Choked up Summer ‘Maters

Usually when you think of good vegetables to stuff, you might think of peppers, eggplant, or squash. This recipe is a bit outside the box to help us cope with the bounty of 'maters (aka tomatoes) this time of year. It's really quite simple. Cut off the top 1/2 inch of each mater and scoop out the flesh. Stuff in your favorite filling and boom! You have impressed guests and made a fun meal.

The filling here has just a few ingredients: beans, artichoke hearts (from a can), a little onion and fresh pesto. The idea of pesto goes way beyond basil, pine nuts and gobs of oil. In fact, all you need is a bunch of fresh herbs and some kind of nut to make something packed with flavor.

Pesto

1 cup packed basil or arugula or any fresh herbs

1/4 cups nuts (we used almonds and sun flower seeds, but pine nuts or walnuts work too)

3 cloves garlic, smashed

2 teaspoons lemon juice

Salt to taste

1/3 package soft of silken tofu (5 oz.)

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

Filling

4 cups cooks white beans (or two cans)

One can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

1/2 onion, finely minced

6 large 'maters (slicing tomatoes)

Fresh herbs for garnish

Make the pesto by combining ingredients in a food processor and purée until smooth.

Combine the beans, artichokes, onion and pesto in a bowl.

Stuff the bean mix in the 'maters and top with fresh herbs.

CategoryVegan, VegetarianTags#pesto, #tomatoes, #whitebeans

Ingredients