So... I came home from the local market with fresh juicy red tomatoes and saved a few to fix this recipe from the popular book "Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone" by Deborah Madison.
Thanks to my daughter, I picked some fresh basil and parsley from her herb garden to use in the recipe.
This is a simple dish to prepare... perfect for family as well as guests.

You don't have to be vegetarian to enjoy these.
They would go perfectly with any grilled meat or fish.
Or... place in the center of a plate of pasta that is simply dressed with olive oil, garlic and a sprinkling of Parmesan.

4 medium or 8 small firm, ripe TOMATOES
3-4 cloves GARLIC, to taste
1 c. PARSLEY LEAVES, preferably flat-leaf
3 Tbsp. BASIL, chopped
3/4 c. BREAD CRUMBS, made from day old bread (just buzz in a food processor)
SALT and PEPPER
EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Lightly oil a gratin dish.
Cut the tomatoes in half around their equators and gently remove the seeds with your fingertips.

Chop the garlic, parsley and basil together, then mix them with the bread crumbs and season well with salt and pepper.
Lightly fill the tomatoes with this mixture, set them in the gratin dish and drizzle olive oil generously over their tops.

Bake for 30 minutes. They will be soft, so remove them carefully from the dish.

Bon Appétit!

Serves 4