This recipe comes from Paolo Lavalle of Frall Foods.  Paolo is an organic farmer, who runs a CSA, vends at farmers markets, and sells to restaurants.  Paolo is also a caterer, Pesto/Tomato Sauce/Pasta-making guru, and has a heart the size of a giant pumpkin!

Kale and Cauliflower Tomato cups

A few words from Paolo: At the peak of their freshness, tomatoes and kale are two of the most nutritious ingredients. This is a dish that can be made any time of year or enjoyed when all of the bounty is in our backyard.  I first discovered this recipe flipping through a food and drink magazine, and decided to modify it slightly.  The heat from the stuffing and the coolness of the tomato create a great appetizer or party finger food that everyone can enjoy.

What you need:

12 medium size tomatoes

1 bunch of kale

½ head of cauliflower

½ stick of garlic butter (or olive oil and garlic for a vegan version)

What to do:

  • Wash and chop cauliflower into 1-2cm pieces
  • Wash and slice kale into 2cm strips
  • Slice tops off of tomatoes and scoop out the insides saving them for later
  • Put hollowed out tomatoes aside
  • In a medium size frying pan begin melting all of the butter
  • When butter has just begun to brown add the tomato insides
  • Let cook for about 1 minute to let all the juices blend with the butter
  • Add in your cauliflower and kale
  • Cook for about 6-7 minutes on a medium setting
  • Scoop out the kale and cauliflower and stuff the tomatoes

About Paolo Lavalle:

Upon first working at a restaurant at age 15, I quickly realized that food was definitely a life path for me. Food became an obsession, and I started educating myself on the best techniques in the industry. After graduating from Humber College in Hospitality Management and studying gastronomics and regional cooking in Italy, I started organic farming in Ontario. Once I started farming with an amazing team and unbelievable mentors I knew that I had found the right path for me. Living in one of the most agriculturally productive areas in Canada, it was clear that I needed to focus on growing food to see if I could one day realise my goal of having my own sustainable restaurant.  After the life changing summer of farming, I was lucky enough to have the capacity to start Frall Foods which has now grown from a CSA operation to a full food production business.  While still in our infancy we have fed hundreds and hundreds of families through our CSA, and countless others at markets, as well as having a prepared food line and local farm to fork catering projects.  We also donate several thousand dollars worth of fresh local organic produce to various social programs in the GTA.

Getting to where I am today was only made possible by the few amazing individuals with whom I have been lucky enough to meet and form great relationships. Farming has been the single greatest step in my food journey and I continue to love it more everyday!

This post is part of the HH “Recipes We Love From People We Love” series, featuring recipes to make with local, seasonal produce.