Today’s project is Marmelade de poivrons rouge. Red Pepper Marmalade. It’s the kind of recipe, were I not doing this project, I would skip. Though I’m sure it will be very tasty – roasted red peppers, garlic and olive oil – what’s not to like about those ingredients, it’s not immediately obvious to me what I would do with the dish. It’s like pickles…I like them but it rarely occurs to me to eat them. Lydie says put them in sandwiches, on pasta, in a salad. Okay, what kind of sandwich, salad, etc.? I’ve been giving consideration to this question. For some reason I can picture them on meatloaf (of all things). So, I’m going to also make an elegant meatloaf from a recipe in Eating Well that contains dried porcini and chanterelle mushrooms, bulgar, and a variety of herbs. Other uses for the peppers that I thought of: they could be combined with spaghetti squash or served on a baguette with a soft cheese. So there you go. I have a plan. Here are some pictures of the spaghetti squash I bought from my favorite Farmer’s Market.
The peppers have now been roasted. I would advise putting them in a paper bag and not the plastic bag that Lydie suggests. The heat of the peppers immediately melted the plastic. Besides, all of what we’re learning about chemicals leaching from plastic makes me a bit leery. I am ashamed to say that the seeding and peeling of six roasted peppers took about an hour. Maybe a more experienced cook could do it in less time. I’m once again reminded of the value of a sous-chef. Forget sous, just a partner to share in the cutting and chopping would be nice! I had a friend once who said she only made recipes where the list of ingredients was long and the directions were short. So far what I’ve endeavored is the exact opposite. (This recipe had only four ingredients: red peppers, garlic, oil, and salt.) Maybe there really is no substitute for hard labor.
The peppers are tasty and were a good compliment to the meatloaf. The core question, though, is: are they better than what you could buy in a jar? I would say yes. Definitely sweeter and more tender. Will I make them again? We’ll see….
You are adorable, with your fancy blog! Congratulations! Yes, I feel strongly that plastic should not be heated, especially when it comes to food. I promise to be your sous chef when you get out here.
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