Serves 4-6
2 sweet peppers
olive oil for the peppers
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon capers
12 olives – Kalamata, Nicoise or Gaeta
3 scallions, white parts with some green, finely sliced
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon marjoram, chopped
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Balsamic vinegar to taste
sea salt and pepper to taste
1 bunch broccolini
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Halve peppers lengthwise, remove veins and seeds, then brush all sides with olive oil. Set them on a baking tray skin side up and bake until skins are wrinkled and lightly colored. When cool enough to handle, scrape off the skins. Slice peppers into strips roughly 1/2 inch wide, and mix them with olive oil, capers, olives, scallions, parsley, marjoram, red pepper flakes, adding balsamic vinegar to taste. Season with salt.
2. Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil. While it is heating, trim broccolini stalks as needed by cutting off the tough ends. When the water is boiling, add a teaspoon of salt and cook the broccolini in 2 to 3 separate batches for about 30 seconds, to just blanch. Scoop out each batch and set in a colander or on a tea towel to drain.
3. Combine the broccolini with the rest of the ingredients and toss together. Taste for salt, add more oil or vinegar if needed, and a grinding of black pepper. If you don’t plan to serve the salad right away, wait to add the final vinegar until just before serving to prevent colors from fading.
Variations: Use lemon juice and finely slivered lemon peel instead of vinegar. Sun-dried tomatoes, thinly sliced into strips, may also be added to this dish.