Lindsey Nair

Features staff writer Lindsey writes about food, restaurants and recipes.

Recent columns

• Be sharp about knives
• What restaurant staffers shouldn't do
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Recipes

• Squash custard pie
• Espagnole sauce

• Recipe archive

1 Tbsp. olive oil (plus enough to grease baking dish)

1 cup chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped

¹₂ pound ground lamb

¹₂ cup uncooked white rice

2 Tbsp. pine nuts

¹₄ cup raisins

¹₂ tsp. salt

1 cup chicken broth

1. Cut the tops off the tomatoes and hollow out the inside using a spoon (a grapefruit spoon works well). Reserve the tomato pulp and tops.

2. Heat the oil, onion and garlic in a skillet over medium heat and cook, stirring, for about 15 minutes or until the onion begins to turn golden.

3. Add the lamb and 1 cup of the reserved tomato pulp and continue cooking for about 20 minutes, or until the meat is completely browned. Break up any clumps.

4. Mix in rice, pine nuts, raisins, salt and broth. Give it a few stirs, lower the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until the rice has absorbed all the liquid. Remove from the heat and set aside.

5. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Oil a baking dish. Fill the hollow tomatoes with the filling and stand them on end in the baking dish. If they don't stand up nicely, use a sharp knife to slice off a bit from the bottoms. Place reserved tops over filling.

6. Brush stuffed tomatoes with olive oil and bake for 30 minutes, or until the tomato is completely cooked and the filling is hot. Serve warm.