Wednesday dinner, October 8

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Tonight I went to a cooking class taught by Marge Snyder, president of the Madison Herb Society in her home. The title of the class was Cooking with Herbs. There were ten of us in the class.

First we toured her garden and then had some Honeyed Feta Cheese with herbs & Bread while Marge talked about herbs and making your own blends.

Then we were off to the kitchen to make Herbed New Potatoes, Oven Roasted Vegetables (cauliflower, carrots, parsnips and brussel sprouts), Baked Tomatoes (this is what I worked on), Spice & Herb Rubbed Pork Tenderloin and Quick Fruit Turnovers.

Baked Tomatoes

4 tomatoes
salt
4 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup minced shallots
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cup panko crumbs
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs or 1 1/2 tablespoon dried
1-2 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a shallow pan with aluminum foil.
Halve tomatoes and remove the seeds. Lightly salt and drain upside down on paper towels for 5-10 minutes.
Heat 3 tablespoons oil and saute shallots and garlic until soft. Add crumbs and saute until golden. Remove from heat and add herbs, cheese and seasonings. Mixture should not be dry-- add more oil to bind if necessary. Spoon mixture into tomatoes, press gently. Can be made ahead and refrigerated, covered in plastic.
Place in prepared pan and bake for 10 minutes or until heated through and skins start to shrivel. Don't overcook or tomatoes will collapse.
Herbs to choose from: basil, dill, thyme, savory, tarragon, Italian herb blend, Herbes de Provence

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