*Roast sweet Italian peppers, tomatoes, onions, herbs and garlic to make peperonata. Photo by Arlie Sommer*

This recipe is a twist on the traditional Italian side dish, peperonata of peppers and tomatoes. It takes advantage of the abundance of fresh peppers, vine-ripened tomatoes, onions, garlic and of course the savory Mediterranean herbs of oregano, thyme and rosemary.

The recipe below is adapted from Joshua McFadden’s Six Seasons, A New Way With Vegetables cookbook. It makes a big batch as he says, “because you can serve peperonata on everything.” Slather on a piece of toasted bread, ladle over scrambled eggs for breakfast, warm and spoon over a bowl of greens for lunch or top a bowl of creamy polenta, as is pictured below.

Too much? Freeze your leftovers and reheat them mid-winter to remind you of summer’s plenty.

INGREDients

4 lbs of Sweet Italian peppers

2 large onions

2 lbs of tomatoes

6 garlic cloves, smashed and chopped

1 t cayenne pepper or 1/2 t dried chile flakes

1 T sherry, balsamic, or red wine vinegar

6 big sprigs fresh thyme, oregano, basil or rosemary or use a mix, finely chopped

Alternately, three tablespoons of dried herbs, crushed with mortar and pestle

Extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS

Step 1

Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.

Prepare the vegetables. Core and seed the peppers. Cut into one inch pieces. Cut the tomatoes and onions into pieces to match the peppers.

In a large bowl set aside the peppers, tomatoes, fresh herbs and minced cayenne pepper and coat with olive oil and the vinegar.

Step 2

Cover the bottom of a heavy-bottomed skillet with olive oil on medium-high heat. Add the garlic and onions and cook until golden brown and softened, about 5 minutes. If using dried herbs, add and cook 2 minutes more.

Fold into the tomato and pepper mixture.

Step 3

Spread the entire mixture onto a well-oiled large, shallow baking tray and roast in the oven for 30-minutes.

Step 4

Once completely softened, add back to the large bowl or heavy-bottomed, large sauce pan and use an immersion blender to turn the mixture into a smooth, thick sauce.

Blended Peperonata Sauce