This is an old Italian family recipe that I recently revisited in Bordeaux. The tomatoes there were so unbelievably beautiful that it was hard to stop myself from including them into every meal. They brought back childhood memories of when we would go to Rome in the summer to visit my aunt Mimma, and she would welcome us with her famous “pomodori ripieni di riso”, lovely plump tomatoes stuffed with rice, roasted till caramelised and crispy on the top. So good we would argue intensely(Italian style) over last one(dad would always win...). To fill these gorgeous French tomatoes, I decided to use a black Venus wholegrain rice, a food so rich in health benefits that it was prohibited to anyone other than royalty in ancient China! I mixed in some leftover millet for extra bulk and cooked the grains in the sweet flesh and juices scooped out from the inside of the fruits. Once they were roasted to perfection I served them in a pool of basil, spinach and pistachio pesto. It was very delicious to say the least. I hope Mimma would be proud. ❤️