Tomatoes taste great on their own, but when they are hollowed out, filled with a cheesy stuffing, and baked, they then become something truly special. Late summer tomatoes are perfect for this recipe, but this technique is also a great way to use out of season tomatoes because the filling and baking will help give them a boost of flavor. Technically, any size tomato that can be reasonably filled would work fine for this recipe. In fact, stuffing small cherry tomatoes, while arduous, would probably be lots of fun as a cocktail snack. But for this recipe, vine tomatoes are an ideal size. Vine tomatoes, also known as cluster tomatoes, are grown in greenhouses and commonly found in supermarkets. They have a nice red color, their stems are intact and they tend to be uniform in size which makes them ideal for this recipe. Despite their name, they are not technically ripened on the vine but, rather picked when they start to change color. Nevertheless, they tend to have a good tomato aroma and are a great size for stuffing. Tomatoes can be stuffed with meat like ground beef or lamb and seasoned rice for a heartier dish, but these cheesy tomatoes are an impressive side dish for any feast. The four cheeses used hereaged flavorful cheddar, nutty and creamy fontina, sharp salty parmesan, and sweet melty mozzarellaall go perfectly together. Paired with breadcrumbs for a great crispy topping, these cheesy tomatoes are hard to resist. Serve with grilled steak, baked chicken, or broiled fish.
