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 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 fresh 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. If this happens, 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 versions.
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.
Baked Tomatoes with Fresh Mozzarella and Basil
