Julia's Stuffed Tomatoes Provencal

Last Tuesday our living room was a veritable sea of tomatoes.
The sun was setting, and flooding the window to meet them...and all these little happy cherub orbs glowed in the gloaming.

One of our members, Paula, wrote in an email:

"The heirloom tomatoes are so beautiful...Ifeel guilty just gobbling them down and not making an artistic display of them."

Julia Child has the most DIVINE way of both gobbling them down and making an artistic display. Simply delicious...

Yield: 6 tomato halves
*3 large firm ripe tomatoes
*salt and freshly ground pepper
For the Stuffing:
*1 to 1 and a half cups fresh bread crumbs
*2 Tbs minced shallots
*1 tsp herbes de provence
*3 Tbs freshly grated parmesan cheese
*2-3 Tbs fresh parsley
*3-4 Tbs olive oil
Equipment:
A shallow baking dish, lightly brushed with olive oil

1. Set a rack on the upper-middle level and preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Core the tomatoes and cut them in half cross-wise. Over a plate or a bowl, squeeze each half gently to force out the seeds and juice. With your fingers, clean the cavities of any clinging seeds. Arrange in the baking dish cut side up. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

3. Stir together the bread crumbs, shallot, dried herbs, grated cheese, and chopped parsley in a small bowl. Add 2 or 3 Tbs olive oil, tossing well to moisten the crumbs evenly.

4. Spoon the stuffing into the tomato halves, pushing it down into the cavities and mounding on top. Drizzle a scant tsp olive oil on top of each half.

5. Bake for approx. 20 minutes and serve hot. OOO LA LA.