To say that this year has been the most extraordinary of our lives would be a flagrant understatement. However, to scramble the famous words of Charles Dickens, during these worst of times, there has also been the best of times. As we navigate life in isolation, we have learnt to appreciate the small things – waking up naturally each morning without having to rush three children out the door, making dumplings with friends via a group video chat, and sitting down for lunch every day with my kids. Home is, now more than ever, our buttress, a cocoon from the chaos of the world outside.

As days bleed into one another and time blurs, my one constant has been family and food. While cooking all day is not that far from my normal day-to-day as a recipe developer and food writer, the way I cook right now is very different. Today, as our pantry takes center stage and creativity and flexibility become key tenets of everyday cooking, there is a sense of fearlessness in the kitchen. If a recipe calls for cauliflower, substituting with tofu doesn’t feel like a stretch at all; making lasagna with tortillas is perfectly acceptable, and leftover odds and ends of homemade bread are not wasted, but are rather transformed into a hearty soup. In many ways, the way we are cooking right now harks back to the time of our grandmothers when frugality and practicality were always front of mind. Back then, much like now, recipes revolved around pantry staples and making the most out of everyday ingredients.

So, while this time in isolation has been unsettling, I have found myself feeling incredibly nostalgic about the food I ate as a child. I grew up in a traditional Cantonese household where my mother cooked big flavored savory dishes using scant ingredients, and my father brought home bright produce from the local markets every day, where he worked. Along with mangoes, peaches, plums and all the fruits and vegetables imaginable, we also feasted on the plumpest, juiciest beefsteak tomatoes. I would each them whole, taking a voracious bite straight into them as one would eat an apple. Recently, I was reminded of this treasured childhood food memory when I tried a juicy beefsteak tomato from Village Farms – at first bite, as the tomato juice slid down my chin and arm, I was instantly transported back to my mother’s kitchen.

While fresh tomatoes exemplify casual laid-back fare, roasted stuffed tomatoes encapsulate rustic charm. Gemista (or yemista) is a Greek dish of stuffed vegetables; tomatoes and peppers are most common, but you could also use eggplant, zucchini, and even onions. While I adore gemista, I rarely make it at home. For me, it’s a dish to enjoy when I eat out. However, these long days in isolation have given me a new appreciation for dishes that I wouldn’t normally cook. In many ways, this is the perfect isolation recipe – there are a few steps, but they are all simple and all of the ingredients are either pantry staples or easily adaptable. Here, I’m stuffing my succulent Village Farms juicy beefsteak tomatoes and sweet bells peppers with an herby feta rice, but you could also use this as an opportunity to use up any leftover vegetables in your fridge - zucchini, carrots, or eggplant would be nice additions to the rice filling. Juicy tomatoes with a firm flesh are key for this dish, as the flesh, seeds and juices of the tomatoes are all used to flavor the rice, while the vegetables cook in a fresh tomato puree. I love to add peppers to the mix as they make substantial and sturdy vessels for the rice, while retaining their beautiful floral shape when baked. Village Farms sweet bells peppers are wonderfully sweet (as its name suggests!) and when roasted, they provide a lovely mellow fruitfulness which perfectly complements the tangy tomatoes. Peppers are such a great everyday food in our home - my kids love to consume them raw, dipped into hummus as a snack, while roasted peppers drizzled with vinegar is one of my favorite things to add to hearty grain salad. Even though this gemista is roasted, this dish effortlessly embodies the liveliness of summer produce, a perfect meal to celebrate flavor-bursting produce during these long, languid days.

Gemista (Greek stuffed tomatoes and peppers)

Serves 4

4 juicy beefsteak® tomatoes
4 sweet bells® peppers
2 large russet potatoes

Herby Rice Filling
extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
¾ cup rice
½ cup vegetable broth or water
½ tsp sugar
1 tsp dried oregano
2 cups fresh soft herbs (I used parley, dill, mint), finely chopped
100g feta cheese, crumbled
sea salt and black pepper

Tomato puree
1 juicy beefsteak® tomato, chopped
½ cup vegetable stock or water
½ tsp salt
1 clove garlic
1 tsp oregano

Preheat oven to 400˚F / 200˚C.

Slice the tops off the tomatoes (making a note of which top belongs to each vegetable, as this will look neater when you bake them) and use a spoon to scoop out the flesh and seeds, reserving any juice. Finely chop the flesh and add it back to the seeds and juice; set aside. Remove seeds and membrane from the bell peppers, rinse inside and drain.

Heat a large skillet until hot, and then add ¼ cup olive oil and the onion. Reduce the heat to medium low and saute the onions for 8-10 minutes until they are soft and golden. Add the garlic and rice to the pan and stir for 4-5 minutes, until the rice is well coated in the oil and starting to turn translucent. Add the chopped tomato flesh, stock/water, sugar, and season with salt and pepper. Simmer, covered, for another 5-7 minutes until the rice has absorbed most of the liquid but still has a bite (the rice will continue to cook in the oven). When it’s ready, you want the filling to be juicy and not dry at all. If too much moisture has evaporated, add another few splashes of stock or water to loosen up the rice.

Meanwhile, make the puree by adding the tomatoes, stock, salt, garlic and oregano to a blender or food processor; whizz until smooth.

When the rice is ready, fill your tomatoes and peppers with the rice mixture. Fill it about three-quarters full, to allow the rice to expand further. Cover with their corresponding tops and place them into a tray that fits them snugly.

Peel and slice the potatoes into wedges. Season the potatoes with sea salt and black pepper and place the potatoes in and around the tomatoes and peppers (this helps to keep them upright while in the oven). Carefully pour the tomato puree over everything, followed by ¾ cup of olive oil. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 45 minutes, until the potatoes are fork tender.

Gemista can be enjoyed hot, or at room temperature, and are even better the next day.

disclaimer: this recipe was developed in partnership with Village Farms. all opinions are my own and I only work with brands that I genuinely admire and use in my own kitchen.