We learned how to make these in Kefalonia at the beginning of June and I have spent the entire summer trying to perfect my home recipe. Tomatoes stuffed with herbs and rice, what could be better? The tomato juice seeps into the rice and it absorbs so much flavor. I have been putting them in smoker to add another lay of deliciousness but the oven is fine too. We only had oven baked Yemista in Greece and they were great (hence why I’ve been trying to recreate them all summer). We had entree versions with ground beef baked inside and also had some with shredded zucchini. I’ve dumbed them down for a delicious side dish with very few ingredients. You can also make this recipe with green bell peppers which is the traditional accompaniment, they are often cooked in the same pan. I prefer the tomatoes.
What you need:
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
3/4 cup medium grain white rice
1 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup freshly chopped herbs (basil, parsley, mint, and oregano or at least 3 out of the 4)
Salt
sugar
4-5 large slicing tomatoes
First preheat the grill or oven to 425° . Begin by slicing the tops off of the tomatoes and scooping out the center of the tomato with a spoon. Gently use the spoon to core and pull out the center of the tomato being careful to keep the exterior still intact. Drizzle a little olive oil into the bottom of each tomato and sprinkle a pinch of sugar and salt into the bottom. Set the tops aside until later.
Add the onions and a few tablespoons of olive oil to a saute pan and heat over medium heat. Begin to sweat the onions and stir occasionally for about 5-7 minutes. Sprinkle about a 1/2 tsp of salt onto the onions. When the onions are translucent add the rice and herbs to the pan. I like to take the tomato cores and squeeze the juice onto the onion mixture as well and then discard the rest. Add a little more olive oil and some more salt. Begin to toast the rice gently but do not let it burn or brown. Stir gently for about 3 minutes until the herbs and onions have incorporated with the rice. Turn off the heat and set aside.
Place the tomatoes in an oven safe dish with high walls so the tomatoes won’t tip over and you can cover easily with aluminum foil. Fill each tomato with the onion and rice mixture leaving a smidge of room between the top of the filling and the rim of the tomato. It will reach the top when the rice puffs up during cooking. I made the mistake of over stuffing them several times and the rice would spill out and stay crunchy at the top. You want to be sure the rice is inside the tomato so it can fully absorb all the moisture. Drizzle a little more olive oil across the top. Sprinkle some more salt on the under side of the tomato tops and place them on top. Drizzle more oil across the tops of the tomatoes and add some salt around the exterior. You want to flavor the whole thing so you can enjoy every last bite. Cover with aluminum foil and bake or smoke for 1 hour. Remove the foil and continue cooking for another 40 minutes up to one hour. When the tomatoes look like they are about to fall apart they are finished. Let them rest for 15 minutes before lifting them and serving. Lift carefully so they do not fall apart. These are excellent served slightly warm or even at room temperature. Tzatziki and fresh pita on the side make these even better.
Enjoy!