Veggies

Roasted Red Pepper Tapenade

1 cup roasted red peppers
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ cup chopped onions
½ cup chopped tomatoes (fresh or canned)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil1 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tbsp chopped herbs (basil, parsley, chives, garlic chives and/or oregano)
½ tsp saltPepper to taste

Roast the peppers (in the broiler, on a grill, or over a burner) until the skins are black and burnt. Put in a large covered bowl to sweat and cool. Peel off the skins. Chop the peppers.

Add the garlic, onions, tomatoes, olive oil, vinegar, herbs and S&P. Mix and let marinate at room temperature for an hour.

Serve on fresh baked Italian or French bread, or over pasta like a pesto.

Sun-dried tomatoes can be substituted for the fresh ones.

Roasted Eggplant Spread
(from member Heather Gibbons)

Introduction: An easy recipe for eggplant... I saw Ina Garten make this on TV and tried it myself. It's really good!

Ingredients and amounts:
1 medium eggplant (peeled or not)
2 red bell peppers, seeded
1 red onion, peeled
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons good olive oil
11/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon tomato paste

Instructions on how to prepare the dish:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Cut the eggplant, bell pepper, and onion into 1-inch pieces. Spread them on a baking sheet and toss with the garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast for 20-30 minutes, until the vegetables are lightly browned and soft, tossing once during cooking. Cool slightly.

Place the vegetables in a food processor fitted with a steel blade, add the tomato paste, and pulse 3 or 4 times to blend. Taste for salt and pepper.
Serve with toasted pita triangles or crackers.

Also good as filoling for pita (add feta) or sauce for pizza.