Daz Switalla Flavour Secrets No.1 The Strand Chef www.no1thestrand.co.nz

During summer, the accelerated growth from the garden often brings an abundant array of flavours to our attention.

My favourite February flavours, such as tomatoes and capsicums, hang from the plant and seem to scream at you to eat them. There is nothing quite like slicing into a fresh capsicum or tomato for your sandwich or salad. Both vegetables are also fantastic slowly baked with a rice filling and copious amounts of olive oil.

This week's authentic Greek recipe is a great antipasto dish, often eaten warm or cold. The slow cooking concentrates the flavour and even the colours seem brighter. It's a true taste of the Mediterranean.

Stuffed Tomatoes and Capsicums

A plate for six

6 firm ripe tomatoes

6 large green peppers

2 onions, finely chopped

1 cup of tomato juice

Small bunch parsley, finely chopped

1.5 cups Arborio rice

1.5 cups olive oil

2 tsp sugar

Method

Wash the tomatoes and peppers very well. From one end of each tomato, cut a slice, but do not detach completely as it must act as a lid. Then with a spoon, empty the tomato of all the pulp and reserve. Do the same with the peppers, dispose of any seeds, arrange peppers and hollowed out tomatoes in a baking tray.

Place the onion and 3/4 cup of olive oil in a frying pan before the onion has quite softened, add the rice and fry till transparent. Chop up the pulp of the tomatoes; add this and half the juice to the rice. Add salt and pepper and the finely chopped parsley, add half a cup of vegetable stock or water and allow the ingredients to cook until most of the water has been absorbed, about 15-18 minutes.

Sprinkle a little sugar into each tomato and pepper, then spoon the rice filling until a bit more than half way up to allow for swelling of the rice. Add on a spoon of water and another sprinkle of sugar and close the lids. Pour in rest of tomato juice and olive oil and bake uncovered in a moderate oven, 150-170 degrees, for about one hour.