Butter bean tomatoes

Large tomatoes the size of a baked potato are what I use, but a few smaller ones can be used instead. In that case I would swap the butter beans for a smaller pulse, such as haricot beans. If you have some mixture left over then put it around the base of the tomatoes in the dish, then scoop it up and serve it alongside the tomatoes. Serves 4 as a main dish.

olive oil
onion 1 medium-sized
garlic 3 cloves
bay leaf 1
beefsteak tomatoes 4
chopped tomatoes 400g can
butter beans 400g can
red-wine vinegar 1 tbsp
basil leaves 8 large

Warm a couple of glugs of olive oil in a medium-sized saucepan. Peel and finely chop the onion and let it cook in the olive oil for 10 minutes or so, until soft and pale. Peel and finely slice the garlic, then add to the onion with the bay leaf and continue cooking for 5 minutes, until all is fragrant.

Slice the tops off the beef tomatoes and reserve. Loosen the inside of each tomato with a small knife, then, using a teaspoon, scoop the seeds and flesh out without tearing the skins. Put the empty tomato shells on a baking sheet. Chop the insides of 4 of the tomatoes and add to the onion mixture together with the canned tomatoes. (You can use the insides of all the tomatoes, but you may find yourself with too much stuffing.) Season generously with salt and pepper then leave to simmer for 10-15 minutes. Set the oven at 180C/gas mark 4.

Stir the butter beans, drained of their liquid, into the mixture. Add the vinegar and basil leaves, torn or shredded. Continue cooking for a couple of minutes. Spoon the mixture into the tomatoes. Top with their lids. You will have too much mixture, so spoon it around the tomatoes. Bake for 40 minutes, until they are on the verge of collapse.

Recipe by Nigel Slater in the Guardian.