Some people may have a dream before they die to take a cooking demonstration at the Culinary Institute of America in Napa Valley. Well, this was my second time to be treated to an incredible experience, one I am extremely grateful to Bush’s Beans for. This time I was cooking with some very talented chefs: Jeffrey Saad, Connie Guttersen, Michael Schulson and Daisy Martinez.

For the record, I am not a chef, I am a mom of 3 teens who loves to cook and throw dinner parties.


Bush’s Beans sponsored me and 7 other bloggers (She Wears Many Hats, Real Mom Kitchen, Mommy’s Kitchen, Dine and Dish, Good Life {eats}, Aggie’s Kitchen, and Tidy Mom) to an amazing time at the Meadowood in St. Helena, and then to a full day of cooking at the CIA. (You may have read my post back in March here, and here – again a fabulous trip.)

Blank Form (#3)

WANT TO SAVE THIS RECIPE?
Enter your email below and we'll send the recipe straight to your inbox (and more recipes sent weekly!)

And I mean a full day of cooking. I have to admit, I was exhausted when my husband joined up with the group and we enjoyed an amazing meal at the end of the day at the Restaurant at Greystone.

Today I want to share this really tasty recipe that uses Bush’s Cannellini Beans. It’s really easy, festive, and could be used for appetizers for the holiday season or even an early appetizer for Thanksgiving Day.

Bush’s Rosemary Scented White Beans in Baked Tomato
(Created for Bushs Beans by Daisy Martinez, Chef and Host of “Viva Daisy!”
Serves 6; takes 15 minutes to make and about 35 minutes to cook.

Ingredients
6 each large beefsteak or hothouse tomatoes
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup Spanish onion, finely diced
4 each garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup celery, finely diced
1/2 carrots, finely diced
1 1/2 fresh rosemary, minced
1 can BUSH’S Cannellini Beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
3/4 cup plain bread crumbs
Salt and pepper
2 Tbsp fresh parsley, minced
1/4 cup Manchego or Asiago cheese, finely diced
6 each fresh rosemary springs for garnish

Cut top (about 1″) off tomatoes and scoop out pulp; separate the seeds, leaving just the “meat” of tomato attached to the skin. Chop tomato pulp well and set aside. Drain tomatoes, upside down, on paper towels while you make bean mixture.


Place 2 tablespoons olive oil in medium skillet over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, celery, carrots and rosemary stirring until fragrant and softened (about 5 min.) Stir in chopped tomato pulp and beans into aromatic carrot, onion and celery mixture, bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer 15-20 minutes until slightly dryer.



Heat remaining olive oil (1 1/2 tablespoon) in small skillet over medium high heat. Add breadcrumbs and stir constantly until toasted, browned and fragrant. Season with salt and pepper. Add parsley and cheese to bean mixture stirring gently.

Spoon bean mixture into hollowed tomatoes. Top with toasted breadcrumbs and place tomatoes on a baking sheet. Bake at 400 for 10-15 minutes or until tomatoes are heated through. Garnish with sprig of fresh rosemary and serve.

Now don’t we look like we’re all having fun? We did have fun. We moved around in different groups working with a different chef each time.

I plan to share many more bean recipes with you over the next few months. My family and I were just talking about how we eat more beans now in place of meat. We feel better and we’ve been more creative with our cooking. We actually add the different variety of beans to everything – except for desserts. But there is a killer black bean brownie recipe. Did you know that?

Don’t you think these tomatoes are pretty? They are so tasty, I can’t wait to try a different variation maybe with bacon – making a BLT Baked Tomato!

What’s your favorite way to stuff a tomato?

(Bush’s Beans sponsored and paid for my trip to Napa Valley. And Miz Daisy Martinez is a Chef and Host of Food Network’s Viva Daisy! which celebrates life and family through food with a Latin spin. Oooh, and I did not know that she also is a columnist for Every Day with Rachael Ray and Selecciones magazines. She has a new book coming out this month, Daisy’s Holiday Cooking. All photography in this post was taken by Faith.)