I wasn't sure. Roasted red peppers with mint? And currants? Where was the garlic? The basil? The savory mixture I grew up eating? But I made it as written. My mother was sure.
"This tastes just like Grandma's." And so I tasted it. And was finally sure. It was lovely.
The Roasted Red Pepper Salad comes from Christopher Hirscheimer and Melissa Hamilton's Canal House Cooking cookbook. The two women are number 33 on Gourmet's list of 50 Women Game Changers in Food. Hamilton is a former editor of Saveur and cut her cooking chops with a restaurant in New Jersey as well as at Martha Stewart's Living and Cook's Illustrated.
Christopher Hirschmeimer was one of the founder's of Saveur. But her work at Metropolitan Home Magazine is what brought her to acclaim. Hirscheimer is widely credited for changing the face of food photography. She added the artfully messy contrivances to the photos - letting go of the former "helmet hair" mentality that stalked the photos for decades.
The two women had been friends for years and as many do, grew tired of the commuting/corporate world and -co-founded Canal House as a photo/design studio for food. That soon branched out into cookbooks - 3 volumes a year of 75 seasonal recipes.
"Canal House cooking is home cooking by home cooks for home cooks," is their mantra. Read more about the two women here.
Roasted red peppers in February? Is that seasonal? Well - sort of. If you roasted bushels of them back in September and then froze them for use all year round! All right - I get a "D" for seasonal cooking here. But an "A" for good taste!
Roasted Red Pepper Salad
1 cup olive oil (I used a little more than half of that)
2 tablespoons currants (can use raisins, I used craisins)
1-2 tablespoons capers
juice of 1 lemon
4 red bell peppers (I used a mixture of red and yellow)
1 small handful of mint leaves - chopped or torn
salt and pepper to taste
Roast your peppers. Cut into long lengths. If you've never roasted peppers, follow the link at Ciao Chow Linda's blog. Whisk lemon juice and olive oil. Add currants (raisins) and capers. Add roasted peppers and turn to cover them. Add mint and salt and pepper to taste. Marinate at least 1 hour before serving.
I do love bringing color to the table. Come February, I am starved for reds and yellows. And a little green.
I am coming to NYC with daughter the last week in March. It's been four years since I visited my little hometown. My baby cousins are full-fledged children and Eataly awaits! In early March I will be in Utah with Under a Midsummer Moon and the end of March - in NYC. I clearly don't have the hang of going to warmer climes in the winter!
Please check out what the other bloggers are doing for Week 32 of Female Chef Gourmet Game Changers. And if you want to join in the fun, e-mail Mary at One Perfect Bite. Mary started this delectable journey.
Kathleen - Gonna Want Seconds,
