Gemista is a celebration of fresh summer herbs and vegetables. Traditionally, tomatoes, bell peppers, zucchini and eggplant can be stuffed–however there are a number of eggplant varieties in Greece and are much smaller than what I can find here, so I do not like to include them in this particular dish. Fresh herbs such as mint, basil and parsley are also used as well as fresh green onion. Here is the recipe I use:
Tomatoes, bell peppers, zucchini
potato wedges
medium grain rice–such as Carolina Gold
Fresh green onions
EVGE extra virgin olive oil
basil, mint and/or parsley (or dill and parsley)
Empty the tomatoes, cutting the bottom in a slice and emptying contents with a grapefruit spoon and putting them in a blender–and tomato shells in a pan.
Cut bell peppers on the top and empty seeds. Cut zucchini and use a knife and spoon to empty the zucchini flesh–put flesh into the blender
Thinly slice fresh green onions–about 3 onions per vegetable. Sauté salted onions in EVGE EVOO. Add rice to sauté with onions–about 1 heaping tablespoon per vegetable.
Puree tomato & zucchini flesh with herbs along with 1/4 teaspoon salt per vegetable. Add puree to rice and onions in frying pan. Add water (used to rinse out blender–about 1 tablespoon per vegetable) Let boil for 5 minutes or so.
Stuff vegetables 3/4 full with rice mixture & close with the sliced tops from veggies. Cut potatoes into wedges, salt and arrange around stuffed vegetables. Add a bit of water to the side of the pan (from rinsing out frying pan, so that no flavor goes to waste!) and top the whole dish with EVOO. Bake at 380F until rice is cooked and potatoes are golden
Kali epitychia (good success!) and kali orexi (bon appetite!)
