Roast sweet peppers with pine nuts and oregano

Roast peppers are not just delicious. They are full of essential antioxidants. One reason why people living in southern France live longer and healthier than elsewhere is simply down to diet and to products such as the colourful capsicum! They should be on the diet of everyone over the age of 18! Here is a wonderful recipe to get you started.

You will need:
Ingredients
8 red peppers
200ml olive oil
4-5 garlic cloves, cut in half and bashed
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
4-5 rosemary sprigs
½ tsp coarse sea salt
1 tbsp demerara sugar
1 tsp dried oregano
200ml balsamic vinegar
150g very fresh goat’s cheese, such as Bouton d’Oc, crumbled
12 basil leaves, torn
80g pine nuts, toasted

Method

1 Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4. Cut the peppers in half lengthways and remove the seeds and stalks. Heat a roasting tin on top of the stove and add the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the cut peppers, garlic, lemon zest, rosemary sprigs and coarse sea salt. Cook this for 2-3 minutes on top of the stove, then add the sugar and oregano and place in the preheated oven.
2 Roast the peppers for 8-10 minutes, until they are just beginning to soften, then remove from the oven and pour in the balsamic vinegar. Put the tin back on the heat on top of the stove until the vinegar is reduced by half. Tip the peppers into a bowl and cover with cling film. This makes the peppers steam and finishes the cooking process. Also, if you prefer the peppers without the skin, the steaming makes them easier to peel.
3 Remove the peppers from the bowl, then strain the juice and flavourings through a fine sieve. Add a little more oil to make a dressing. Season the peppers, add the dressing, goat’s cheese, basil leaves and toasted pine nuts, then serve with a nice glass of Cotes du Rhone which is also excellent for your health and well-being!