I made this mezé for my brother, who loves peppers. It was a small gift I took to his house, where he and my sister-in-law hosted this year's mothers day dinner. All the ladies got gifts and flowers, so I figured he should get a small something since he did a lot of the cooking. This is a popular mezé, or appetizer, in Greek cuisine, usually enjoyed with a slowly sipped aperitif such as ouzo.
Ingredients:
10 peppers, cut in half, stem and seeds removed (have a combination of colours, such as red, green, and yellow)
1 head garlic, split in half horizontally, no need to peel it, but remove the excess skin
1/3 cup olive oil, divided in half
Salt and pepper to taste
4 tablespoon red wine vinegar
juice of a lemon
4 tablespoons parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon mint, chopped
2 teaspoons dried Greek oregano
Directions:
In a bowl toss the peppers and the garlic with half of the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Bake on a tray at 450° F / 200 C for about 30 minutes, or until the skin of the peppers is blistered and charred.
Remove from the oven and place the peppers in a plastic container whose lid you're pretty sure you can find. Cover with said lid. Let the peppers steam in the container until they have cooled. The trapped steam will help to separate the skin from the flesh of the peppers making the eventual peeling easier.
Peel the peppers and remove the roasted garlic from its skin. The garlic will be served with the peppers. Keep as much of it as you are comfortable using, and if necessary, discard the rest.
Marinate the peppers and garlic with the remaining olive oil, the red wine vinegar, lemon juice, and herbs. The recipe can be made about two days ahead of time. Store in the refrigerator but bring to room temperature before serving.
