october 18, 2018
I’m finally getting around to reading Michael Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma, in which food choice and overabundance are believed to have engendered paralysis in today’s kitchens. With so many options in our crowded market aisles, we sputter at decision time. What to have for dinner? We have good intentions. Colorful vegetables are purchased at grocery stores with the operative plan being to cook them up on the weekend and enjoy them all week. Excitement turns to dismay when we see these same vegetables staring at us reproachfully from the way back of the shelf four days later, unchopped and uncooked. We are time-challenged and over scheduled.
these local bell peppers turned mostly red shortly after being picked
Haven’t we all neglected our precious purchases? Thank goodness for compost piles, or guilt would compound my own personal paralysis further. Best to cook with the seasons, writes Pollan, wisely. Employ what’s at peak flavor and quality and set aside items that have had their day in the sun. Ears of fresh corn in the summer and hard squashes in autumn and winter. Wait for asparagus to return in the spring and indulge in citrus all winter long.
toss peppers with garlic oil, salt and pepper by hand right on the sheet pan
I’m excited to share today’s recipe for garlic roasted sweet peppers. End of season peppers are turning brilliant hues at roadside stands, begging to be recognized for the kitchen superstar they have always been and not just as second fiddle to onions and tomato in recipe blends.They are a super simple weekend roast which really can be utilized in meals all week. Some ways you could put these savory jewels to use :
- as a side dish all by themselves
- as a pizza or pasta topper
- in frittatas or omelets
- tucked into sandwiches
- blended into hearty bean or quinoa cold salads
- as a topper for bruschetta
- as an addition to all manner of entrees like tacos, stews and braises
I’m here to tell you these delicious and tender roasted peppers last in the fridge up to one week and defrost easily if frozen, without loss of flavor or quality. Easy, and tasty. And seasonal. And a perfect answer to the age old question “what’s for dinner?”
Garlic Roasted Peppers
recipe by Michele Humlan, The Good Eats Company
makes about 2 cups
ingredients
about two pounds sweet bell peppers, trimmed and cut into 1-2 inch chunks
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, zested on microplane grater
1 teaspoon kosher salt
several grinds of black pepper
directions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- In small bowl, mix together oil and garlic.
- Arrange peppers on large sheet pan (don’t use insulated pans since the vegetables will poach more than roast and not get nicely caramelized surfaces).
- Drizzle garlic oil over peppers, sprinkle kosher salt and add a few black pepper grinds.
- With clean hands, toss all together directly on the sheet pan until peppers are coated.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until you start to see signs of a nice char on the peppers.
- Remove from oven and set aside to cool to room temperature.
- Peppers will keep well tightly covered in a glass or metal dish in the fridge for up to one week and in the freezer for up to two months.
