Roasted Garden Peppers, straight from a summer garden, smoked, roasted, peeled and marinated for a favored charcuterie, pizza, dip, sandwich or salad.
Garden Peppers
When winter nears its end, I start planning what I will grow in the spring. Peppers are always top of the list. Why?
Peppers quietly take all summer of soaking up the sunshine. Then when summer begins to wane, reminding us of the cold months ahead, the peppers say, ‘don’t fret, here I am, hot, sweet, colorful, anyway you want me’!
While I will dry some and freeze a bundle of others for winter dishes, roasting the peppers is the most delicious way to enjoy them off the vine.
Roasted Peppers
Your grill is still out and being used when peppers are ready to harvest, so why not toss a few bundles of them on the grill!
Brush with a little olive oil, place on the grill and turn until all sides get charred, then pop them in a big brown paper bag. The skins will peel right off.
Smoked Or Roasted Peppers
If you are not a huge grill person, a hand smoking device/gun is fabulous. A small contraption for the wood chips, a little hose to go inside a zip baggy and several peppers at a time can be given the lovely smoke flavor.
Another easy way to roast the peppers quickly, if you have a gas stove, is to place the peppers right over the fire, turn and be careful.
Last but not least is to brush with olive oil, pop in a 400 degree oven until you see the skins begin to wilt. They won’t have the smoke flavor but they are ready for a gazillion dishes.
So Many Ways To Use Roasted Peppers
Once the peppers have been roasted they can be chopped and frozen, pureed and used as a spread on pizza dough.
A favorite of mine is a Bruschetta, tossed in a Lemon Dressing or simply kept in the fridge for several days to use in salads, or a lovely side dish on its own.
For an artsy whimsical luncheon or side dish, I like to slightly roast a large pepper, just enough to give it a smoke flavor, and serve anything inside. The pepper becomes a beautiful, colorful bowl.
Lightly roasted zucchini and yellow squash, tossed in my favorite Lemon Dressing gets layered inside the pepper and served as a lovely whimsical side dish.
Ingredients Needed
- Peppers
- Salt
- Oregano
- Olive oil
- Balsamic vinegar
Equipment Needed
- Grill, oven or hand smoker
- Cutting board
- Chopping knife
- Brown paper bag
- Measuring cup
- Measuring spoons
- Wooden spoon
- Small spoon – to remove seeds
- Parchment paper – if roasting in the oven
- Smoking gun, Grill or an oven
Roasted Garden Peppers
Ingredients
- Peppers – 8, large or a bundle of small peppers
- Salt – 1 tbsp
- Garlic – 2 cloves crushed
- Oregano – 1 tbsp
- Olive oil – ¼ cup
- Balsamic vinegar – ¼ cup
Instructions
- Place the peppers on a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Bake at 400 for 30 minutes or on a grill until charred on all sides.
- Place the hot peppers into the paper bag and close it tight for about 30 minutes. This will create a steam and make the skins easy to peel off.
- Gently open the peppers after they have cooled.
- Remove the seeds. Peel off the skin. Slice into strips.
- Place the marinade ingredients into a bowl with the sliced peppers. Toss gently. Your luscious peppers are now ready for Everything!
Nutrition
I believe the table... that place that draws people to gather, is the most powerful symbol of togetherness. All that happens before the table is set, the planning, the gathering, the preparing, are all an intricate part of the dance that create the mood of celebration to share with friends and loved ones.