After Ricotta and Artichoke Torta, this second serving of Delicious Jewels (Prestel, 2011) would be perfect for lunch on an overcast muggy summer Monday like today if only I had red peppers, pomegranate molasses, nyons black olives and walnuts handy.
Red Pepper Salad with Black Olives and Walnuts Recipe by Tamasin Day-Lewis
This is a vibrant tasting, brilliant vermilion-hued mezze that I would make as part of a selection to share, so the amount that you make and serve depends on the other dishes and how much of them you make.
I have made this dish with red bell and Romano peppers charred over a flame and skinned, and also
with piquillo peppers in olive oil from a jar on occasion, quicker and smokier scented, it depends on
your time and taste.
6 Romano or bell peppers or 12 piquillo peppers, drained, from a jar
Up to 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses
Sea salt
10-12 black olives, Nyons or petit-lucques are best, halved and pitted
1 tbsp walnuts broken up
Olive oil
1 tbsp chopped fresh basil or mint
If you are using Romano or bell peppers, char them all over on a flame and then put them in a large bowl covered in cling film for 20 minutes before peeling and de-seeding.
Put the peppers in the blender and whiz them to a puree.
Scrape the puree onto a large plate and begin by adding ½ a tablespoon of pomegranate molasses and a little sea salt. Taste and add more molasses if you need to sharpen the flavour yet further.
Scatter the olives and walnuts over the top, add a glug of fruity olive oil to dress the salad prettily and sprinkle over the basil or mint.
Serve with warm home made toast or griddled pitta bread, or with leaves of Treviso and white chicory to dip into the puree. I often make a za’atar spice mix and sprinkle it over the pitta bread brushed with a little olive oil before I griddle it.
Delicious Jewels pairs a dozen recipes with jeweled vegetable garden collection by House of Hemmerle , all brooch except for the 'carrots' earrings.
(* Pepper brooch – copper, silver, white gold, demantoide garnets, Recipe by Tamasin Day-Lewis, photos by Simon Wheeler, all from Delicious Jewels, courtesy Of Hemmerle, all rights reserved)