Recipe: Tomato Vertis (baked tomatoes with vegetable stuffing, 1970's)

TOMATO VERTIS

8 large, firm tomatoes
1/2 pound raw spinach (or 2 packages 10-ounces-each frozen chopped spinach)
2 carrots
1 green bell pepper
1 medium onion
3 large stalks celery
3 sprigs parsley
3 tablespoons butter
1 egg, beaten
1 cup dry bread crumbs
Milk (as needed)
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup grated cheese

Scoop out tomatoes, reserving the pulp. Turn tomatoes upside down to drain. If using frozen spinach, thaw and drain well.

Chop all vegetables very fine, including the tomato pulp. Simmer vegetables in butter until slightly browned.

Add eggs, crumbs, and up to 1/2 cup milk (if the filling is quite moist, don't add more than 1/4 cup milk). Add salt and pepper.

Fill the tomatoes with vegetable mixture. Sprinkle top with grated cheese. Place tomatoes in greased baking dish.

Bake at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes.

Makes 8 servings
Source: The Settlement Cookbook, 1976