Fresh Tomato & Basil Stuffed Peppers ♥

Stuff me! That's what every vegetable is shouting right now. And I'm listening!

Earlier this week, I stuffed eight-ball zucchini with rice 'n' stuff but these are a whole 'nother take, peppers with fresh tomato and other garden goodness.

SAN MARZANO TOMATOES For the first time, I found fresh San Marzano tomatoes. They have the meatiness of a Roma so are good for stuffing. And taste-wise they are VERY good -- I can't put my finger on it, but they are definitely different, startlingly so at first, then you just want to gobble them up and can't really tell.

KITCHEN NOTES The muddled-red peppers looked pretty but the green ones tasted better. Look for 'squatty' versus 'tall' peppers that are easier to stuff and stand upright.

NEXT TIME Next time I'll use smaller peppers, like a side dish, since one big pepper isn't all that appetizing to eat whole. I'll also chop the tomatoes so they pack better into the peppers.

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FROM THE ARCHIVES See the Recipe Box for more great vegetable recipes!

TWO YEARS AGO Tomato Cocktail ... "... this tomato cocktail is faintly sweet, almost fruity. It's frothy and refreshing."

TOMATO & BASIL STUFFED PEPPERS

Hands-on time: 20 minutes
Time to table: 60 minutes
Serves 2

2 peppers but easily multiplied

STUFFING, per pepper -- stuff in this order
1 ounce goat cheese or other soft cheese (I used my version of homemade Boursin which was VERY good)
Chopped parsley
Basil leaves
Chopped tomato
Sprinkle of black pepper
Sprinkle of dried thyme (important)
More basil leaves
Drizzle of olive oil
Another 1 ounce goat cheese, crumbled
More black pepper
More parsley

1/2 cup or so of white wine

Preheat oven to 350F. Slice off top 1/4 of pepper, along the crown line. Remove the membrane and seeds from both the top and the bottom. If needed, cut a very shallow slice on the bottom to help it stand straight.

Stuff the peppers, packing full and tight. (Mine didn't have enough stuffing.) Put on the 'top. Place in a shallow dish just large enough to hold the peppers and hold them upright. Pour the wine into the dish. Bake for about 40 minutes. Serve while hot.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
Per Serving: 268 Cal (56% from Fat, 19% from Protein, 25% from Carb); 14 g Protein; 18 g Tot Fat; 9 g Sat Fat; 6 g Mono Fat; 18 g Carb; 5 g Fiber; NetCarb13; 7 g Sugar; 127 mg Calcium; 4 mg Iron; 231 mg Sodium; 26 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 6 points

CREDIT WHERE CREDIT'S DUE Adapted from The Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook

SHORTHAND RECIPE
TOMATO & BASIL STUFFED PEPPERS Stuff peppers w 1oz chevre, parsley, fresh basil, chopped tomato, pepper, dried thyme, more basil, drizzle olive oil, 1oz crumbled chevre, more pepper, more parsley. Bake 350F for 40min with ½ c wine in dish. VV07

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How to eat more vegetables? A Veggie Venture is the home of Veggie Evangelist Alanna Kellogg and the award-winning source of free vegetable recipes with quick and easy favorite vegetable recipes, the Alphabet of Vegetables, Weight Watchers low-point vegetable recipes, the just-relaunched low-carb vegetable recipes and microwave vegetable recipes.