraz that was peppery and berrylike on the tongue and oakey at the finish.