Recipe: Honey-Baked Tomatoes with Crusty Topping

Honey-Baked Tomatoes with Crusty Topping
Source: On the Side by Williams-Sonoma
Serves 6

1 1/2 cups (3 oz./90 g) fresh bread crumbs
1/2 cup (4 fl. oz./125 ml) olive oil
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground pepper
6 Tbsp. (4 oz./125 g) honey
pinch ground nutmeg
6 ripe tomatoes

Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Spread bread crumbs on baking sheet, toss with 6 Tbsp (3 fl. oz./90 ml) of the oil, and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and pepper. Bake, stirring often, until golden and slightly crunchy but not hard, about 20 minutes. Set aside.

In a small saucepan over low heat, combine honey, remaining 2 Tbsp. oil, and nutmeg, and heat, stirring a few times, until warm and thinned to a brushing consistency.

Cut a slice off the stem end of each tomato. Place the tomatoes in a baking dish, stem ends up, and sprinkle evenly with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Brush the cut surface of each tomato with a little of the honey mixture, and then top each tomato with an equal amount of the bread crumbs, pressing them into the tomato.

Bake, basting with the remaining honey mixture several times, until the tomatoes are soft and lightly browned on top, 15-20 minutes.