Enjoy this traditional herbed dish when holiday hosting

Calendars tend to be full during the period between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. In addition to school concerts, work parties, shopping excursions, and tree lighting ceremonies, family gatherings are a great way to spread a bit of holiday cheer. Hosting for the holidays typically requires having foods and beverages on hand to keep guests jolly.

As most home cooks can attest, inspiration can fizzle when trying to come up with familiar flavors that will appeal to guests and offer that touch of “wow” when plated. “Pomodori Farciti all’Erbette” is an Italian dish of stuffed tomatoes with herbs. Although tomatoes are a New World food and were a favorite of Mesoamerican people since at least AD 700, explorers brought tomatoes back to Europe and they became quite popular there, especially in the cuisine of Mediterranean nations where tomatoes grew readily. Today they are enjoyed the across the globe and are an important component of many recipes.

Holiday entertainers can whip up this recipe for “Pomodori Farciti all’Erbette,” courtesy of “Tasting History” (Simon Element) by Max Miller with Ann Volkwein, for a tasty offering. Holiday celebrants may be happy to see that the red tomatoes with green herbs in the dish fit right in with their holiday decor color scheme!