Prepare the tomatoes: Preheat the oven to 375° F (190° C). Slice the tomatoes in half horizontally and place them cut-side up in a baking dish.
Add the toppings: Sprinkle each tomato half with fresh or dried herbs, garlic, salt, and pepper. Drizzle generously with olive oil. For a heartier dish, top with breadcrumbs, Parmesan, or Comté cheese.
Bake: Place the baking dish in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the tomatoes are tender and the edges are caramelized.
Serve: Let the tomatoes cool slightly before serving. Garnish with a little extra olive oil or herbs if desired.
Basil or fresh thyme is excellent as a topping when combined with fresh parsley.
Herbs de Provence is also a classic and fabulous topping. I often use dried Sicilian oregano as well. Both are delicious and evoke a pizza-like taste when baked with mozzarella or Parmesan cheese.
For a heartier version of tomatoes Provençal, add thick slices of fresh mozzarella, scamorza, or Comté cheese. Scamorza melts more than mozzarella, and while it may drip off the tomatoes, it creates a rich, flavorful cheese sauce at the bottom of the dish. Spoon the sauce over the tomatoes and serve with bread to soak up every delicious bite.
Breadcrumbs are also a great addition to tomatoes Provençal. Just sprinkle a thin to medium layer over the tomatoes, herbs, and cheese of your choice. When possible, use homemade breadcrumbs — they're lighter, easier to digest, and free from the preservatives and additives found in store-bought breadcrumbs.
Leftovers: One summer in France, we roasted chicken and potatoes for dinner. The next day, the chicken and potatoes were a little dry, so we topped them with leftover tomatoes Provençal and baked it all together — it was divine.
More uses: You can also add them to a salad, sandwich, or bruschetta, or purée them for a divine sauce to toss with pasta. Once the tomatoes are prepared, you can roll them into many other simple dishes.
