As the season changes up in Arizona, many of our farmers are still harvesting the summer/fall produce. Our seasons stretch into the next, reminding us that we live in place that doesn’t require winter wardrobes. It’s one of the reasons that many come to Arizona in the first place, to get that 300+ days of sunshine and moderate to hot temperatures and our produce also loves that!
As we move into the next season, we have had much abundance of hot and mild peppers. I love a good roasted pepper! I think that many people shy away from them because they can’t anticipate the heat level in the variety. It’s true, sometimes you can’t, but I think that is the best part of a pepper; no two are alike.
Growing up, I ate a lot of seafood, and one the best accompaniments to crustaceans and fish was a roasted pepper pesto known in Spain as Romesco. I had added this “pesto” (which means to use the mortal and pestle in Italian but we always associate pesto to be green). These days, I add this to my hummus or I mix with goat cheese to create a dip for crudité. Once you make this, I think you may even add this to your mid week charcuterie board or even as sandwich spread for your sando.
Give those Arizona peppers once last push this year and make lots of batches to put to use.
Romesco (Red Pepper Recipe)
Equipment
- Food Processor
- Knife
- Cutting Board
- Spatula
Ingredients
- 1 each Tomato Any variety
- 4 each chili peppers any spicy variety
- 4 each garlic cloves
- 1 cup parsley leaves only
- 1/2 cup almonds whole or sliced
- 1/4 cup artisan bread cut into cubes
- 1/2 cup white beans can, cooked
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp paprika
- 4 tbsp oil olive oil is best
Instructions
- Char the peppers on all sides then steam in a plastic bag (to easily remove the charred pieces), de-seeded and remove stems and veins.
- Add all the remaining ingredients into your processor and pulse with the peppers until all the items combine.
- Salt and pepper to taste.
