Italian Stuffed Tomatoes

It's just Bjorn and I for dinner tonight. We've decided on steaks and I wanted to add something different to the meal. Tomatoes, stuffed with a filling and topped with cheeses sounded interesting. But how to take a very classic steak house side and give it some oomph was the question. Italian herbs and cheese are a no brainer when it comes to tomatoes. My kitchen garden runeth over right now in the herb department. I took a stroll around the yard and gathered basil, italian parsley and oregano. Here's how it all came together.

Serves 2

2 large beefsteak tomatoes
1 chibata roll or 3 pieces of french bread cut into chunks
1 clove garlic
5 basil leaves
1/4 italian parsley leaves
1 teaspoon oregano leaves
2 tablespoons parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
extra virgin olive oil
2 slices of provolone cheese

Preheat oven to 375. Spray a baking dish with cooking spray.Cut the top off of each tomato making a large hole. Using a melon baller, scoop out the insides of each tomato leaving a thick wall intact on each tomato. Set the tomato pulp aside. In a food processor, pulse the bread and garlic until crumbs form. Open the processor and add the herbs, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper, tomato pulp and 2 teaspoons of olive oil. Pulse again until all are combined. Fill the tomaotes with the filling, packing it down with the back of a spoon as you go. Cut a circle from each slice of provolone and place it over the top of the tomato.(I use a small drinking glass or one of my measuring cups to do this.) Drizzle olive oil over all. Bake for 25- 30 minutes or until cheese has melted and the tops are brown.