I am in a celebratory mood. This is my 100th post. When I started blogging in September last year to reach the goal of posting 100 recipes seemed very distant indeed. I have enjoyed every minute, although, I fear my waistline is expanding exponentially. Yesterday I recorded the greatest number of views to my blog since I started. Today I am a very happy blogger indeed.
To add to this happiness we have been eating summery food for a couple of weeks now and enjoying some very lovely sunshine. Marinated peppers is one of my favourite salads and it formed part of a whole hosts of summery salads I put together for tea the other night. The spread included minted aubergines (recipe coming soon), chorizo in red wine with feta, tomato salad and lettuce from the poly tunnel. Some would call it a mezze, some tapas, I call it bits and bobs.
If I had waited a couple of nights we could have had our first Charlotte potatoes from the polytunnel too, as we had those this week too and very delicious they were too. Life is very good indeed.
These marinated peppers are lovely and will happily sit in the fridge for a day developing their flavour, so are handy for parties as they can be made well ahead. They look even better if you use a mixture of red, yellow and orange peppers. I don’t particularly like green peppers but if you do, go for it.
This is the recipe if you are just using 1 pepper to serve 2 people, but it is easy to double, triple or quadruple.
1 red pepper
1 clove garlic
½ tbsp white wine vinegar
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
lots of parsley
Method
Leaving the pepper whole, place onto a baking tray and roast in a hot oven until blackened. Because I have an Aga I just place the pepper directly onto the floor of the roasting oven and turn every five minutes and it takes about twenty minutes for the pepper to blacken all over. You can grill a pepper to the same effect or indeed hold it using large kitchen tongs over a gas flame. Once it is blackened all over, place the pepper into a plastic food bag and tie to seal and leave for five minutes. This steaming in the bag makes it easy to peel. Peel the skin from the pepper, holding it over a bowl to catch any precious juices. Remove the stalk and seeds and slice the roasted pepper into thin slices. Place in a shallow dish and pour over any juices.
Crush the garlic either with a garlic crusher or in a pestle and mortar with a pinch of sea salt. Add the vinegar and mix well and then add the olive oil, mixing well again. The measurements given above are for a classic vinaigrette, but I tend to splosh and taste, adjusting to my taste and I do like it a little on the acidic side so feel free to adjust to your own taste. Season with more salt if necessary and pepper. Pour this dressing over the pepper and mix well. When the pepper is totally cool, add plenty of parsley. Place in the fridge but bring it out to get to room temperature before you want to serve it.
Congratulations Kath – you’ve done well to get to 100 so quickly. So glad you started and do hope you keep it up as I am looking forward to the next 100. I only made my 100 last week and I’ve been going over 6 months longer than you.
Isn’t it great to be harvesting things from the garden again. I’m only managing beetroot leaves from thinnings at the moment, but it still feels good. The peppers look very tasty – maybe bits and bobs will be the new food fad!
Thank you Choclette. My golden beetroot have not even surfaced, much to my disappointment as I was looking forward to them. I think bits and bobs are indeed the future!
happy 100th to you kath.
I have some catching up to do on your posts – I have been away alot recently – but just to say hello and hip hip horray 100.
I love this recipe, we make something similar and they are a favourite. Anchovies are nice draped on top.
here’s to the next 100
ps
sounds like it has been hotter in the uk than Italy !!
Thank you Rachel. I hope that you have been away for pleasure and have been enjoying it. Anchovies sound good. My local butcher has just started selling them and I was drooling over them yesterday but managed not to get distracted from what was on my list. We have had some lovely weather, but you know what we English are like, anything over 15 degrees is considered summery.
We are gearing up for these as well. All summer. So delicious. And yes, lots of parsley! Kath, you are a fixture. Congratulations on your 100th post!
Thank you Tracy.
Kath, congratulations on your 100th post! The peppers look delicious. It’s fun to eat bits and bobs, isn’t it?
Thank you Michele. Where would we be without bits and bobs?
Morning Kath, congratulations on your hundredth posting. Very nice it is too to find you in such a happy mood. Hope you carry on enjoying the cooking and the blogings, and the effects on your waistline aren’t too disastrous.
x
Thanks VegBoxBoy, being tempted by Steak Bakes isn’t helping I can tell you.
Hip hip hooray to your 100th post Kath.
I really am look forwarding to reading your future posts. Right now though I think I better catch up with what I have missed. Warm wishes. I also love your enthusiasm for blogging – long may it continue.
Thank you Mangocheeks, I have some way to go before I catch up with you with your blogging prowess though.
Hello Kath!!
Congrats on your 100 th post & what a lovely recipe it surely is!
MMMMM,…another must try recipe of yours!
Thank you Sophie.
100th blog post – well done Kath! Keep on blogging.
The marinated peppers are a feast for the eyes.
Thanks Margaret.
Happy 100! Looking forward to minted aubergines.
Thanks Denise.