Stuffed Tomatoes

Ingredients:
4 Large Tomatoes
1/2 onion, diced
1/3 cup Arborio Rice
Olive Oil
Basil or oregano leaves
salt

breadcrumbs
potatoes (optional)


Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
2. Cut the tops off the tomatoes and scoop out the insides, then chop up and reserve (along with all the liquid and seeds). 
3. Saute onion gently in olive oil until soft.
4. Add arborio rice to the pan and stir for a few minutes. 
5. Chop the tomato pulp and add all of it, plus 1/3 cup of water, to the onion and rice, 
6. Fold in a few torn basil or oregano leaves and a good sprinkling of salt, lower the heat and simmer the rice, covered, for 10 minutes. 
7. Spoon the par-cooked rice into the tomatoes and put them in a small, oiled baking dish.
8. Top with a few breadcrumbs and a drizzle of olive oil.
9. Bake for an hour and 15 minutes. The tomatoes will shrivel a bit. Let them cool for a bit before eating.

Suggestion: slice up potatoes and put them around the base of the tomatoes before putting them in the oven, as the Italians do.

Source: The Wednesday Chef