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Recipe Detail Page
Warm Pepper & Tomato Salad
Summer 2012
A perfect salad as tomatoes start to become tasty and the local peppers are ripening. Serve as a first course although it makes a good side dish for steak or chicken too. Sometimes I grate a local cheese such as sheep’s milk Toscano from Monforte Dairies overtop. All the peppers give a depth of flavour that one type of pepper alone would not have. If dried anchos are not available then omit.
1 dried ancho chili pepper
3 tbsp (45 mL) olive oil
1 red pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
1 yellow pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
2 banana peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
3 tbsp (45 mL) thinly sliced garlic
1 cup (250 mL) seeded and sliced tomatoes
1 tbsp (15 mL) balsamic vinegar
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 cups (500 mL) baby arugula
½ cup (125 mL) torn basil leaves
1 Soak ancho chili pepper in warm water to cover for 20 minutes. Pat dry, remove seeds and thinly slice.
2 Heat olive oil in a large skillet over low heat. Add ancho chili, red, yellow and banana peppers and sauté for 15 minutes or until softened. Add garlic and tomatoes and cook another 10 minutes or until flavours come together. Add balsamic vinegar, season with salt and pepper to taste and remove from heat. Sprinkle arugula leaves on a platter, top with warm salad and garnish with basil leaves. Serve with Anchovy Cheddar Biscuits (recipe follows).
ANCHOVY CHEDDAR BISCUITS
My favourite biscuits to serve with salads and soups. The slightly salty taste from the anchovies makes for a savoury treat. Spread them with butter, top them with olive tapenade or just eat them on their own. They also freeze well.
1 cup (250 mL) all-purpose flour
¼ cup (60 mL) butter
1 medium garlic clove, peeled
2 tbsp (30 mL) chopped anchovies
1 cup (250 mL) grated sharp cheddar
2 tbsp (30 mL) whipping cream
1 Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
2 Combine flour, butter, garlic, anchovies and cheddar in a food processor and pulse until well combined. Add whipping cream and process until beginning to come together. Use a little ice water, if needed, to hold the dough together.
3 Turn out onto a floured board and combine into a ball. Roll out to ¼ inch (5 mm) thick and cut into 2-inch (5-cm) rounds.
4 Place on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes or until pale gold. Let cool on a rack and serve with Warm Pepper and Tomato Salad.
Makes about 30 biscuits
