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Old 08-08-2007, 10:53 PM posted to rec.gardens.edible,rec.food.cooking
Victor Sack Victor Sack is offline
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First recorded activity by GardenBanter: Aug 2007
Posts: 7
Default How do you use your excess bell peppers?

James wrote:

Any good recipes that use a lot of them?


Here are two recipes much prized by people who like bell peppers (I am
not one of them). The first one is a peperonata recipe from _Cucina
Italiana_ compiled by Accademia Italiana della Cucina.
(Notice: a 'glass' measure, as defined in the book, is 150-200 ml)
Green and red peppers can be used instead of or in addition to yellow
ones.
The second recipe is from _Trattoria_ by Patricia Wells, complete with
her comments.

Peperonata
Vegetable stew with peppers

700 g (1.5 pounds) yellow bell peppers
350 g (0.8 pounds) ripe tomatoes
350 g (0.8 pounds) onions
1/2 glass (75-100 ml/2.5-3.4 US oz) vinegar
1/2 glass (75-100 ml/2.5-3.4 US oz) oil
salt

Wash the peppers, remove the seeds and membranes, and cut in thin
strips. Peel and core the tomatoes. Peel and mince the onions. Put
the vegetables in a large casserole with a well-fitted cover. Salt
and add the oil. Cover and slowly cook over moderate heat for about 1
hour.
The peppers must be just ready by now. Pour in the vinegar and cook
everything through for a few minutes longer. As soon as the sauce
thickens, transfer the dish to a platter and let cool. The dish can be
served cold, warm, or hot.


Oven-Roasted Peppers
Peperoni al Forno

Whenever I have a batch of these delicious red and green roasted peppers
at hand, I feel secure, as though my larder were somehow complete.
These peppers can wear many hats: as a quick lunch with a slice of
grilled bread; as a sauce tossed with warm pasta, as a member of a
lovely antipasto table. I've sampled these at trattorias all over
Italy. Sometimes they are roasted and served as is with just a touch of
oil and salt and sometimes they have a nice vinegary tang. Take your
choice. Be sure to watch the peppers as they bake: the goal here is
peppers that a re soft and fully cooked, with most of the skin still
attached. If they scorch, or bake at too high a temperature, the skins
fall away and the peppers become unpleasantly dry or rubbery and
sometimes bitter. Should you also find yellow or orange peppers in the
market, try all four varieties for a festival of colour. Or, if you are
partial to red peppers, stick with a single hue. Even those who profess
a dislike for peppers will be surprised by the sweetness of this dish.

4 red peppers (about 1 1/2 lb, 750 g)
4 green peppers (about 1 1/2 lb, 750 g)
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Fine sea salt to taste
1 tablespoon best-quality red wine vinegar (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C, gas mark 4)

2. Wash the peppers, quarter them and remove the seeds and membranes.
Place in a covered baking dish large enough to hold them comfortably.
Toss with the oil and season lightly with salt.

3. Cover and place in the centre of the oven. Bake for 1 to 1 1/2
hours, turning the peppers from time to time so they do not scorch.
Remove from the oven and, if desired, toss with the vinegar. Taste for
seasoning. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Yield: 8 to 10 servings as an appetizer

Victor