Roasted, Stuffed Red Peppers

Ingredients

• 4 red peppers
• 8 fresh basil leaves
• 2 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
• 8 anchovy fillets
• about 16 capers
• 4 - 8 tomatoes, fresh or canned
• 8 - 16 black olives
• about 1/4 cup good olive oil
• fresh basil leaves for garnish

Method

Halve the peppers lengthwise, cutting through the stems so each half has some stem, and taking out the seeds etc.
Put the peppers in a roasting dish, preferably lined with a Teflon non-stick liner or non-stick baking paper.
Put a basil leaf (or basil pesto) in each half. Divide the sliced garlic, anchovy fillets, and capers between the halves.
If using fresh tomatoes, blanch them in boiling, then cold water to remove the skins then halve or quarter them. Squeeze out most of the seeds, then pack the tomato pieces, rounded sides up, into the peppers, on top of the seasonings. If using canned tomatoes, halve them, remove most of the seeds and pack them in , in the same way.

Top with the olives and drizzle some olive oil over each stuffed pepper.

Bake uncovered at 200 °C for about 30 minutes, until the edges of the peppers are lightly charred. Serve warm or refrigerated then re-warmed, with chunks of bread to soak up the delicious juices.

Notes

• Use medium-sized rather than large red peppers.
• Eat the stuffed peppers warm or cold, soon after cooking or rewarmed.
• If you don't have fresh basil use basil pesto.
• Vary quantities to suit yourself.