Gemista (stuffed tomatoes and peppers)

Let’s make it

1. Cut a lid off each tomato and pepper and keep the lids.
2. Scoop the tomato flesh into a bowl with a spoon, leaving the shells whole, and chop or blitz the flesh finely.
3. Deseed the peppers and sprinkle the inside of the tomatoes with the sugar and a pinch of the salt.
4. Warm 100 ml of the oil in a pan and soften the onion and garlic for 8 minutes, then stir in the rice for 2 minutes.
5. Add the chopped tomato flesh, tomato paste, oregano, the rest of the salt and the pepper and simmer for 5 minutes until the rice has drunk up most of the juice.
6. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the parsley and mint.
7. Heat the oven to 180°C and stand the vegetables in a roasting tin, filling each one three quarters full since the rice will swell.
8. Put the lids back on, tuck the potato wedges into the gaps, then pour the remaining oil and the water over everything.
9. Bake uncovered for 75 minutes, basting once or twice, until the rice is tender and the tops are blistered.
10. Let them sit for 20 minutes and serve warm or at room temperature with bread.