Today, I’m happy to share a recipe from the new Polish cookbook, Fresh from Poland: New Vegetarian Cooking from the Old Country by the award-winning photographer and food blogger, Michał Korkosz. The recipe is for Stuffed Tomatoes with Millet, Cinnamon, and Almonds or in Polish, faszerowane pomidory z kaszą jaglaną, cynamonem i migdałami. I also have a copy of Fresh from Poland to give away (more details on that below).
Fresh from Poland is unique for a couple of reasons:
- We often think of heavy meat dishes when talking about Polish food, but Michal has focused on vegetarian recipes that will appeal to everyone, taking recipes from his mother and grandmother and giving them a modern twist.
- The author is also the content creator at the food blog Rozkoszny.pl. The name means delightful in Polish and you can find the posts in English at rozkoszny.pl/en. In 2017, he won the Saveur Blog Award for best food photography (both Editors’ and Readers’ Choice), and he’s only 22! He has a great deal of credibility in the kitchen. I don’t remember where I read this, but he was baking professionally while still in high school. You have to love that!
Disclaimer: Please note that some of the links below are affiliate links and I will earn a commission if you purchase through those links.
copyright Michał Korkosz, used with permission
Where to find Fresh from Poland: New Vegetarian Cooking from the Old Country
You can find Fresh from Poland on Amazon, and also at Bookshop.com where a percentage goes to support independent bookshops.
As for the giveaway, the publisher has kindly offered to send a copy to one of my readers in the USA or Canada. In order to be eligible:
- Send me an email at lois@polishhousewife.com with the subject “Fresh from Poland.”
- In the body of your email, include your name and mailing address (USA and Canada only please).
- Your email must arrive by 12:01 AM MST on April 26, 2020. The winner will be selected randomly later that day.
Try Stuffed Tomatoes with Millet, Cinnamon, and Almonds
I have to agree with the author. Polish tomatoes are amazing, and this is a deliciously creative way to serve them. This is what he has to say:
I truly love Polish summer for its sweet tomatoes, which I eat sautéed or simply sprinkled with flaky sea salt. My favorites are large, bulky, and incredibly juicy—they’re perfect for stuffing. This slightly sweet filling with a millet base, flavored with cinnamon and dried apricots, is a tribute to Polish history. In the seventeenth century, using sweet spices in savory dishes was really popular in aristocratic courts. I would like to get back to this trend—cinnamon tastes wonderful, not just in apple pie.
I hope you’ll enjoy this dish. I hope you win the cookbook, but order one just to be sure you have it. It’s a great addition to your collection of Polish cookbooks just as it is mine. If you end up with two, it would make a great gift.
Smacznego!
Lois
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Polish Stuffed Tomatoes
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 40 min
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Vegetarian
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Polish
Description
A colorful vegetarin main dish
Ingredients
- 8 large heirloom tomatoes (about 3 pounds/1,350 g total)
- 2 tablespoons (30 g) unsalted butter
- 1 medium white onion (5 ounces/150 g), chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¾ cup (150 g) millet
- ½ cup (90 g) chopped dried apricots or dried figs
- ½ cup (60 g) slivered almonds
- 1½ cups (360 ml) Vegetable Broth (page 77)
- ½ cup (75 g) crumbled bryndza or feta cheese
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Slice off the tops of the tomatoes creating a 2½-inch-diameter (6.4 cm) opening at top. Set aside the tops. Using a melon baller or tablespoon, scoop out the tomato flesh, transferring the juices and pulp to a small bowl. Turn over the tomatoes, cut side down, onto paper towels to drain.
- Heat the butter in a large skillet. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic, cinnamon, and cayenne, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the millet along with the apricots, almonds, vegetable broth, and reserved tomato pulp. Cook over low heat, covered, until all the liquid has been absorbed, about 15 minutes.
- Place the cored tomatoes upright in a baking dish and season with salt and black pepper. Stuff the tomatoes with the millet mixture and top each one with some of the cheese. Top with the saved tomato tops. Drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the tomatoes are soft. Serve hot or at room temperature.
An accountant by trade and a food blogger since 2009, Lois Britton fell in love with Polish cuisine during the years she lived in Poznań, Poland. As the creator of PolishHousewife.com, she loves connecting readers with traditional Polish recipes. Lois has a graduate certificate in Food Writing and Photography from the University of South Florida. She is the author of The Polish Housewife Cookbook, available on Amazon and on her website.
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