Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes

Summer. The garden is exploding and I am harvesting and canning and giving away produce with the energy of a woman who believes that abundance should never be hoarded. Tomatoes to everyone. Peppers to the brave. Herbs to anyone who promises to use them within the week. The Sapelo peppers are magnificent — fifth generation, fully established, producing more than ever. Pearl's peppers have found their permanent home.

I've been thinking about the second book. Not casually anymore — seriously. The first book was recipes and stories. My food, my life, my voice. The second book would be different: other people's stories. The stories of the people who cook. Mrs. Crawford and her late husband Henry and the meals she used to make before she stopped cooking. Thomas and his wife's nutmeg and the cobbler that brought him back. Derek and the school lunch that changed his life. Gladys and the cobbler rivalry that is actually a love story. The women at the cooking class who found community around a pot.

The book would be called "The Table" or "Who Sits Down" or something I haven't thought of yet. It would be about the second half of feeding: not the cooking, but the eating. Not the stove, but the chair. Not what's on the plate, but who's holding the fork. Because food is only half the story. The other half is the person who receives it.

I told Kayla. She said, "Start recording." I said, "I need to think about it more." She said, "Granny, you've been thinking about it for six months. Start recording." She handed me the recorder. She knows me. She knows I will think about a thing forever unless someone puts the tool in my hand and says go.

I pressed record. I said, "Chapter one: Mrs. Crawford."

Now go on and feed somebody.

When you’re harvesting faster than you can think and the tomatoes are coming in by the basketful, the best thing you can do is turn them into something you can hand to somebody right now — no canning jars required. These Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes are exactly that: a recipe for a garden at full roar, for a woman with her hands full and her heart fuller. Pearl’s peppers are thriving, the recorder is running, and Chapter One has begun — and that calls for something you can pass around a table without any fuss at all.

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 0 min | Total Time: 20 min | Servings: 24 pieces

Ingredients

24 cherry tomatoes, rinsed and dried
4 oz cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons fresh basil, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh chives, finely chopped, plus more for garnish
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Hollow the tomatoes. Slice off the very top (stem end) of each cherry tomato. Use a small melon baller or the tip of a teaspoon to carefully scoop out the seeds and inner pulp. Place tomatoes cut-side down on a paper-towel-lined tray and let them drain for at least 5 minutes.
Make the filling. In a medium bowl, beat the softened cream cheese until smooth and fluffy. Stir in the basil, garlic, chives, lemon juice, salt, and pepper until evenly combined. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Fill the tomatoes. Transfer the cream cheese mixture to a piping bag fitted with a small star or round tip, or use a zip-top bag with one corner snipped off. Pipe the filling generously into each hollowed tomato, mounding it slightly above the rim.
Garnish and serve. Sprinkle each stuffed tomato with a pinch of fresh chives. Arrange on a platter and serve immediately, or cover loosely and refrigerate for up to 2 hours before serving.

Nutrition (per serving)

Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes — From a Garden That Gives Everything Away