Tuesday 17 July 2012

SUMMER COMFORT FOOD- Roasted red pepper recipe




Home grown tomatoes





When I started this blog back in the dark cold months of January I couldn’t wait for the summer.

 The sunshine, eating out in the garden, picking my home grown veg and fruit, Heaven!

Instead, this year the table and chairs are still under covers, any foray into the garden is quick, and in wellington boots, as the garden is fast becoming a bog. Most of the strawberries turned to mush or went mouldy, and the tomatoes, well, what tomatoes!!

Have had a crazy few weeks so Teen V and I felt in need of a quiet day and some comfort food, and here I was stuck.

I realized that all my comfort food was more winter based. Thick tagines and bean hot pots didn't quite feel right, it is summer after all!! 

I wanted escapist comfort food. Something warming, that would still remind me of sunshine!






ripe red peppers


Garlic





We had a few ripe cherry tomatoes and some lovely red peppers and so I created a simple dish, inspired by one a dear friend’s mother had prepared for us in the South of France a few years ago.

So here, if you need it, is a simple yet delicious roasted red pepper recipe. Its subtle flavours will remind you of sunshine and the softness of the peppers  almost melt in your mouth.








ROASTED RED PEPPERS


This serves 2 but can easily be double, tripled ad infinitum..you get the idea

Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes



INGREDIENTS:

2 Red peppers
1 Clove of garlic
10 small cherry tomatoes or there about, depending on the size of your peppers..you might need more if they are huge!!Or two big vine tomatoes
2 slices of Halloumi cheese
3 good slugs of olive oil
Salt and pepper



WHAT TO DO:

1.     Turn oven on to 170 degrees to warm.
2.     Cut the peppers in half length wise and lay in an oven proof dish.
3.     Chop the garlic up small then cut the tomatoes in half and half again. Put them all in a bowl with a slug of olive oil and stir.
4.     Chop half the halloumi and add to the mixture.
5.     Season well with salt and pepper, mix again, then, spoon into the pepper shells.
6.       Place in a pre- heated oven and leave for 35 minutes.
7.     Remove from the oven spoon the juices over the peppers and add the last pieces of halloumi to the peppers and leave for a final 10 minutes.

The peppers at this point should be soft but still have shape.





Roasted red peppers with halloumi




You can use more halloumi however beware that the saltiness of the cheese will detract from the natural flavours of the peppers, garlic and tomatoes if you use too much.

Serve with crusty homemade wholemeal bread (see recipe for wholemeal bread rolls June) to soak up all the delicious sweet juices.




home made light wholemeal bread






These can also be made as a starter or an alternative without the cheese when you have non dairy eating friends coming.






Roasted peppers with basil



 I am so sorry for my blog silence.  

It has been a crazy few weeks with end of term, plays, exams, as well as other exciting projects taking off..time has gone too fast.  I am looking forward to getting back to 
Not Just For Rabbits 
and thinking about food and recipes again!

Hey the sun has finally come out so I’m going in the garden with my coffee.

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