Greek Cuisine Part 3. Vegetarian Dishes

Summer is an everlasting season in the Mediterranean area. Or at least, that's how it feels. Especially so in Greece. Summers there are hot and dry and last for almost six months: starting in May and going all the way to October, with the hottest months being July and the first half of August.

What do you do during summer in Greece? Well, for starters, you go to the beach. Amazingly, you can get to a beach within an hour in most parts of Greece.

In the evenings, you go to "tavernas" and most of them do have gardens where you can order your favorite meal under the moonlight, the buzzing of the crickets and the company of ivies and jasmines.

"Yemista", a delicious summer dish which means, well, "stuffed", is an excellent example of the vegetarian orientation of the Greek Cuisine. A light, yet very satisfying meal, it can be accompanied by a slice of whole wheat bread and some feta cheese.

The vegetables used are mainly tomatoes, green bell peppers, eggplants and zucchini. The other main ingredient is rice, but you will also need onions, parsley and mint. And, of course, the omnipresent olive oil!

INGREDIENTS

5 ripe tomatoes

3 green bell peppers

3 eggplants

3 zucchini

1 onion, grated or chopped

half a cup fresh parsley, chopped

half a cup fresh mint, chopped

4 potatoes

2 cups long grain rice

about 1 cup extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper

Wash the vegetables well.

Cut a cap off the top of the tomatoes and peppers. Scoop out the pulp and seeds using a teaspoon. Chop the tomato pulp and keep it in a bowl. Set tomatoes, peppers and caps aside.

Cut off the top with the stem from the eggplants and zucchini. Scoop out the eggplant pulp with a spoon. For the zucchini, it might be better to use a spoon handle to scoop out the vegetable center. Chop the vegetable centers (pulp) and add them to the bowl with the tomato pulp. Set eggplants, zucchini and tops aside.

Wash the rice and add to the bowl. Next add grated or chopped onion, chopped parsley, mint and a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. Season well with salt and pepper and mix with a spoon.

Sprinkle the inside of the vegetables with some salt. If you want tomatoes to be sweeter, you can also sprinkle the inside with some sugar.

Stuff the vegetables with the mixture in the bowl using a spoon. Make sure you don't overfill. Replace caps on top of the vegetables and place them in a baking dish or pan.

Peel and quarter the potatoes. Place them in the baking dish in-between the stuffed vegetables. Season with salt and pepper.

Sprinkle the rest of the olive oil on top of the vegetables. Pour a cup of water in the baking dish.

Bake uncovered for 50-60 minutes in oven that has been preheated to 375F (190C).

Serve warm or at room temperature.

VARIATIONS

You may add chopped garlic in the stuffing or sprinkle breadcrumbs on top of the stuffed vegetables.