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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
1

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

2

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

3

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