It’s always around this time of year that I’m reminded of how great it is to live in Essex County. Not only did we make tomato sauce this month (which I’ll post about later) but my mom and I also decided that we were going to roast a bushel of local red peppers.
There is nothing like the smell of peppers roasting on the grill. As they were roasting, Adriano pulled up into the driveway and said he could smell the aroma as he drove down the block.
So what do you do with roasted red peppers? You make an antipasto!
Another truly simple recipe that only takes minutes to assemble but is just full of fresh flavours.
Roasting peppers is easy too. Throw them onto the grill and char them. Blackening them ensures that the skin will easily peel off. Although it’s important to make sure they are cooked through you don’t want to burn what’s underneath the skin.
Once they’ve been roasted, immediately put them into a bowl and cover them up with foil or wrap. The steam will also help in making them easier to peel. Keep them covered for about 10-15 minutes.
When ready, run each pepper under cold water and ensure you’ve peeled off the skin and removed the stem and seeds.
Cut the peppers into strips, lengthwise and toss into a clean bowl. Add to that some fresh Italian parsley from the garden, crushed garlic (which I love so I add quite a bit), salt and pepper to taste, a wee bit of olive oil, mix it up and you’re done.
We’ve only done a bushel (roughly 2 dozen peppers and did not last very long in our house), so we’re thinking of maybe roasting a few more this weekend and canning them.
