I don’t remember where I first came across it, but I’ve always been intrigued by the word Piperade. I’ve been aware of the word for quite a while, but it was brought to my attention again, when I recently began browsing through a collection of Spanish recipes.

Just what is Piperade, you might be asking. Piperade or Piperada, depending on whether you are on the French or Spanish side of the Basque region, is a typical Basque dish prepared with sautéed multi-colored bell peppers and onions, with added tomatoes and Piment D’Espelette, a pepper unique to the region.

Multi-colored peppers, onions and tomatoes – well, that’s right up my alley! So into the kitchen I went – after seeking out the special key ingredient- the Espelette pepper, which is, fortunately, available on Amazon or at specialty spice companies like Penzey’s.

Wow! How can I say this? When I popped a first taste into my mouth, my immediate thought was, it tastes of the very essence of summer.

I served it alongside a grilled TriTip roast. I also think it would be great served alongside a grilled fish like sea bass or swordfish – even grilled shrimp, (btw, the Piperade and TriTip leftovers made a great sandwich along with some Aioli smeared on a baguette).

It may be served as a condiment, as well – say on a charcuterie board, and it is often used as an omelet filling, but as I found out when I popped spoonfuls of it into my mouth, it’s delicious all on its own, with only a few slices of toasted baguette, alongside.

Happy summer and Buen Provecho!

Piperade

• 1/2 each large red, yellow and orange bell pepper*
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, thinly slice, about 1 cup
• 3-4 large garlic clove, @ 1 heaping tablespoon
• 3 Roma tomatoes, peeled, seeded and roughly chopped
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano and thyme
• 1 1/2 teaspoon Piment d’Espelette
• A bit of sea salt, to taste

*And green if you like, which is traditional because of the colors of the Spanish flag. I just generally prefer the red and yellow ones over green peppers .

1. Add the olive oil to a large sauté* pan and heat over medium heat. Add the peppers and cook for about 2-3 minutes, until they begin to soften, then add the onions, stirring them in. Cook until the onions begin to caramelize.
2. Add the tomatoes. Then add the sugar, thyme, oregano, Piment d’Espelette and garlic, stirring them in, and adding a little oil if necessary.
3. Continue to cook the mixture until it it is quite soft. Stir in the salt to taste

• If the pan is not large enough, do this in two steps so that everything caramelizes just a bit.

Buon Provecho!