Tomatoes Gervais

🍽️ COOKING THE MENU

A culinary journey through vintage cookbooks.

A classic French luncheon for summer tables.

One of the loveliest pleasures of summer is a perfectly ripe tomato. In this classic French luncheon recipe, fresh tomatoes are filled with a creamy herb cheese and served chilled alongside crusty bread and a simple green salad.

Tomatoes Gervais caught my attention because it felt familiar and surprising all at once. Stuffed tomatoes often appear baked, warm, or filled with breadcrumbs, but this version is cool, creamy, and wonderfully simple — the sort of recipe that feels made for a quiet summer picnic or a leisurely lunch by the sea.

“I tell stories… and they usually end with lunch.”

📖 From Bianca’s Vintage Bookshelf

Cookbook: Le Cordon Bleu Summer Cookery
Edition: 1971

This recipe is part of my Cooking the Menu series, where I cook through treasured vintage cookbooks and bring their seasonal recipes, menus, and traditions back to today’s table.

Le Cordon Bleu Summer Cookery is filled with the kind of recipes that invite you to think in terms of complete meals rather than single dishes. Its pages suggest luncheons, picnics, summer suppers, and elegant seasonal menus meant to be enjoyed at the table.

Tomatoes Gervais belongs beautifully within that spirit. Served chilled with French bread and a light green salad, it becomes more than a stuffed tomato — it becomes a simple French luncheon.

Le Cordon Bleu Summer Cookery cookbook cover — *Le Cordon Bleu Summer Cookery*, 1971.

Original Tomatoes Gervais recipe page from Le Cordon Bleu Summer Cookery — The original Tomatoes Gervais recipe from the summer cookery pages.

What Went Into the Recipe

Fresh ripe tomatoes
Softened cream cheese
Sour cream and a little heavy cream
Garlic, herbs, and green onion tops

View Recipe: Tomatoes Gervais

Serves: 8

Prep Time: 25 min | Chill Time: 1–2 hours

Ingredients

4 small tomatoes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 ounces block cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 tablespoon heavy cream, or as needed
1 small garlic clove, finely grated or mashed
½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon dried marjoram
½ teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon dried parsley
Fresh green onion tops or chives, finely chopped, for garnish

Directions

Slice the tops from the tomatoes and carefully scoop out the centers with a spoon.
Lightly salt the inside of each tomato and place them upside down on paper towels for about 20–30 minutes to drain.
In a bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, sour cream, and heavy cream until smooth.
Stir in the garlic, thyme, marjoram, basil, and parsley. Season with freshly ground black pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
Spoon or pipe the herbed cheese mixture into each tomato.
Replace the tomato tops if desired, or leave them off for a more elegant presentation.
Chill for 1–2 hours before serving.
Just before serving, sprinkle generously with freshly chopped green onion tops or chives.

Bianca’s Kitchen Note: These tomatoes were even better after chilling for two hours. The herbs softened beautifully, and the garlic became much gentler. I used green onion tops in place of fresh chives because they were what I had available, and they worked beautifully.

Adapted from Le Cordon Bleu Summer Cookery, 1971.

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A Simple Summer Luncheon Idea

Serve Tomatoes Gervais with stuffed Provençal tomatoes, a crisp garden salad, crusty French bread, and a quiet afternoon meal.

For a picnic-style plate, add olives, pepperoncini, pimentos, homemade croutons, and a glass of sparkling water with lemon.

Kitchen Notes

Traditional French recipes often have a wonderful way of turning the simplest ingredients into something memorable. I love serving these tomatoes with a crisp green salad, fresh bread, and a quiet afternoon to enjoy them.

The filling is best after it has had time to chill. The herbs soften, the garlic mellows, and the cheese takes on a fresher, more delicate flavor.

I hope these tomatoes bring a little bit of summer to your table, wherever you happen to be.