From Tuscany with Love

     There's a bumper sticker I have (on the refrigerator, not my car) that reads simply,  Love People, Cook them tasty food.  Certainly a good way to convey love is to lovingly prepare a meal that can be enjoyed and appreciated, especially on a day like Valentine's Day.
     I have already mentioned my appreciation of the Tuscan style of cooking and last night's dinner highlighted three traditional tutti a tavola dishes, that is, cooking as the Tuscans do.  None of them were very difficult to prepare and all of them evoked love and compassion.  As I worked in the kitchen I recalled a sunny Fall day touring the ancient city of Radda, south of Florence:

 

     I began by preparing a roasting chicken for the oven by rubbing it inside and out with olive oil and sprinkling it with pepper and smoky paprika.  Then I place two small lemons in the cavity and trussed the legs and set it in a 375F oven for 2 hours.  Meanwhile I peeled and diced several russet potatoes and placed them in a pot of water so they could cook before being mashed with garlic cloves and topped with chopped parsley.  Finally I cut three bell peppers (capsicums) of different colors and thinly sliced a red onion for the peperonata.  (Recipe follows).

   In fine Tuscan tradition the meal was prepared without any complicated directions to follow and was served with the bumper sticker's admonition in mind.  Every element on the plate complimented the other.  And the pan juices from the chicken mixed with the juice of the squeezed cooked lemons provided a wonderful gravy! 

 

     PEPERONATA

1 lb bell peppers, stems, ribs and seeds removed  

1/4 cup EVOO 

1 red onion, halved and thinly sliced crosswise 

2 bay leaves 

3 tomatoes, peeled, seeded, then coarsely chopped (or canned whole plum tomatoes) 

salt and freshly ground pepper 

     Cut the bell peppers into 2" squares.  In a saucepan over low heat, combine the peppers, olive oil, onion, and bay leaves and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are softened and have released their juices, about 15 minutes. 

     Add the tomatoes, season to taste and simmer gently until the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes.  Remove and discard the bay leaves.  Serve the peperonata warm or chilled.

Makes 4 servings