SAUSAGE-STUFFED TOMATOES WITH TOMATO JUS

image MAKES 6 SERVINGS

MANY PEOPLE WHO HAVE NEVER visited Seattle envision it as a rain-cloaked, gray city for much of the year. The truth is: summer (and fall) days are often sunny and hot enough to grow some real-deal tomatoes. Come August, we end up having a real glut of them, which I realize sounds like an enviable problem, but I hate food waste. I always have to get a bit creative in using them up before any go bad besides making tomato sauce and slicing them up for salads. You want to choose a good-size, relatively firm tomato because you’re going to scrape the insides and strain them to make tomato gravy—a simple process that makes the whole house smell like a late summer farmhouse.

6 medium-size to large on-the-vine tomatoes

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 yellow onion, ¼-inch diced

1 zucchini, ¼-inch diced

1 green bell pepper, ¼-inch diced

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons sea salt

2 links Fennel and Garlic Sausage (here) or Field Roast Italian Sausage, crumbled

¾ cup vegan bread crumbs

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 sprigs oregano

1 teaspoon sugar

2 cloves garlic, minced

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Slice the top off each tomato. Using a spoon, scoop out the insides, membrane, and seeds, using a paring knife to separate the membrane from the rest of the tomato. Set the tomato shells aside. Place the insides in a fine-mesh sieve or screen over a bowl. Squeeze the contents through the sieve into the bowl and set aside, discarding any remaining solids.

2. In a skillet over medium heat, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil and add the onion, zucchini, bell pepper, black pepper, and salt. Sauté, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add the sausage and continue to cook for another 5 to 7 minutes, until the sausage is heated throughout. Remove from the heat. Add ½ cup of the bread crumbs and stir to combine. Using a spoon, equally divide the filling among the tomatoes until they are full, while gently pressing the filling to ensure each tomato is adequately stuffed.

3. In a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the juices from the tomatoes with the tomato paste, oregano, sugar, and garlic. Stirring occasionally, allow the mixture to reduce by a quarter. Remove from the heat and strain.

4. Arrange the tomatoes in a baking dish, top them with the remaining ¼ cup of bread crumbs, and drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of oil. Bake for 20 minutes.

5. Remove the tomatoes from the dish, and serve, ladling a small amount of the tomato juice mixture over each one.