Recipes: Peck of Peppers

Set your table for the fruit of summer’s labor

Appetizer: Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
recipe by Stephanie Singer

• 2 cans cooked chickpeas
• 8 tbsp. tahini
• 1 red pepper or roasted red pepper (Lancaster Farm Fresh)
• 2 cloves garlic (Overbrook Herb Farm)
• 2/3 cup olive oil
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1 lemon, juiced
• fresh ground black pepper
• cayenne pepper

Roast pepper:

1. Coat each pepper with olive oil
2. Place on an oiled baking sheet and put in the oven on broil for 5-7 minutes
3. Flip to cook the other side for another 4 minutes, or until the skin is slightly blackened
4. Remove from oven and let cool
5. Remove skins, seeds and stem

Make Hummus:

1. Add oil, lemon juice tahini, roasted pepper, chickpeas and garlic to food processor and process until smooth
2. Add salt, cayenne pepper and black pepper in increments
3. Process again to blend spices, tasting and adding as necessary
4. Drizzle olive oil and sprinkle cayenne to serve

First Course: Goat Cheese and Basil Ravioli with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
recipe by Erin Gautsche

Sauce:

• 4 sweet red peppers (Meadow Valley Organics)
• 1 sweet yellow onion (Red Earth Farm)
• 8 cloves fresh garlic (Red Earth Farm)
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp. sea salt
• fresh ground black pepper to taste

Pasta:

• 2 cups white flour
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 eggs (Countryside Organics)
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 tbsp. olive oil

Filling:

• 8 oz. goat chevre (Shelbark Hollow Farm)
• 1/3 cup basil leaves (Green Acres Organics)

1. Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees.
2. Cut the peppers in half and remove the seeds and ribs. Place them cut side down on an oiled baking sheet with the onion, peeled and cut into eighths. Leaving the skins intact, separate the garlic cloves and add them to the pan. Drizzle another tablespoon of oil over the vegetables, brushing the skins to coat with a pastry brush. Place the pan on the top shelf of the oven and bake for about 45 minutes, or until the pepper skins blacken and blister and the onions soften.
3. Place the softened cheese in a medium bowl.
4. Slice basil leaves thin and add to the cheese, mixing with a spoon until smooth.
5. Fill a large pot with water and bring to boil.
6. Place the flour and salt in a food processor. Pulse once, add the eggs, egg yolks and the oil. Pulse until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and forms a bowl. Add a few drops of water if the dough is too dry. Pat the dough between your hands, form a round ball and place on a lightly floured surface. Using a heavy rolling pin, roll the dough, turning and flouring as needed, until it is 1/6-inch thick. (Alternatively, use a pasta machine to roll the dough to the correct thickness.) Cut the dough into quarters about five inches wide.
7. On one dough strip, place a heaping teaspoon of goat cheese about a quarter of an inch from the side of the dough. Leave one half-inch space below the spoonful of filling, then repeat until you have about five spoonfuls down and two across (or 10 spoonfuls on one quarter). Use a pastry brush to dampen the pasta on all four sides around the filling, creating a grid pattern. Place another quarter of dough on top of the first, press lightly between each filled square and slice the dough to separate each individual ravioli.
8. With a fork, press down and seal each square. Repeat the process with the remaining two quarters of pasta dough. Salt the water and place five ravioli in the pot. When each ravioli floats to the top (about four minutes), remove from the water and place in a warmed dish. Cover, and repeat until all the ravioli are cooked.
9. Remove the vegetables from the oven and pull the charred skin from the peppers and place them in a large food processor or blender. Add the onions, and the roasted garlic, squeezing the paste from the dried skins. Add just a few tablespoons of water and blend until smooth. Transfer the sauce to a medium saucepan. Add the tablespoon of balsamic and salt, and fresh pepper to taste. Cover and heat over medium until it bubbles lightly. Remove from the heat; either add to the ravioli, or serve on the side. Garnish with grated parmesan, if desired.

Second Course: Lamb-Stuffed Peppers
recipe by Kevin Parker

• 4-6 medium green bell peppers, tops removed and cored and seeded (Red Earth Farm)
• 1 lb ground lamp (Meadow Run Farm)
• 1/2 lb. new potatoes, diced into bite-sized pieces (Red Earth Farm)
• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved (Red Earth Farm)
• 1 small leek, washed and sliced in 1/4″ thick rounds (Red Earth Farm)
• 2 tbsp. fresh oregano, finely chopped (Red Earth Farm)
• 3/4 oz. grated cheese (Hendricks’ Farms and Dairy “Keystone Classic”)
• 1 egg, lightly beaten (Meadow Run Farm)
• salt and pepper

1. Add potatoes to a pot of cold water and bring to a boil. Boil for approximately 10 minutes, or until cooked through. Drain, add to a large mixing bowl and roughly mash with a fork.
2. In a sauté pan, brown the ground lamb over medium-high heat. With a slotted spoon, transfer the lamb to the large mixing bowl. Drain off all but two tablespoons of the fat.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Add the leeks to the sauté pan with a pinch of salt and cook until softened. Lower the heat to medium low, cover and cook for 20 minutes. Add the leeks to the large mixing bowl.
    
4. Add tomatoes, oregano and grated cheese to the large mixing bowl and mix. Add salt and pepper to taste. Allow the mixture to cool. Meanwhile, arrange the peppers in a baking dish and bake for 15 minutes to soften them.
5. Remove the peppers and cool. Add the egg to the large mixing bowl and stir until just mixed through. Spoon the mixture into the cooled peppers.
    
6. Return to the oven and cook an additional 30 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature.