Author Notes
Shaun and I took our first stab at integrating some creative media to the cooking process. If you haven’t checked out our short video yet, visit our blog at www.happyolks.com or at http://vimeo.com/13391828. This recipe was inspired by the two lovely heirloom tomatoes that we’ve had on the kitchen table, ripening to perfection, for the past few days and some micro-basil that I picked up at the North Park Farmers Market yesterday. I went looking for ‘regular’ basil, but a friendly representative from Suzie’s Farms encouraged me to try the mini version and I must say, what a treat! I had honestly never seen or tried anything like it before, and I encourage you to be on the look-out!
This recipe is honestly so easy. It has all the qualities of a fancy expensive restaurant entree, but is even better when you have the freedom to stuff it with what you really love. - Happyolks —Happyolks
Test Kitchen Notes
This is a versatile and delicious seasonal recipe: The soft, warmed goat cheese oozing into the flavorful stuffing is a divine combination. It is simple to make (I used a melon ball scoop to hollow out the tomatoes, very easy!), bakes for only 10 minutes, and makes a lovely presentation. The uncomplicated preparation suggests additional variations: mushrooms or fennel in the stuffing, rosemary and thyme with or without the basil, and rice or quinoa in place of the couscous. (I used a mixture of brown and white rice to make a gluten-free version for my husband.) - Apple Annie —The Editors
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Ingredients
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1 cup
plain cous cous
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2
beefy heirloom tomatoes
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1
large summer squash, grated
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1
bunch of rainbow chard, deveined and finely chopped (or) 2 cups packe spinach, chopped
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1/2
spring onion, minced
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2
cloves of garlic, minced
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2 cups
micro basil
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1/4 cup
pine nuts (optional)
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1/4 cup
chopped kalamata olives
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2 tablespoons
olive oil
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2 tablespoons
balsamic vinegar
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4 tablespoons
chevre cheese
Directions
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Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a medium sized pot, bring 2 cups of water and 1 cup of cous cous to a boil. Reduce heat to low and let simmer uncovered for 8 minutes. Check frequently that the cous cous is not sticking to the bottom of the pan, stirring when necessary. Remove from heat, add a little water and olive oil, and let sit covered for 4 minutes.
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On low heat, begin to saute the onions and garlic in the olive oil and balsamic vinegar. After a few minutes add the chard, squash, olives, basil and pine nuts if you’re using them. Grind in a little salt and pepper. Stir slowly to coat, do not let the contents start to “sizzle.”
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Add cous cous to the veggie mixture and stir to coat. Cover and let sit over low heat while you prepare the tomatoes.
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To see a demonstration on how to carve out the tomatoes, visit www.happyolks.com. -- shameless advertising :) :)
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Bring tomatoes and stuffing to the same work surface, and gently spoon in mix until about 3/4 full. Add a small dollop of the chevre, then add another heaping scoop of the stuffing to fill and cover the top opening.
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Sprinkle with fresh basil and a little salt. Bake for 10 minutes at 300 degrees in the middle rack of your oven. Serve immediately, and enjoy, and be happy!
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