Makes about 2 cups
Roasting peppers imparts earthy flavor. To roast, put them on a baking sheet and place under a preheated broiler about 4 inches from the heat. Turn them until they are blistered and charred, about 10-12 minutes. Enclose peppers in a brown paper bag and let them steam until they are cool enough to handle. Starting a the blossom end, peel the peppers under cold water, discarding the stems, ribs and seeds (if you like the heat, leave the ribs and seeds).
[box]Note from Debbie: I talked with Rebecca; these are her instructions for roasting typical peppers. Padróns are a little different, however, in that a) since they’re so small and tender they really don’t need to be peeled, and b) they are mostly not hot. And when you do get a hot one, the flesh itself will be hot, so you won’t rescue yourself from the heat by simply removing the seeds and ribs like a typical chili. Since this recipe calls for 10-14 Padróns, even if you have one or two hot ones in the mix, you shouldn’t be overwhelmed by the heat in the overall recipe as it will be ameliorated by the non-hot ones. But do roast them though, as this really does bring out their flavor! Either roast as Rebecca describes above, or on a dry griddle or comal as I described in the last newsletter, or on a grill.[/box]
2 cans sliced black olives
10-14 Padróns, roasted (peeled and seeded if desired, but not necessary) de-stemmed and chopped
3 scallions, cut into 1 inch lengths
1 small tomato, quartered and drained
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1. Combine all ingredients in a blender and process until just barely blended. Serve as a dip with sliced jicama and/or tortilla chips. Good with chicken and fish, too.