Herb-Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes

📝 Ingredients

• 32 large cherry tomatoes (about 18 g each)
• 200 g fromage frais, 3% fat
• 100 g plain cream cheese (about 22% fat)
• 10 g fresh chives + 5 g fresh basil
• ½ unwaxed lemon (zest + 1 tsp juice)
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds
• 40 g crackers (about 8 crackers)
• Salt, black pepper

🍴 Utensils

• Fine sieve
• Frying pan
• Paring knife
• Teaspoon
• Piping bag or freezer bag
• Bowl

📖 Steps

1. Tip the quark into a fine sieve set over a bowl, or into a coffee filter, and leave to drain for 20 min in the fridge: it needs to thicken so it holds in the tomatoes without running. Discard the whey collected.
2. Meanwhile, slice a thin lid off the top of each cherry tomato and, if needed, a very thin slice off the bottom so it stands up, without piercing it. Scoop out the inside with a small spoon or the tip of a knife.
3. Lightly salt the inside of the tomatoes and turn them upside down on a double layer of kitchen paper for 15 min to release their water: this is what prevents a soggy filling.
4. Toast the sesame seeds for 2 to 3 min in a dry frying pan over a medium heat, stirring constantly, until golden and fragrant. Tip them straight onto a plate to stop the cooking.
5. Finely snip the chives and basil. In a bowl, mix the drained quark, cream cheese, herbs, lemon zest and juice, then season with salt and pepper. Whisk with a fork until you have a smooth cream.
6. Put the cream into a piping bag or a freezer bag with one corner snipped off. Fill each tomato, forming a small dome, then spread the rest of the cream on the crackers.
7. Sprinkle the tomatoes and crackers with the toasted sesame, then keep in the fridge until serving, 2 h maximum so the tomatoes stay firm. Serve well chilled, with cocktail sticks for spearing if you like.