No blues on Monday

It's amazing what a sense of accomplishment results from something as simple as cooking dinner and feeding your family. I've been too long away from kitchen, burying my need to cook under the busyness of grad school first, then the demands of a new job. There is such sweet satisfaction in the licorice smell of fresh basil, the tangy green of parsley, and the brightness of lemon offset against the sharp bite of Parmesan cheese.

Tonight's dinner, all from Barefoot Contessa: Family Style, was Parmesan Chicken, hearts of romaine with Lemon Vinaigrette, and Provencal Tomatoes. These dishes complimented each other nicely, with the Parmesan in the tomatoes echoing, but not really repeating, the Parmesan in the chicken. It went together fairly quickly once the prep work was done. Somehow, I got my skillet too hot and had a hard time cooling it down, so once the chicken was browned, I put it in the convection oven heated to 325 degrees for about 15 minutes--just for insurance. While the chicken finished in the oven, I cleaned up the kitchen, dressed the greens with the Lemon Vinaigrette, and prepared to plate the meal.

My husband's comment was that the meal just tasted fresh and healthy, and was absolutely correct. I loved the vibrant taste of the vinaigrette against the more solid flavor of the chicken, and spooned some extra over my portion. I'm looking forward to leftovers for lunch tomorrow.

Provencal Tomatoes

Copyright 2002 by Ina Garten

6 ripe tomatoes (2 1/2 to 3 inches in diameter)
1 1/2 cups fresh white bread crumbs (5 slices, crusts removed)
1/4 cup minced scallions, white and green parts (2 scallions)
1/4 cup minced fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup grated Gruyere cheese
Good olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cut the cores from the tomatoes, removing as little as possible. Cut them in half crosswise and, with your fingers, remove the seeds and juice. Place the tomato halves in a baking dish.

In a bowl, combine the bread crumbs, scallions, basil, parsley, garlic, thyme, and 1 teaspoon salt. Sprinkle the tomato halves generously with salt and pepper. With your hands, fill the cavities and cover the tops of the tomatoes with the bread crumb mixture. Bake the tomatoes for 15 minutes, or until they're tender. Sprinkle with the cheese, drizzle with olive oil, and bake for 30 seconds more. Serve hot or at room temperature.

You can prepare the tomatoes and filling and refrigerate them. Bake just before serving.