A great way to handle good tomatoes that are not perfectly ripe and a great way to convert tomatoes to a cooked vegetable without much trouble.

　　

Ingredients

4 servings

　　4 medium to large tomatoes

　　1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

　　1 tablespoon minced garlic

　　1/2 cup bread crumbs, preferably homemade (page 580)

　　Salt and black pepper to taste

　　1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves

　　

Step 1

Core the tomatoes, then cut them in half horizontally. Over the sink, squeeze and shake them to rid them of their seeds and some of their juice.

　　

Step 2

Put the oil in a large skillet, preferably nonstick, with a lid over medium heat. A minute later, add the tomatoes, cut sides down; cook until they brown but do not burn, about 5 minutes, then turn. Combine the remaining ingredients and sprinkle the interior of the tomatoes with this mixture; sprinkle the outsides of the tomatoes with a little more salt and pepper.

　　

Step 3

Partially cover and cook until the tomatoes are tender, about 10 more minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.