Stuffed Tomatoes and Peppers

Prep time: 45 minutes    
Cooking time: 75 minutes   
Total time: 2 hours  
Servings: 10 pieces

Stuffed tomatoes and peppers are a classic Greek dish that we enjoy all year round. It’s a comforting, hearty dish in the winter and a perfect way to use up all the extra tomatoes, peppers, and zucchini that grow in the garden during the summer.

Ingredients:

• 5 ripe tomatoes
• 5 bell peppers
• 3–4 medium potatoes, cut into wedges
• 12 tbsp Carolina rice
• 2 large onions, finely chopped
• 2–3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1/3 bunch of finely chopped parsley
• 300 ml tomato juice
• 1 heaping tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1–2 tablespoons finely chopped mint (optional)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano or thyme
• olive oil
• salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Wash the tomatoes and bell peppers and place them on a baking sheet. Take the tomatoes one by one and use a knife to cut a small “lid” horizontally from the top of each one. Use a spoon to scoop out the tomato pulp and place it in a blender or food processor.
2. Take the peppers one by one; using a sharp knife, pierce them all around in 3–4 places, scoop out the insides, discard the seeds, and place the pulp in the blender along with the tomatoes, puree everything together, and set it aside.
3. Heat olive oil in a large skillet and sauté the onions. Add the garlic, pour in the rice, and let it sauté, stirring, until it becomes translucent.
4. Add the mashed bread, half the tomato juice, lower the heat, and let the rice simmer for 5–10 minutes. Before turning off the heat, add the parsley, mint, oregano, thyme, salt, pepper, and finally the sugar, and stir.
5. Season the tomatoes and peppers with salt on the outside, and use a spoon to fill them with the partially cooked rice (don’t overfill them). Close them with their tops. Season the potato wedges with salt and pepper and place them in the baking dish in the spaces between the peppers and tomatoes.
6. Drizzle the dish generously with olive oil, 1 teacup of hot water in which you’ve dissolved the tomato paste and the remaining half of the tomato juice. Place the baking dish in an oven preheated to 180 degrees and bake for about 1 hour and 10 minutes.

Tips & Notes:

• This traditional Greek recipe for Gemista falls into the category of Greek dishes known as “Ladera,” meaning Greek dishes prepared with olive oil. - So be sure to use a good-quality extra virgin olive oil, which will work wonders in this recipe, enhancing its flavor!
• Although the traditional Greek recipe for Gemista doesn’t call for butter, a little secret is to add a tiny bit to the Gemista before adding the filling for a little extra flavor.
• Since peppers aren’t as juicy as tomatoes, the filling for stuffed peppers always turns out a little dry. To avoid this, pour a little extra tomato juice over the peppers, and they’ll turn out simply amazing. When cooking Gemista, be sure to cover them with aluminum foil, as the steam allows the rice to cook and the vegetables to soften without burning.
• When tomatoes are in season, they’re obviously the best choice for making this Greek dish, but for a year-round version, you can use eggplants and bell peppers—or even zucchini!