Rice-Stuffed Tomatoes

Tonight a friend came for dinner. Andy and I had decided to serve steak, but I was undecided on the sides. The final menu: steak, Zucchini-and-Summer Squash Gratin, and Rice-Stuffed Tomatoes. My inspiration for the stuffed tomatoes, which used the last of my market basket tomatoes, came from a couple of recipes. The end result was just right! I'm sad that it will be next summer before we have this dish again, but I'm looking forward to it. We had this as a side, but it would also be a great main dish. Enjoy!

Rice-Stuffed Tomatoes
2 garlic cloves, minced and divided
Olive oil
1/2 cup arborio rice (Long-grain rice, cooked according to package directions, may be substituted.)
1 1/2 cups water
4 tomatoes
Salt and pepper
1 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled

1. Sauté 1 garlic clove in hot oil in a saucepan for 1 minute. Add in rice, and cook, stirring constantly, 3 minutes. Add in water, and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook rice, stirring often, 15 minutes or until done and moisture is absorbed.
2. Slice the stem end off each tomato. Use spoon to scoop out tomato pulp into a bowl. Place tomatoes in a baking dish; drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
3. Combine cooked rice and tomato pulp. Stir in remaining garlic clove, basil, oregano, Parmesan, and bacon; season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Spoon rice mixture into tomatoes. Spread remaining rice mixture around tomatoes in baking dish.
5. Bake at 350° for 40 minutes or until tomatoes are softened.