This could easily be served to meat-eaters without an eyelash being batted, it’s a delicious, intensely flavoured dish that goes really well with a Merlot – I tried it with Drostdy-Hof and it was a good match.  It’s rich and mouth-filling with lots of berries and a slight tannic background that matches well with the mushrooms and cheese.

drostdy-hof, merlot, south african wine, south africa uncorked, vegetarian recipes, tomatoes,

Serves 4, prep time 15 minutes, cooking time 6-8 minutes

Ingredients

4 beef tomatoes

400 ml of double cream

2 courgettes, finely sliced

2 red peppers, finely chopped

75g white button mushrooms, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

200g of freshly grated gruyere cheese

Glug of olive oil for frying

Salt and pepper

Handful of fresh rocket leaves to serve splashed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/mark 3

2. Skin the tomatoes by incising a cross on the bottom and plunging them into boiling water for 30 seconds, then into iced water.  Slice off the tops and put to one side.  Scoop out the pulp carefully, minding not to break the flesh and put to one side.  Season the cavities well.

3. Put the cream in a heavy based pan and bring slowly to the boil, reducing the volume by half.

4. Meanwhile,  heat a little oil in a large frying pan and gently fry the courgettes, peppers and garlic, until soft (about 5 minutes).

5. Add two thirds of the cheese to the reduced cream and stir until it melts.  Fold this mix into the fried veg.

6. Divide the filling between the tomatoes, top with the remaining cheese and sit the lids back on top.  Put onto a baking tray and pop into the oven for 6-8 minutes.

Serve with boiled or steamed rice or some crusty bread, and a glass of merlot.  Enjoy!