Gemista

Step 1

Set the oven to 375°F and wait until the indicator light or beep tells you it has finished heating, about 10 minutes.

Step 2

Scrub the potatoes under cold running water to remove dirt, then pat dry with a clean kitchen towel.

Step 3

Place each potato on a cutting board and slice crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick rounds, like slicing a coin stack, keeping the skin on.

Step 4

Place each tomato stem-side up on the cutting board and slice straight down through the center into 1/2-inch-thick rounds.

Step 5

Hold the onion with the root end pointing toward you and make 3 vertical cuts lengthwise from root to tip, creating wedges about 1/2 inch thick at the thickest part.

Step 6

Mince the garlic cloves until the pieces are smaller than a grain of rice — about the size of pencil-tip dots.

Step 7

Pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil onto the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and tilt the dish back and forth until the bottom is evenly coated.

Step 8

Arrange half of the potato slices in a single layer covering the bottom of the baking dish.

Step 9

Scatter the onion wedges evenly over the potatoes.

Step 10

Arrange half of the tomato slices in a single layer on top of the onions.

Step 11

Sprinkle the minced garlic evenly over the tomatoes.

Step 12

Arrange the remaining potato slices in a single layer on top of the garlic.

Step 13

Arrange the remaining tomato slices in a single layer on top of the potatoes.

Step 14

Sprinkle 1.5 teaspoons of dried oregano evenly over the surface and place the bay leaf in the center of the dish.

Step 15

Drizzle the remaining 0.25 cup of olive oil evenly over the entire surface until the vegetables glisten.

Step 16

Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of salt and 0.5 teaspoon of black pepper evenly over the top layer.

Step 17

Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil and slide it into the preheated oven on the middle rack.

Step 18

Bake covered for 35 minutes until you smell a strong oregano aroma and the edges of the potatoes just begin to soften when pierced with a fork.

Step 19

Remove the foil carefully — steam will rise out — and check that the potatoes are very tender and the liquid has mostly evaporated.

Step 20

If the top is not golden, bake uncovered for another 5 minutes until the surface of the potatoes and tomatoes turns the color of warm honey.

Step 21

Remove the baking dish from the oven using oven mitts and place it on a heat-safe surface to cool for 5 minutes before serving.