Parmesan Baked Tomatoes

The frost is almost upon us!  That means it’s time to harvest the herbs!

I work at The Celtic Cup Coffee House in the small town of Tullahoma, Tennessee.  I don’t have my own herb garden, but The Celtic Cup does.  I love getting to use the fresh herbs when I bake quiches, casseroles, and savory scones.

Today I harvested all the basil for the winter months.  If you’ve never processed herbs before, you probably think it’s really complicated.  At least, that’s what I used to think.  I know there are a couple different ways to do it.  Drying herbs actually does take a while, so I prefer freezing them.  I think it preserves the flavors better, too.  It’s really a lot easier and faster than I imagined.  All you have to do is snip the entire plant, wash, pluck the leaves, and freeze  on a towel-lined sheet pan.  After about half an hour, the leaves should be stiff enough to store in a plastic freezer bag for the winter.  It’s that simple!

While we’re on the subject of basil, last week I made some delicious parmesan baked tomatoes.  I love how all the local markets are just bursting with fresh fruits and veggies from the garden this time of year.  I bought some beautiful plump red tomatoes and thought I would get creative.  All they needed was some leftover basil pesto and a hearty sprinkle of cheese.  Voila! Parmesan baked tomatoes! So fast and simple, but delicious and comforting.  They taste like pizza!  You can make them as a side dish or just a healthy snack.

I’m not religiously gluten free or anything, but I think I feel better when I stay away from bread.  So, to accompany the tomatoes, I baked some chicken and made fresh broccoli salad.  This broccoli salad was at my friend’s wedding last weekend.  It was so good I had to make it for myself.

Together it was the perfect guilt free/gluten free dinner!  It only takes about 30 minutes to make, so I hope this meal will find it’s way into your week as a tasty and stress free option!

Abby Hughes

Parmesan Baked Tomatoes

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Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

20 mins

A quick and tasty side dish or snack.

Author: by Abby Hughes

Recipe type: Side Dish

Serves: 12 slices

Ingredients

• 3 ripe medium tomatoes
• ½ cup basil pesto
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 415 degrees.
2. Thick slice the tomatoes and place on a parchment-lined sheet pan
3. Spread about a tablespoon (more or less to taste) of basil pesto on each slice.
4. Bake for about 8 minutes.
5. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese on top and broil on high until the cheese is lightly browned (about 4 minutes).
6. Enjoy!

3.5.3226

Broccoli Salad

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Prep time

15 mins

Total time

15 mins

A light brunch or dinner side.

Author: Adapted by Abby Hughes

Recipe type: Side Dish

Serves: 8 servings

Ingredients

• 1 head broccoli
• 1 head cauliflower
• 1 medium red onion
• ½ c. Craisins (dried cranberries)
• ½ c. roasted unsalted sunflower seeds

Dressing

• ¼ c. sugar
• ¼ c. white distilled vinegar
• ½ c. mayo
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. pepper

Instructions

1. Chop broccoli and cauliflower into small bite-sized pieces.
2. Small dice red onion.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, vinegar, mayo, salt, and pepper.
4. Add chopped broccoli, cauliflower, onion, craisins, and sunflower seeds.
5. Toss to coat all ingredients.
6. Enjoy!

3.5.3226