Stuffed Vegetables

2 pounds ground mixed beef and pork

2 large red onions, peeled and finely grated

½ cup chopped fresh parsley

1⅓ cups uncooked short-grain rice

¾ cups olive oil, divided

1 heaped teaspoon sweet paprika

1 teaspoon dried mint or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint

1 teaspoon ground pepper

2 teaspoons salt

6-8 ripe tomatoes

4 bell peppers

4 zucchini

4 potatoes, cut lengthwise into 4-6 slices

3 tablespoons butter, melted

Juice of half a lemon

1½ cups water

Heat the oven to 400 degrees.

Put the meat in a large bowl with the onions, parsley, rice, ¼ cup oil, paprika, mint pepper and salt.

Slice the tops off the tomatoes, and set aside. Hollow out the insides of the tomatoes with a teaspoon (a pointed one works best), working over a bowl to catch the pulp and juice. Strain, saving pulp and juice. Chop the pulp, and add to the meat. Add half the juice, reserving the rest. Sit the hollowed out tomatoes in a large, rimmed pan.

Cut away a "hat" from each bell pepper, leaving a "hinge" of about 3/4 inch on one side. Scoop and discard the seeds, but save any of the fleshy pepper bits that you can, and chop and add to the meat. Put the peppers in the pan; it doesn't matter if they don't sit flat. They can lie down.

Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise, and hollow out the middle, saving the flesh and chopping it and adding to the meat. Place the zucchini "canoes" in the baking pan.

Mix the meat mixture, turning the meat filling from the top of the bowl up. Fill the hollowed vegetables using your hands or a spoon. Don't overstuff; wait until all have been filled, then go back and add a bit more here and there. Distribute the potato wedges around the vegetables.

Pour the remaining ½ cup oil into the remaining tomato juice, and add the butter, lemon and water. Mix and pour carefully over and around the vegetables. Put the tops back on the tomatoes and peppers, and sprinkle with salt, especially the potatoes.

Bake for 1¼ to 1½ hours, until the vegetables are golden and darkened in places and seem soft even at the bottoms. (If the pan dries out, add a little water.) These should not be served really hot; turn off heat, and leave them in the oven for at least 15 minutes or up to a couple of hours before serving. Good at room temperature or even the next day.

Serves six to eight.

"Falling Cloudberries: A World of Family Recipes" (2009 Andrews McMeel)