Greek Stuffed Tomatoes & Peppers (Gemista)

Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan / 350°F). Slice the tops off the tomatoes and peppers — cut about 1.5cm from the top and set the lids aside; they will be replaced before baking. Using a small spoon or a melon baller, carefully scoop out the flesh and seeds from the tomatoes into a bowl, leaving a wall at least 1cm thick so the tomato holds its shape during the long bake. Do the same for the peppers, removing all seeds and white membrane. Season the inside of each hollowed tomato and pepper with a small pinch of salt. Stand them upright in a large, deep baking dish — they should fit snugly so they support each other and do not topple over during baking. Tuck the potato wedges into the gaps between the vegetables; they will roast in the olive oil and tomato juices and become one of the best parts of the dish. Now make the tomato sauce base for the filling: grate the 3 additional tomatoes on the coarse side of a box grater directly into the bowl with the scooped tomato flesh, discarding the skins. Add the tomato purée, 60ml of the olive oil, the caster sugar, cinnamon, salt, and black pepper. Stir to combine. This grated tomato mixture is the liquid that will cook the rice inside the vegetables during baking — it provides both moisture and the deep, sweet tomato flavour that makes gemista so distinctive.

In a large bowl, combine the uncooked long-grain rice, finely diced onion, grated garlic, chopped parsley, mint, and dill. Pour in the grated tomato sauce mixture and stir everything together thoroughly. The filling should be quite wet and loose — this is correct. The rice goes in completely raw and will absorb the tomato juices and steam inside the sealed vegetable during baking, which is what gives gemista its characteristic flavour: the rice tastes of the vegetable it was cooked inside, not of plain boiled rice. Do not pre-cook the rice. Taste the filling mixture and adjust the seasoning — it should taste well-seasoned and boldly herbed, as the flavour will mellow during the long bake. The three herbs together — parsley, mint, and dill — are the classic Greek combination for gemista and give the dish its fresh, aromatic character. Do not reduce or substitute them.

Spoon the rice filling into each hollowed tomato and pepper, filling them about three-quarters full — not to the brim. The rice will swell as it absorbs the liquid during baking and needs room to expand; an overfilled vegetable will burst and spill its filling into the baking dish. Replace the lids on each stuffed vegetable. Drizzle the remaining 60ml of olive oil generously over the tops of all the vegetables and over the potato wedges. Season the potato wedges with salt and pepper. Pour the 150ml of hot water or vegetable stock into the base of the baking dish around the vegetables — this creates steam in the oven and prevents the base of the dish from scorching. Cover the entire baking dish tightly with foil. Bake covered for 45 minutes, then remove the foil and bake uncovered for a further 25–30 minutes, until the tops of the vegetables are lightly golden and slightly wrinkled, the potato wedges are golden and tender, and the rice inside is completely cooked through. To check the rice, insert a thin skewer into the centre of one of the stuffed tomatoes — it should meet no resistance. If the rice still feels firm, add a splash more water to the dish, re-cover with foil, and bake for a further 10–15 minutes.

Remove the baking dish from the oven and leave the gemista to rest uncovered for at least 15 minutes before serving. This resting time is important — the rice continues to absorb the remaining liquid and the flavours settle and deepen as the dish cools slightly. Gemista is traditionally served warm rather than piping hot, and many Greeks consider it even better at room temperature, eaten the following day when the herbs and tomato have had time to fully meld. Serve directly from the baking dish, placing one stuffed tomato and one stuffed pepper on each plate alongside a generous portion of the roasted potato wedges. Spoon any tomato juices from the base of the dish over the vegetables as a sauce. Serve with crusty gluten-free bread for mopping up the juices — the cooking liquid in the base of the dish is deeply flavoured and should not be wasted.