Turkish Stuffed Peppers

Choose small, squat, thin-skinned bell peppers if you can. That's the kind they have in Turkey.

Heat the oil and saute the onions until transparent. Add the rice and fry for 2 more minutes. Add the mint, nuts, salt, pepper and tomatoes and fry for 2 more minutes.

Add sugar and water. Stir, bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to simmer. Cook until all the liquid is absorbed. About 15 minutes. Let the stuffing stand covered until cool.

Slice off the stem end of the peppers and scoop out the seeds and veins. Using a teaspoon, stuff the peppers with the rice mixture, making sure it's packed well into the corners. Press after each addition.

Place the peppers into a pan making sure the peppers touch each other, so that they will not tip into the water. Add about an inch of water, cover and simmer until the peppers are just cooked, about 20 minutes. Lift out the peppers gently. Serve chilled with lemon wedges to dribble juice over the rice.

Serve as a salad, side dish or as a main course.

Variations: Add leftover cooked meat or fish to the rice mixture. Stuff scooped-out tomatoes or squashes with this aromatic rice mixture and bake them in an oiled pan at 400 degrees F until the vegetable is cooked. Serve the stuffing on its own as a side dish.