Ingredients (serves 6)
- 5 tomatoes
- 2 zucchinis
- 2 eggplants
- 3 green peppers
- 2 Tbsp. fresh flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 1 Tbsp. fresh mint, finely chopped
- 4 Tbsp. tomato puree
- 11/2 cups olive oil
- 11/2 cups long grain rice
- 1 cup raisins
- 1/2 cup pine nuts
- 2 tsp. sugar
- 2 Tbsp. gouda cheese
- 2 cups passata
- 1 red onion, finely sliced
- 5 potatoes
- Pinch oregano
- 2 cups water
- Salt and pepper
Method
Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees centigrade. Cut off the tops of all the vegetables and scrape out the insides into a large bowl, making sure you remove the seeds. Place the vegetables shells in a deep oven dish. Put all the vegetable flesh in a food processor and blitz lightly so it is less lumpy. Return the flesh to the large bowl and add the parsley, mint, 3 spoons of tomato puree, 1/2 cup olive oil, rice, raisins, pine nuts, sugar, cheese, passata and red onion. Use your hands and mix it all together.
Once the mixture is ready, start stuffing the vegetables with it. Be careful not to overstuff so the rice can expand during cooking. Replace the vegetable lids. Cut the peeled potatoes into 1 inch chunks and place them in the tray with a good sprinkling of oregano. Add the water with the remaining tablespoon of tomato puree then pour a few really good glugs of olive oil over the top and throw over a couple of pinches of sea salt. Bake in the oven for about an hour, making sure you take the juices from around the sides of the vegetables and rehydrate the contents of each vegetables every 20 minutes or so.
These vegetables are absolutely delicious for dinner and also make wonderful self-contained packed lunches.