When I was a kid growing up in Canada, I remember the poor sardine being the reject of the canned food section. It didn’t have the mainstream acceptance tuna fish did nor did it get the chance to land on a pizza like its little cousin the anchovy. Although people did buy sardines, you never saw anyone eat them, you know what I mean?
When I moved to France, fresh and canned sardines definitely had more of a spot at the dinner table and that’s where I really started eating them more often. Still, outside the Med, they still have this smelly fish label and it is such a shame. It isn’t just full of good fats, vitamins and minerals, it also does not have any of the toxic metals bigger fish are known for. And they are good – sometimes I toss a few into a Greek salad, other times in sandwiches, but today, I want to share a more elaborate recipe I make when I have leftover rice: roast tomatoes stuffed with sardines, rice, fresh herbs, feta and rice. Served cold or lukewarm, they are a fantastic warm weather dinner – my only regret is to not make them more often!
Ingredients
- 6 roma tomatoes, halved and seeded/emptied
- 1 cup rice, cooked
- 1/3 cup feta, crumbled
- 1/4 cup fresh herb pesto
- 4 medium sized sardines (I usually use a small flat sardine tin), packed in olive oil
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- A dozen leaves fresh mint, chopped
- salt, pepper
Instructions
- Crumble the sardines and place in a bowl
- Mix in rice, feta, pesto and season with pepper
- Place the tomatoe halves skin side down on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper
- Sprinkle a bit of salt on the tomatoes (not the skin side, just the inside)
- Fill 6 of the halves with the sardine rice mixture
- Drizzle all the tomatoes with the olive oil and place in the oven for 25 minutes or until golden
- Take out of the oven and immediately place each empty tomato half on a stuffed one to keep the mixture moist
- Let cool and either serve lukewarm or refrigerate for at least an hour and serve cold, topped with chopped mint