triple threat! — in food, not in hollywood :::: 
This is my triple treat. It’s vegan (and thus under the umbrella of vegetarian), dairy-free, and gluten-free (if you use rice-based panko). If you are one of the lucky with a garden bursting with peppers this summer, this is a great way to enjoy them. I could eat my weight in raw sweet peppers, but sometimes a sprinkle of crunchy panko on a soft roasted pepper far outweighs that desire.
My pepper plants are not so cooperative this year, one of the two plants looking forlorn, never quite recovering from a nibble from the blasted snails this summer. The other plant still looks juvenile, its leaves young and tender (stay away, snails!). I succumbed to the grocery store and farmers’ market peppers after seeing this recipe in my most recent bon appetit magazine.
This does involve a hot oven on a summer day, so beware if you are one of the many suffering in this year’s heatwave. Consider a grill experiment, if you can fashion a set-up for roasting and can determine the temperature to be around 400 degrees F.
These taste great warm or at room temperature, brought on a pretty plate for a pot luck or picnic. They’ll go fast, so nicking a few before your meal is totally acceptable. (I did my fair share, and have no regrets. And made another batch.)
- 4-6 large colored peppers (I used red, orange, and yellow), cored, seeded, quartered lengthwise*
- 6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- sea salt and black pepper
- 2 cups panko breadcrumbs (oyster crackers or pita chip dregs also work, but you may not need any salt, depending on their saltiness)
- 1 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, gently packed
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves, gently packed
- 2 teaspoons dry oregano leaves (or 1 tablespoon fresh)
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil (or use a silicon mat, like I did).
- Combine peppers with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Season with salt and pepper; toss to coat evenly.
- Place peppers, skin side up, on prepared baking sheet; cover tightly with foil. Roast until completely tender and wilted, about 25-30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, pulse bread, parsley, basil, oregano, garlic, and 3 tablespoons oil in a food processor until fine, bright green breadcrumbs form. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Uncover peppers and turn skin side down. Divide breadcrumb mixture among peppers. Drizzle topping and remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil.
- Roast, uncovered, until peppers begin to caramelize and breadcrumbs turn a deep golden brown, 30-40 minutes. (Peppers will start to darken on the bottom -- that's okay.)
- Transfer peppers to a serving plate.
- Serve warm or at room temperature. These can be made 4 hours in advance and be kept at room temperature.
