I returned from my demo at Farmers Market with some lovely young yellow and red bell peppers, a gift from Becky of Terry Farms. They were small and tender so I stuffed them whole and skipped the precooking in the recipe below. I also baked them in my gas grill and at the half way point, I added a tri-tip roast. (I just refuse to turn on the kitchen oven when its so darn hot outside!)
I filled out the meal with a salad of farmer Betty’s Golden Gem orange colored cherry tomatoes and Armenian cucumbers, my home grown Juliet red tomatoes, feta, cheese, kalamata olives, a pinch of both chopped fresh mint and lemon thyme. I lightly tossed with DeLeonardis local olive oil and my dad Harvey’s homemade red wine vinegar. I used a trick I learned form Cook’s Illustrated, to keep the salad from becoming wet and soggy; before adding the other ingredients, I put the cut cherry and Juliet tomatoes in the salad spinner.
I paired the meal with Red Wire, a hearty red blend from New Zealand, see Rocky’s tasting notes at the left.
From Deborah Madison’s Vegetarian Suppers. I bought this little cookbook used and it’s loaded with vegetarian wine pairings and meal planning. Of course it’s hard to go wrong with her recipes, because her focus is seasonal ingredients from the local farmers.
Quinoa has the highest protein value of any grain and its flavor is comparable to couscous. It is sold in health food stores, and if you can’t find it can substitute rice
Stuffed Yellow Peppers
Ingredients2 cups water
2 Tbsp water
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 pinch salt
1 cup quinoa, rinsed well
3 Tbsp olive oil, extra-virgin divided
1 bunch green onions, including 2 inches of the greens, thinly sliced
2 each jalapeno peppers, finely diced, seeded if desired
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp cumin ground
2 cups corn kernels, fresh or frozen, thawed, 3 ears cut off the cob
8 ounces spinach leaves
1/2 cup cilantro, freshly chopped
4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
black pepper, freshly ground to taste
2 large red onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup white wine
4 each large sweet bell peppers, yellow or orange
Directions1. Bring 2 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt and quinoa. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until the grains are tender and reveal their spiraled germ, about 15 minutes.
2. If your peppers are large and mature, you will need to precook them. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Drop the peppers into the simmering water and cook until tender when pierced with the tip of a knife but not overly soft, 4-8 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 400F.
4. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wide skillet over medium heat.
5. Add scallions and jalapenos; cook, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes.
6. Add garlic, cumin, corn, spinach and 2 tablespoons water and cook, stirring occasionally, until the spinach is wilted, about 1 minute.
7. Transfer these vegetables to a large bowl. Add the quinoa, cilantro and feta; toss to combine. Season with pepper.
8. Wipe out the skillet, add 1 tablespoon oil and heat over medium-high.
9. Add onion sliced and cook, stirring frequently, until they start to color around the edges, 3-5 minutes. Deglaze the pan by pouring the in wine and with a wooden spoon, scraping up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper and transfer the onions to one large or two medium baking dishes large enough to hold the peppers.
10. Slice peppers in half lengthwise without removing the tops or stems; remove the inner membranes and seeds. Or if the peppers are small, remove the stem and core, leaving them whole.
11. Transfer the peppers to a cutting board and fill with the quinoa vegetable mixture and place in the baking dish (or dishes).Drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon oil over the peppers.
12. Bake the peppers until heated through, 20 to 30 minutes. Switch heat to broil; cook until tops are browned, about 4 minutes.
13. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature.
