TOMATO STUFFED ROASTED RED PEPPERS

This is such an inadequate title for this dish!

Firstly, properly roasted red peppers are filled with umami.  They just melt in your mouth and they taste divine making any dish you use them in even better.  Couple that with the best garden fresh tomatoes of summer, some garlic and basil and you have a super easy, super tasty side dish that just screams of summer.

I discovered this dish when we lived in England.  It makes me think of long summer nights, children playing outside and dinner with friends.  I can remember the first time I served them to my father.  He was a man who appreciated good food and, even better, loved to tell the cook and the other diners how much he liked a dish.  (That is a skill that is worth practicing.  If sincere, it will get you more of what you want at your dinner table–just saying!).

The secret to the flavor is in good ingredients and (dare I say it?) the anchovies.  You don’t need a lot.  And truth be told I used to sneak them into this dish and serve them to my ex-husband who was an avowed anchovy hater and he never noticed.  The fishiness disappears leaving just a touch of salt and ocean.  But if you really can’t do it, plain salt will substitute instead.

Start by peeling your tomatoes.  Cut a small cross on the base then pour boiling water over them and let them sit for one minute.

Then drain them and peel them. Depending on how ripe your tomatoes are, the skin should almost remove itself.

Cut the red peppers in half lengthwise.  Remove the white pith and seeds.  I like to keep the stem attached just for the effect.  You don’t need to.

Rub the peppers with some olive oil and place them, cut side up, in a rimmed baking dish.  As this dish cooks, the tomatoes will fill the peppers with their juices and you don’t want to lose any of that!

Cut the tomatoes in quarters and remove the top hull.

Now stuff the tomatoes, seed side down into the peppers.  It’s okay to really squeeze them in. Sprinkle them with garlic and anchovies and toss the basil over them.  Give the whole thing a good drizzle of olive oil and put it in the oven.

After about 20 minutes or so you will notice the most mouth-watering smell coming from your kitchen and people will start to pop their heads in to ask what’s cooking.  The peppers take 30-40 minutes to cook.  The edges of the peppers should shrivel up and even start to char a bit.  Meanwhile the tomatoes are cooking with the garlic and anchovies and creating a delicious broth in the cavity of the pepper.  When they are done you can serve them right away or refrigerate for later.  Be sure to bring up to room temperature for the best flavor.  And don’t forget a crusty baguette to soak up all the juices!

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TOMATO STUFFED ROASTED RED PEPPERS

Servings 2

Ingredients

• 2 ripe tomatoes
• 2 large red peppers
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small clove garlic chopped
• 1-2 anchovies optional, cut into quarters
• 4-6 fresh basil leaves
• Pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees
2. Cut a small cross in the bottom of the tomatoes and place them in a bowl. Bring enough water to cover the tomatoes completely to a boil. Pour the boiling water over the tomatoes and let them sit for one minute then drain them, cool slightly and peel.
3. Cut the peppers in half lengthwise and remove the seeds and pith. Cut the peeled tomatoes into quarters.
4. Rub the peppers all over with olive oil and place them cut side up in rimmed oven proof dish.
5. Stuff two tomato quarters into each pepper. Sprinkle with chopped garlic and anchovies. Tear or cut the basil and place leaves on top of the tomatoes. Drizzle with olive oil and add pepper to taste. (If you are not using anchovies, you may want to salt them as well)
6. Place on the top rack of the oven and roast for 30-40 minutes until the edges of the peppers have started to char. Let cool slightly and carefully remove to plates as desired. The tomatoes will have released their juices filling the peppers.
7. Serve with crusty fresh bread.