Stuffed vegetables (Farçis)

In any season, I know it may go against the traditional rules, but when it comes to food, I believe there are no strict rules about eating based on the season if the vegetables are available in the market. Now, the dish we’re going to make together is stuffed vegetables, and you can choose any vegetable you love. For this recipe, I will use tomatoes, zucchinis, and Chinese cabbage. If you can find large mushrooms, you can certainly use them for stuffing.

Tips:

• Use a ground mixture of beef and pork to ensure that the stuffed meat is tender and not dense.
• The key is to baste the vegetables every 30 minutes until 2 hours have passed.

INFO: My sauce won’t be the typical thick tomato puree sauce of the Provençale style; instead, it will be lighter and more liquid. I promise you that the feedback will be better than you expect!

Stuffed vegetables (Farcis)

Difficulty:IntermediateTotal time:1 hour 50 minutesServings:4 servings Best Season:Available

Ingredients

• 2 large ripe tomatoes
• 2 large zuchini
• 100g cooked rice
• 500 g ground meat (mixed pork and beef)
• 1/2 onion, finely chopped
• 1 shallots, finely chopped
• 2-3 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp Breadcrumbs
• 50 ml of milk
• 1/2 tbsp Provençale herbs
• 1 egg
• 2-3 bay leaves

Sauce:

• 1 tbsp Oyster sauce
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp Provençale herbs
• 1 cup (of tea) water

Instructions

1. Prepare the Vegetables: Preheat your oven to 175°C. Cut the tops off and scoop out the pulp and seeds with a spoon of tomatoes and zucchini, leaving the tomato shells intact. You can use the removed pulp in the sauce.
2. Prepare the Filling: Stir in the ground meat, cooked rice, Garlic, chopped onion, shallots, bread crumbs and fresh parsley. Season the mixture with herbs, milk, salt and black pepper to taste. If you have used tomato pulp, you can add it here as well.
   
3. Stuff the Vegetables: Stuff each vegetables with the meat mixture, pressing it down gently to fill the cavity.
4. Prepare sauce: put all the mixture together and warm it in the microwave for 2 mins before pour it in the baking dish.
5. Bake the Stuffed Vegetables: Place the stuffed vegetables in a baking dish and replace the tomato tops. Bake in the preheated oven for about 60 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and the tops are slightly browned.
6. Keep the Vegetables Moist: During the baking process, remember to periodically baste the vegetables with the sauce every 30 minutes to ensure they do not dry out. I usually bake for 2 to 3 hours for the best results (if you like the melting texture.
   
   Note: If you notice that the sauce is reducing too much, prepare another batch of sauce and continue to baste the vegetables regularly. Personally, I enjoy serving this dish with rice and prefer to have enough sauce to pour over my rice on the plate. If you share the same preference for a saucy dish, make sure to maintain an adequate supply of sauce throughout the cooking process.
7. Serve and Enjoy: Serve the Vegetables Farcies hot as a delicious along side with rice.