Grilled Tomatoes are Great!
I used to hate the cooked tomatoes my mom made (sorry Mom!). But grilled tomatoes I like! There’s something about the texture of a tomato grilled over high, direct heat that brings a special flavor from these flavorful fruits.
My mom regularly made batches of breaded tomatoes during the summer, especially after all the canning jars were full. I’m not sure of the recipe, but it looked like a mess to me. Tomatoes and bread, seasoned then mixed together and baked until it became a loose, red and white mass. Looked unappetizing to me, but Dad sure liked it!
When I got into grilling I tried grilling tomatoes, and found that cooked that way, they were actually rather appetizing! The first ones I grilled were just halved, then grilled cut-side up. Those were a little messy, because the seedy pulp made them too juicy.
I found that by removing the seed pulp before grilling, the tomatoes were much nicer off the grill. And when I found a few recipes for grilled stuffed tomatoes, I was in tomato heaven!
Grilling Tomatoes
Medium size round slicer tomatoes make good stuffers, but my favorite all around grilling tomato is the Roma. Romas are firm and have a minimal amount of pulp. Their shape lends well to cooking on the grill.
Try these tomato recipes too!
It takes only a few minutes to bring these luscious red fruits to the perfect state of doneness. Figure on 3 to 5 minutes grilling time, depending on the tomato size and whether or not they are stuffed.
If left on the grill too long, the tomatoes will become very soft, collapsing on the grate. Watch them closely to prevent this disaster!
Grilled Tomatoes Recipe
This recipe for cream cheese stuffed tomatoes is both easy and tasty.
- 4 medium Roma tomatoes
- 1/2 cup cream cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon Paprika
Rinse the Romas and cut in half lengthways. Using a teaspoon, scoop out the pulpy center. Season lightly with salt and pepper, then fill each of the halves with one tablespoon of cream cheese. A sprinkle of paprika on top boosts the flavor and improves the looks.
Grill the stuffed tomatoes over direct high heat for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the edges begin to bubble. Remove from the heat and serve immediately.
Grilled tomatoes make a great side dish for any barbecue meal, and they also make a dandy appetizer. Give ’em a try sometime!