Roasted capsicums with anchovies

Intro

One of my favourite ways of socialising is sitting around a picnic table on the back lawn with sea as a backdrop, a glass of wine, a bunch of old friends and yummy things to eat. A couple of gorgeous cheeses, salty nuts, a firm pear, smoked salmon or chicken, garlicky olives and roasted red peppers all seem to me to be the food of the Gods. Horowhenua is a strong horticultural area and we are blessed to be able to buy gorgeous, picked daily, vegetables direct from the grower ... including stunning red peppers at the right time of year. My kids eat them like apples! I make a couple of antipasto dishes including Peperoni Alla Piemontese. This recipe consists of chargrilled red peppers (capsicums) rolled up with anchovies and capers - gorgeous combination. 

Recipe

• 6 large glossy red peppers (bell peppers or capsicums)
• garlic
• olive oil
• anchovies
• capers
• 1 lemon

Grill the red peppers until the skins are blackened (or roast over a naked gas flame ie a BBQ). Stick them in a closed paper bag and leave for 15 minutes to steam. The blackened skin will peel off quite easily with a vegetable knife. Marinate for 15 minutes in olive oil, a splash of lemon, a crushed clove of garlic. 

Cut each pepper into 6 or 8 length-wise strips (depending on the size of the peppers). Place a chopped anchovy fillet and a few capers on each slice then roll up into a small sausage and arrange into a shallow dish. Pour the marinade over and garnish with a tiny sprinkling of parsley, or grated lemon rind, a grinding of black pepper or a few fresh thyme leaves. Serve with bread to sop up the lovely oil.