Baked Grape Tomatoes with Basil and Cornbread Crumbs

Gluten-free cornbread makes a perfect crumb topping

for savory baked dishes

As soon as I saw the recipe for Baked Cherry Tomatoes over at The Perfect Pantry I knew I would love it. Tiny tomatoes, fresh garlic, Italian herbs, olive oil, breadcrumbs. What's not to love? It's Mediterranean cooking at it's simplest and most sublime. I've tweaked the recipe (adapted from Faith Heller Willinger's Adventures of an Italian Food Lover according to Lydia, one of the best cooks I know, by the way) to make it gluten-free, of course. There's not a speck of gluten in my version. But you'd never guess. Which makes this easy-to-create side dish an instant top ten favorite for pot lucks and picnics and any number of anxiety inducing gatherings we gluten-free goddesses fret about.

Seriously. Serve this heavenly dish without a whisker of apology. Don't even bother mentioning its gluten-free and vegan status. These Italian baked tomatoes are so tasty you'll be asked for the recipe. By gluten eaters. By carnivores. I promise.

In place of plain bread crumbs (a definite no-no for gluten-free folks) I used a wedge of my Yeasted Quinoa Cornbread to make tender golden crumbs that taste like polenta. For the tomatoes I used both yellow and red organic grape tomatoes (to me they're slightly sweeter than cherry tomatoes; but use what you can get; both are delicious baked). And for the oregano I used basil. Just because.

Baked Grape Tomatoes Recipe with Basil and Cornbread Crumbs

Lydia points out that cherry tomatoes are available in markets year-round. So you can indulge now. And not only that, I would add, cherry and grape tomatoes are tasty year round. A big plus for those of us longing for the juicy robust tomatoes of summer. Consider this a sneak preview of some fabulous summer eating.

3 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
30-40 yellow and red grape or cherry tomatoes (depending on size)
1 slice of cornbread or a corn muffin (to make 1/3 to 1/2 cup crumbs)
2 teaspoons dried basil
Fine sea salt
Fresh black pepper
Fresh basil chiffonade and leaves, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Slice a garlic clove in half and rub the cut sides on the bottom of a 9-inch glass pie plate. Drizzle a little olive oil in the bottom.

Cut the tomatoes in half. I sliced the tomatoes both ways- lengthwise and widthwise- for variation.

In a food processor, process all the garlic till minced. Dump out onto a plate. Process the cornbread (or corn muffin) until you achieve an even crumb. Add in the dried basil, sea salt. Pulse to combine. Add in the minced garlic. Pulse. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of the olive oil into the crumbs and pulse briefly to distribute.

Place half of the grape tomato halves into the pie plate, split side up. Snuggle them in.

Sprinkle with the seasoned cornbread crumbs. Top with the remaining tomato halves, cut sides down, rounded side up. Drizzle a little more olive oil over the tomatoes.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, until tender.

These beauties can be served hot from the oven, warm, or at room temperature. Garnish with fresh basil chiffonade. (Chiffonade is a fancy word for rolling up several basil leaves like a cigar and slicing crosswise.)

Serves 4.

Karina's Notes:

We served a big scoop of these tomatoes on top of split baked potatoes. An easy and fabulous vegan supper.

These would also be amazing on a bed of simple pasta tossed in olive oil.

This summer I'm going to serve this dish picnic style, at room temperature. It would be perfect with grilled salmon.

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