From the Essential Pépin tv series, Episode 113: Vegetable Bounty
My mother used to make dishes like this when she had a little stale bread on hand and some leftover meat from a roast or stew. Most any meat — beef, veal, pork, or ham as well as chicken — will work, adding a little richness to the stuffing and transforming leftovers into a fresh new dish. The tomato insides make a delicious sauce for the stuffed tomatoes, which can be served as a first course, or as a main, preceded by a soup. —Jacques Pépin
Serves 4 as a first course
4 ounces leftover country-style bread, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (2 cups)
3/4 cup room-temperature water
6 ounces leftover meat from a roast (pork, veal, or beef) or cold cuts, coarsely chopped (2 cups)
1/4 cup chopped onion
4 scallions, trimmed (leaving some green) and coarsely chopped (1/2 cup)
2 mushrooms (about 3 ounces), cleaned and coarsely chopped (1 cup)
3 garlic cloves, crushed and chopped (2 teaspoons)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 large egg
4 large tomatoes (about 2 pounds)
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.