Greek tomatoes and peppers stuffed with minced meat

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 8 large tomatoes, ripe
• 2 large bell peppers
• 500 g minced meat
• 1 large onion(s)
• 5 tbsp, heaped short grain rice
• 1 bunch of parsley
• 250 g sheep’s cheese, optional
• 4 small potatoes
• 3 tbsp rusks, crumbled
• 200 ml olive oil, approx.
• salt and pepper
• possibly cinnamon

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 1 hour 30 minutes; Total time approx. 2 hours

Wash the tomatoes, cut off the tops of each one, and hollow them out, then set aside. Do the same with the peppers. Dust the hollowed-out tomatoes and peppers with salt and place them on a baking sheet. Chop the insides of the tomatoes and press them through a sieve. Keep the juice separate from the meat if possible. Chop the onion and parsley. Add about 5 tablespoons of olive oil to a large pan and fry the onion and parsley. Dissolve the tomatoes in the thick tomato puree, simmer, and after about 5 minutes, add the minced meat. Season with salt and pepper. After another 5 minutes, remove from the heat and add the rice. If using feta cheese, cut it into walnut-sized pieces and mix in. Spoon this filling into the tomatoes and peppers, leaving them about 3 cm below the rim. Add 1 tablespoon of the tomato juice to each filling, then place the lids on top. Quarter the potatoes and arrange them on the baking sheet among the vegetables. You’ll probably have some leftover filling; place it in a corner of the baking sheet. Season everything with salt, sprinkle with a touch of cinnamon if desired, drizzle with plenty of olive oil and the remaining tomato juice, and sprinkle some rusk crumbs on each lid. Bake in the oven at 200°C (400°F) for about 1 hour. There should be no water in the baking sheet; just oil and tomato juice.