I just returned from a trip to the local farmer’s market and I must say, it is crazy during these late summer days. Just about everything is available – all the early summer stuff plus the huge hot-weather bounty of eggplant, sweet peppers, corn, tomatoes, beans, stone fruits and figs to name a few. Really…it is the perfect time of year to celebrate color, flavor, texture – anything food related.
But the celebration won’t last, so this week I put together 3 standout recipes that are a must to try before the cool weather sets in and our food cravings shift to those comforting fall recipes.
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Peperonata
There are certain tastes that excite me a great deal – tastes I tend to incorporate in my cooking. One of those taste combinations is mixing sweet with sour. I simply love the way those two tastes play together in my mouth, like two kids discovering the coolest playground ever.
This recipe is a treasure I love to make. It’s a simple preparation. It looks beautiful – especially on toast. And if I get the balance right with the vinegar and sugar, the flavor of sweet peppers explodes in my mouth. This recipe can be a bit finicky. I need to constantly taste and adjust the levels of seasoning and sweet and sour notes while I’m cooking the peppers. The amounts I list will get you close to how I think peperonata should taste, but you will need to make your own slight adjustments based on the quality of the tomatoes and sweet peppers you use to make the dish. But believe me…if you take the journey, you will discover one of Italy’s hidden recipe gems!
Difficulty: simple
Yield: makes about 4-6 servings
Ingredients
2 large red sweet peppers
2 medium yellow sweet peppers
2 medium red onions, thinly sliced
80 ml (1/3-cup) extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely grated
500 grams (one pound) fresh tomatoes
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
3-4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2-3 tablespoons sugar
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Prepare the sweet peppers by cutting them in half and removing the seeds and thick ribs. Slice the peppers into long 1/2-cm (1/4-inch) wide strips.
Heat a large pan over moderate heat. When the pan is hot, add the onions along with 1 teaspoon of salt and 1-2 tablespoons of water. Reduce the temperature to maintain a medium-low cooking environment. Your goal is to cook the onions until they are completely soft – about 10 minutes, so be patient and stir the onions frequently. Add 1-2 tablespoons of water as necessary to prevent the onions from sticking to the pan and turning golden.
Add the extra virgin olive oil to the pan, along with the grated garlic and all the prepared sweet peppers. Turn the heat to medium, add 1 teaspoon of sea salt, mix everything well, add 1/4-cup water to the pan, cover and cook for 15 minutes, or until the peppers soften.
Meanwhile, place the tomatoes in a food processor or blender. Process until pureed and the tomatoes take on a pinkish hue. Strain the tomatoes, then add the strained tomato puree to the peppers. Add the red wine vinegar and sugar. Mix well. Cook uncovered over medium-high heat until the sauce begins to thicken. Adjust the seasoning and continue to cook until the sauce is thick and the peppers are soft. Remove from the heat, cool to room temperature and adjust the seasoning one final time. Serve at room temperature…preferably on toast.
Tips and Variations
Use yellow or white onions in place of the red ones – the result will be similar.
Begin with the lesser amounts of both the vinegar and the sugar. Allow the mixture to cook and reduce until it is nearly complete. Taste the sauce and adjust the balance, keeping in mind you will allow the mixture to reduce and concentrate a bit more.
Store leftover peperonata in a glass container.. Cover the peppers with extra virgin olive oil and cover the jar with the lid. Keep refrigerated for 1-2 weeks.
Peperonata is excellent when served on toast as bruschetta. But it also works great as a pasta sauce – just make sure you don’t make it too thick. Use with rigatoni or penne pasta