Gemista: Greek Stuffed Tomatoes & Peppers

• Preheat the oven to 170° C (338° F) Fan.

For the vegetables:

• Rinse the tomatoes and bell peppers. Using a sharp knife, slice off the top of each one so you have cap to cover them with once they are filled.
• Using a spoon, scoop out the flesh from the tomatoes. Add the flesh to a food processor and purée.
• Remove the pith and seeds from the green peppers. You can either discard them or purée them along with the tomato flesh.
• Using a sharp knife, slice off just a little of the bottom of the green peppers, to help them stand in the pan. Make sure you don’t cut through and create a hole.
• Arrange the vegetables nicely in a large 30×26 cm (10 x 12 – inch) roasting pan or ovenproof dish.

For the filling:

• In a large bowl, add the puréed tomato flesh, onion, garlic, rice, mint, basil, parsley, tomato juice and 50 ml (1/4 cups) olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Stir.
• Add the filling to the tomatoes and green peppers. Fill them ⅔ of the way, since the filling will fluff up when baking. Add any remaining filling in the baking pan. Season with salt and pepper, drizzle with the remaining 50 ml (1/4 cups) of olive oil and add the lukewarm water.
• Cover the tomatoes and green peppers with their caps. Cover the baking pan with aluminum foil and bake for 1 ½ hours. Remove the aluminum foil for the final 15 minutes of baking.
• When ready, remove from the oven and set aside for 10 minutes before serving. Serve with Greek feta cheese for a completely authentic Greek taste!