Not quite a Risotto, not quite a Pilaf

I was trying to figure things to do with my beautiful tomatoey puree but couldn't be bothered standing by the stove and cooking for ages (yes, it does even sometimes to people who like cooking!). I wanted rice, so thought I would make an oven baked rice dish. I haven't read a recipe for it before but I did recall a colleague of mine years ago making me a baked tomatoe (tinned) and zucchini rice dish way back when (in Coonamble actually, when I was doing a stint working there in the arts!)... I digress.
So..I have tomatoes and zucchinis fresh in the garden...it should be good!
Our leeks are also particularly lovely at the moment, they are just starting to get a bit of size about them and are still nice and sweet, so I cut one of those up for some extra flavour. I browned them off in a little olive oil so they were wilted and had releaed their pungent aroma.
Next I chopped a few small yellow and green zucchinis. I didn't even bother browning them off because they already looked gorgeous and I thought they might lose some of their integrity with extra cooking.
I added the leeks, the zucchinis and one and a half cups of rice to a baking dish. I added two tablespoons of my home made tomatoe puree and then added 3 cups of water to it and stirred it around some. I also added a little thyme and oregano for additional flavour.

Just before the cook off!

I covered the baking dish (which I might add I have owned since I left home in 1996!) and cooked for about 30-45 minutes in a moderate oven.
The finished result was light and fluffy!

The dish is done!

To garnish I added some basil leaves at the end, just wilting with the heat of the rice and lightly pan fried home grown eggplant (aubergine) which is DIVINE...and I cannot tell you how much more I LOVE eggplant than ever before!!!!
I also added some home made fetta cheese and a few drops of the tomatoe puree for colour and extra tartness.
For a boring throw together, I don't want to cook dinner dish, this is definately a winner!
It tasted even better the next day for lunch!