Gemista (Greek Stuffed Vegetables)

Method

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1. 1Slice a lid off the top of each tomato and keep the lids. Scoop out the insides with a spoon without piercing the skins, and blitz the pulp to a purée. Cut the tops off the peppers too and remove the seeds.
2. 2Preheat the oven to 190 °C. Stand the tomatoes and peppers in a baking dish and sprinkle a little salt inside each.
3. 3Heat about 80 ml of the olive oil in a skillet and cook the onions for 6-7 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the garlic, zucchini (if using) and tomato paste and stir for 1 minute.
4. 4Add the rice and stir for 2 minutes, then add half of the tomato purée, the sugar, 1 tsp salt and the pepper. Cook for 5 minutes until the rice has absorbed some liquid but is still half-raw. Off the heat, stir in the herbs.
5. 5Fill the vegetables about three-quarters full, since the rice swells as it cooks, and put the lids back on.
6. 6Tuck the potato wedges in between the vegetables and season them with the remaining salt. Mix the rest of the tomato purée with the remaining oil and the hot water and pour it into the dish; sprinkle breadcrumbs on top if you like.
7. 7Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake 30 minutes more, until the vegetables are blistered, the potatoes golden and the rice completely tender.
8. 8Let rest for at least 20 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature with feta and crusty bread.