Stuffed tomatoes with goat cheese and olive paste (Olive Tapenade)

 

Ingredients:

1 large tomato
30g soft goat cheese
parsley-finely chopped
30g Olive paste-Olive Tapenade

Olive Tapenade:

• 20 pitted Kalamata olives, coarsely chopped
• 1 Tbsp rinsed, drained, and chopped capers
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp anchovy paste (optional)
• Fresh cracked black pepper

You can buy ready-made olive paste from your local supermarket,but personally I prefer to make it at home. It’s quick and easy and you can play with the seasoning.
Preparation:
Combine Kalamata olives, capers, lemon juice, olive oil, anchovy paste, and pepper. Mix well. Refrigerate and use within two weeks.

 

Method:

Boil a large pan of water, and prepare a large bowl of cold water (the kitchen sink, half filled, is fine).

Remove the small green stalk from each tomato (if there is one).

Then with a good knife cut a cross in the top of each tomato.

When water is boiling, put two or three tomatoes in the pan. Leave them in for 20 seconds.

Note: If you leave tomatoes too long in boiling water, they will start to cook, and that’s not the goal.

The skin will split, starting from the top incision.

Remove them with a skimmer or a fork, and plunge immediately into cold water. Continue with all tomatoes.

Remove tomatoes from cold water, peel off the skin with a knife discard it.

Cut the top of the tomato and remove the seeds with a spoon.Dry it inside with a paper towel to completely remove any remaining moisture.

Mash the cheese with a fork and add seasoning and parsley.Fill the tomato with half of the cheese mix.Now add a 1cm layer of the olive paste.Finish with another layer of cheese.Cool and serve as a salad or appetizer.

Enjoy.