Preheat the
oven to 450 degrees. Place all the peppers on a baking sheet lined with
a piece of aluminum foil. Roast the peppers on the top shelf of the
oven, turning them until soft and slightly blackened all over, 15-20
minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and wrap the peppers
tightly in the aluminum foil for about 3 minutes. Using a small sharp
knife, core, seed, and peel them, and then cut into thick slices.
While the
peppers are roasting, prepare a vinaigrette: In a small bowl, mix the
basil, chives, scallion, salt, and pepper. Whisk in the oil and vinegar
and taste for seasoning. Arrange the peeled peppers, alternating colors,
on a platter. Pour the vinaigrette on top and scatter the olives over
the peppers. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Makes 4
servings
This is a
fresh, very colorful summer salad that goes well with just about any
main dish, if you like your food spicy, you can easily make this a
four-pepper dish by roasting a jalapeno (or the Chile pepper of your
choice) alongside the sweet peppers. Yellow, orange, and red bell
peppers (most of which are imported from Holland) can be costly, but if
you can find them for a reasonable price, they are well worth it. In
addition to the flavors, the combination of colors creates a beautiful
presentation. Serve this salad with a loaf of crusty bread and a bottle
of crisp, cold white wine. You can pair any roast with roasted red
peppers, particularly poultry and seafood.
