What's for Dinner?

9/3/03

The Bell Pepper Harvest

Last spring, listeners Barbara Scanlan and Marian Price both sent me descriptions of their techniques for grilling/roasting red peppers. A follow-up query to the rest of you yielded very few ideas of what to do with these peppers, but during the past several months, I've been hard at work on the problem. Rose Reina was kind enough to send in her quesadilla recipe, and I've collect a few more from cookbooks and other sources.

Master Recipe for Grilling Bell Peppers

1. Preheat your gas grill to high or prepare a charcoal fire.

2. Grill the peppers, turning them often, until they are charred (that is, blistered) on all sides, about 5 minutes for each of the four sides. Use tongs to turn the peppers so that you don't puncture the flesh.

3. Place the charred peppers in a bowl and cover it with a large plate or plastic wrap. The peppers will steam as they cool.

4. After the peppers have cooled enough to handle them (at least 15 minutes), rub off the skins and remove the stems and seeds. Reserve the flavorful juices that have collected in the bottom of the bowl. For the same reason, do not rinse the peppers, because this will wash away the juices still clinging to them.

Alternatively, if you don't want to fire up the grill, you can roast the peppers under a broiler (3-4 inches from the flame) or use tongs to hold them over a stove-top burner. These methods achieve nearly the same effect.

Additionally, following the advice of Marian Price, you can cut the peppers in half lengthwise, stem and seed them, and place them cut-side down on a foil-lined baking sheet. Roast them at 450 degrees Fahrenheit for 25-30 minutes, until they start to char. Then place them in a bowl and proceed as above.

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• Puree a grilled pepper with a garlic clove and a tablespoon of olive oil to make a spread for crackers. Season with a few drops of red wine vinegar, salt, and pepper to taste.
• Mix freshly grilled pepper strips with thin slices of garlic so that the garlic can marinate in the pepper juices. Serve over crostini (thin slices of toasted Italian or French bread).
• Mix grilled pepper strips with sauteed onion slices and season with salt to make the traditional Mexican appetizer rajas. This dish will keep in the refrigerator for several days, but you might want to freshen it up with a squirt of fresh lime juice.
• Use grilled pepper strips as the basis for a hearty salad that might include oil-cured black olives, capers, fennel, fresh basil, goat cheese, or feta. Serve with a mild vinaigrette.

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• one head of garlic
• olive oil
• flour tortillas
• fresh goat cheese
• grilled red peppers, coarsely chopped

2. Remove the loose outer skins from the head of garlic. Slice off its top, cutting off just enough to expose the fleshy tips of the cloves. Drizzle with some olive oil and roast in the oven until softened, about 20-30 minutes.

3. Brush both sides of a flour tortilla lightly with olive oil and place it on a baking sheet.

4. Spread over the top side of the tortilla a clove of roasted garlic (removed from its skin). Spread additionally a generous amount of fresh goat cheese. Top with grilled red pepper, and cover with another flour tortilla already lightly oiled on both sides.

5. Bake in the oven until done, about 15-20 minutes. Cut into wedges with a pizza wheel and serve immediately.

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• 4 red (or yellow) bell peppers
• 1-1/2 Tbs unsalted butter
• 3 oz thinly sliced prosciutto, coarsely chopped
• 1 c heavy cream
• 1 lb dried pasta
• 2 c cooked fresh or defrosted frozen peas
• 1 c freshly grated parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper, to taste

2. Salt the pasta water and bring it to a boil.

3. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute the prosciutto in the butter for 30 seconds over medium-high heat. Add the peppers and saute for another 30 seconds. Add the cream, stir to combine, and remove from the heat.

4. Cook the pasta until al dente. Drain.

5. Over high heat, bring the sauce in the skillet to a boil, stir in the peas, and then immediately add the drained hot pasta. Toss while the pasta absorbs the sauce, about 3-4 minutes. Add the cheese, season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve.

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• 6 red (or yellow) bell peppers
• 1 medium onion, minced
• 1 large carrot, minced
• 1 rib celery, minced
• 2 Tbs olive oil, plus more as a drizzle
• salt, to taste
• 2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
• 2 c chicken stock
• 4 c water

Tips
* Use the thickest peppers you can find. Thin-walled ones will burn too quickly. Also, avoid green peppers, as they are merely unripe red or yellow peppers.

* The goal is to char the skin of the peppers but not the their flesh. Therefore, watch the peppers carefully. Look for their skin to crack and bubble; don't, however, let their flesh burn and harden.

* Using mild chile peppers (such as poblanos) instead of bell peppers can give these dished some extra depth and spice.

* Peppers can be roasted ahead of time and stored for a few days, covered, in the refrigerator.