30 years ago, long before we had children, Bruce and I used to meet his parents at the Farmer’s Market on Wednesdays in Santa Monica. I have fond memories of visiting the local vendors and exploring new foods while bonding with Suzanne and Alan. Those were the years Suzanne and I were in the kitchen for many days testing recipes for her Somersize books. I remember how excited we would get when the Lipstick Peppers were in season. Suzanne taught me to pair them with pecorino – what a combination! As the years passed, Suzanne and Alan moved to Malibu and Bruce and I moved to Brentwood. This week I went back to the Santa Monica Farmer’s Market and the Lipstick Peppers were popping! I surprised Suzanne and Alan with a batch this week. Great nostalgia and still a winning combo with the saltiness of pecorino.
30 lipstick peppers
Infusio Basil Olive Oil (available at SuzanneSomers.com)
Wedge of Pecorino cheese
French bread, sliced
Extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt
To Roast Lipstick Peppers:
Heat a grill on high. Add the lipstick peppers and char on all sides until skin is blistered and begins to blacken. When each pepper is blistered on all sides, place into a pot with tightly fitted lid. This helps to steam the peppers and makes the peeling process easier. To peel the peppers, run under cool water. Remove the stem and peel away the skin. Break the pepper open and remove the seeds. When all the skin is peeled, set aside in a glass container. Store in refrigerator until ready to use. Set on serving platter in overlapping layers to form petals along the edge of the platter.
To Grill Bread:
Lightly grill the sliced French bread with a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle of sea salt.
To Serve:
Place a lipstick pepper onto a slice of grilled bread. Drizzle with Infusio Basil Olive Oil. Using a cheese knife, slice a thin piece of pecorino and place on top of the lipstick pepper.