Tomato à la Provençale

This summery take on Julia Child’s classic Tomatoes à la Provençale celebrates 100 years of Le Creuset by reimagining the dish using Le Creuset mini cocottes. Inspired by the lasting quality of the cookware itself, heirloom tomatoes bring beauty, charm, and tradition to the table. The filling combines homemade breadcrumbs with finely chopped spring onions, plenty of garlic, and a generous mix of fresh herbs—perfect for showcasing peak-season tomatoes. Serve warm in mini cocottes for an elevated, individual presentation that feels both nostalgic and fresh.

1 large heirloom tomato

1 stale loaf of bread (Abby used a semolina loaf)

Salt

Pepper

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 green onions, finely chopped

2 tablespoon fresh basil, finely chopped

2 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped

¼ teaspoon fresh thyme

¼ cup olive oil, plus more for breadcrumbs

Parmesan cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 400°F. Remove the stems and cut the tomato in half crosswise. Using a spoon (or carefully with a knife) remove the seeds and juice from the tomato. Sprinkle the halves with salt and pepper.

Break apart stale bread into smaller pieces and add to a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper and coat generously with olive oil. Bake for about 15 minutes or until the bread is browned. Let cool and then transfer to a food processor and blend until you have breadcrumbs. For this recipe, don’t worry about having a few larger breadcrumbs in the mix to soak in the flavor of the olive oil, herbs and garlic. If you want a finer crumb, continue blending in the food processor. Add garlic, green onions, basil, parsley, thyme and olive oil to the food processor with the breadcrumbs and pulse a few more times until everything is combined.

Drizzle the inside of the Mini Round Cocotte with olive oil and brush until all sides are coated. Fill each tomato with the mixture and then drizzle with a few more drops of olive oil. Roast for about 8-10 minutes until tops are browned. Top with a little grated parmesan cheese (optional). Enjoy!

Note: This recipe will make breadcrumb filling for about 4 tomatoes. If you want to only make one tomato, you can quarter the recipe.