Removing kernels from cobs; blanching anything; peeling anything; slicing anything — it’s all too much. This is unfortunate because so many of my favorite summer dishes — fresh corn polenta, Hazan’s tomato sauce, roasted red pepper sandwiches — require a teensy bit of elbow grease. Or do they? On Monday, anticipating another load of peppers in my farm share, I cooked off the stash in my fridge using a no-fuss method I have eyed for years in Sally Schneider’s The Improvisational Cook. As an alternative to roasted peppers, which, as we know, require blistering, steaming, and peeling, Schneider roasts strips of peppers at high heat with olive oil and whatever seasonings she has on hand. She serves the peppers hot from the oven as a simple hors d’oeuvre but also uses them in countless ways: in free form tarts with olives and goat cheese (yum!), in pasta with molten mozzarella, in bruschetta with anchovies and ricotta salata, in romesco sauce with almonds and toasted bread, to name a few. For their versatility, Schneider named these strips “magic” peppers. And that they are — emerging from the oven with edges caramelized, flesh softened, and flavor concentrated, these peppers are 99% as enjoyable as their more traditional cousins and 199% easier to get on the table. Inspired by Schneider’s bruschetta and improvisational spirit, I chopped and mixed my magic peppers with what I had on hand: cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, pine nuts, capers, and cilantro (basil would be better). Folded into olive oil-fried bread, this mixture made a lovely panzanella salad but could have easily become a bruschetta or simple grain or pasta salad. Much to my delight, making this panzanella felt nothing like hard work. It was almost as though the salad assembled itself. Perhaps “hard work” is a state of mind. Hmm…deep thoughts. These “magic” peppers can be served as is… …or chopped and mixed with what you have on hand: tomatoes, pine nuts, capers, mozzarella, herbs, etc. I added olive-oil fried bread, but farro would be nice (and healthier!) as would pasta. 5 from 1 review Notes: The only part of this recipe I suggest you following to a T (or mostly to a T) is the time (25 to 30 min) and temperature (450ºF). Otherwise, just toss the peppers — however many you have on hand — with oil to taste and season with salt and pepper to taste. As noted above, the magic peppers can be used in countless ways from free-form tarts to pasta salads to bruschetta. **Toss 3/4-inch cubes of bread with olive oil, salt and pepper. Toast in a large skillet over medium-low heat until golden or in the oven at 400ºF for 10 minutes or so.
