Prep Time 30′ Cooking Time 1h 15′ Serves 6
Ingredients
- 5 tomatoes
- 5 bell peppers
- 2 eggplants
- 2 zucchinis
- 2 onions
- 1 cup Carolina rice
- 1.5 cups olive oil
- 1 bunch parsley
- 1 bunch mint
- 1/3 cup pine nuts
- 1/3 cup black raisins
- Salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- 3 ripe large grated tomatoes
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp breadcrumbs
Instructions
- Start by preparing the tomatoes by cutting a slice from the top of each one (don’t throw it away, this will be our lid).
- Empty their flesh into a bowl, making sure to leave enough on the skin so that they do not break apart later.
- Cut a slice from the top of each bell pepper and remove the seeds and membranes.
- Do the same for the zucchini and eggplant and hollow out their flesh and dice the contents.
- Blend the contents of the tomato in a blender.
- Heat 1/2 cup of olive oil in a deep pan.
- Over medium heat, cook the onion for a few minutes until translucent.
- Add the chopped zucchini and eggplant. Mix well.
- Let the vegetables sit for a few minutes to reduce their volume.
- Add the rice, the blended tomatoes, salt, and pepper.
- Add 1 cup of water and let it simmer for 5-6 minutes.
- The filling should be quite watery.
- Finally, add the pine nuts, raisins, and chopped herbs.
- Fill the tomatoes, bell peppers, zucchinis, and eggplants until they’re about 3/4 full.
- Cover them with their lids and arrange them in a baking dish, placing them close to each other.
- In a bowl, mix the remaining grated tomatoes, the remaining olive oil (1 cup), and combine.
- Season with salt and pepper and pour over the sauce.
- In a bowl, mix the sugar with the breadcrumbs and sprinkle over the vegetable lids.
- Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
- After the first half hour, uncover the dish to dry out and brown the vegetables.
Enjoy!
Source: Argiro Barbarigou
