Lamb-Stuffed Tomatoes, Middle Eastern Style

Ingredients

• 12 8-ounce tomatoes
• 1 1/2 pounds ground lamb
• 1 large onion
• chopped
• 3/4 cup unsalted matzo meal
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric

Instructions

1. Stand tomatoes on stem ends.
2. Cut off top 1/4 of tomatoes (reserve tops for another use).
3. Using melon baller, scoop out seeds and pulp from tomatoes.
4. Sprinkle insides of tomatoes lightly with salt.
5. Place tomatoes, cut side down, on paper towels and drain 20 minutes.
6. Preheat oven to 350F.
7. Lightly oil 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish.
8. Mix lamb and all remaining ingredients in large bowl to blend.
9. Fill tomatoes with lamb stuffing, mounding slightly at top.
10. Arrange tomatoes in prepared dish.
11. Bake tomatoes until stuffing is cooked through and meat thermometer inserted into center of stuffing registers 160F, about 1 hour.
12. Let stand at least 10 minutes.
13. Serve tomatoes warm or at room temperature.