Gemista with Pine Nuts, Currants and Feta (plus Courgette Boats)

Method

1. Cut lids off the tomatoes and peppers, hollow them out and blend the tomato flesh. Halve the courgettes lengthwise and scoop out the centres with a spoon to make boats with 0.5 cm walls; finely chop the scooped flesh. Sprinkle the insides of all the vegetables with some of the salt, and the tomatoes also with the sugar, then turn them upside down on a rack for 20 min to drain. Less water in the oven means a deeper flavour.

   Add in this stepLarge tomatoes (firm and ripe) 2Red or yellow bell peppers 1Courgettes (zucchini) 1Salt ½ tspSugar ½ tsp

2. Toast the pine nuts in a dry pan over medium-low heat for 3 min, shaking constantly, until golden, then tip them onto a plate. They burn in seconds, so don't walk away.

   Add in this stepPine nuts 20 g

   medium-low heat

3. Heat some of the olive oil in a 24 cm frying pan over medium heat and cook the chopped onion and courgette flesh for 7 min until their moisture has gone, then add the garlic for 30 seconds. Add the rice and stir for 1 minute, then the blended tomato, tomato paste, some more salt, pepper and the raisins. Lower to medium-low heat and simmer for 6 min, until the rice has absorbed about half the liquid.

   Add in this stepExtra virgin olive oil 35 mlOnion 1Garlic cloves 2Medium-grain rice (such as arborio) 100 gTomato paste 1 tbspSalt 0.6 tspBlack pepper to tasteSmall raisins or currants 15 g

   medium heat→medium-low heat

4. Preheat the oven to 190 °C (oven). Off the heat, stir the toasted pine nuts and chopped mint, dill and parsley into the filling; once it has cooled a little, crumble in the feta in large pieces and fold gently. Added while hot, the feta would melt away.

   Add in this stepFresh mint 8 gFresh dill 5 gFlat-leaf parsley 10 gFeta 60 g

   oven

5. Put the drained vegetables in a 25×20 cm baking dish, fill them three-quarters full and replace the lids (the courgette boats have none). Tuck in the potato wedges and sprinkle with oregano and the remaining salt. Pour most of the remaining olive oil over everything and the vegetable stock into the bottom.

   Add in this stepMedium potatoes 2Dried oregano ½ tspSalt ½ tspExtra virgin olive oil 45 mlVegetable stock 100 ml

6. Cover with foil and bake on oven for 40 min. Uncover, spoon the pan juices over the vegetables once, and bake for 30 min more, until the lids are deeply charred and the potatoes are crisp.

   oven

7. Rest for 20 min so the filling sets, then drizzle with the last of the olive oil just before serving.

   Add in this stepExtra virgin olive oil 20 ml