Kitchen Chick

North African-Style Roasted Pepper & Tomato Salad

Summer always catches me by surprise. There's the long build up through Spring, with strawberries and other early crops, while my imagination dances in anticipation for summer peaches and blueberries. In June I watch my garden warily, convinced that none of my tomato plants are going to fruit. I worry that my crop will be small. Then comes the first green tomato, followed by another, and then suddenly my plants are full of tomatoes hiding among the leaves. My first sungold cherries ripen, and I pluck them off the vine and eat them right in the garden. Finally, my veggie garden announces that summer really is here.

This year I also planted a number of pepper plants, and when my first cubanelles and banana peppers showed themselves, I eagerly picked them.

Then I had to find something to do with them...

North African-Style Roasted Pepper & Tomato Salad
adapted from Kitty Morse's Vegetarian Table : North Africa

Use approximately equal amounts of tomatoes and peppers. For example, if you use four medium tomatoes, then use four medium-ish bell peppers. If you are using smaller peppers, then you'll need more peppers per tomato. I used sweet cubanelles with a few hot banana peppers for a touch of heat, but you can also use bell or anaheim peppers. Do not use jalapeño, thai, cayenne, or other peppers that are normally used primarily for their heat as the main peppers, but they can be a nice accent with other milder peppers.

Two medium tomatoes
Equivalent amount of peppers
1 small onion, peeled and sliced
4-6 garlic cloves, unpeeled
1/2 tsp ground coriander
dash garlic powder
dash ground caraway
dash chili powder
olive oil (1 Tbs max)
lemon juice (~approx 1 - 1.5 Tbs)
salt to taste
Garnish: olives, capers (drained)

Roast garlic cloves at 350 F until very soft — about 15 - 25 minutes, depending on size of cloves. (A toaster oven is perfect for this!)

Grill peppers and tomatoes until evenly black all over. (Either under the broiler or over a gas stove or grill. Watch out for sparks!) Put in a plastic bag or container and let sit. When peppers and tomatoes are cool enough to handle, pull off the blackened skins. Slit the peppers and remove the seeds and membranes. Chop very, very finely. De-seed the tomatoes and chop finely. Put tomatoes and peppers in a colander to drain.

Meanwhile, grill onions until they begin to brown. (You can use your broiler, gas burner, gas grill, or that toaster oven again on the broiler setting.) Chop the onions finely. Squeeze the garlic pulp out of its skins and mash with a fork. Mix all ingredients, salt to taste, and add the olive and caper garnish.

Everyday Cook — hopeful postscript!

We heard a rumor... we read an article... and our hopes rose. Joe called everyday wines. And then Mary sent me an email that made me jump up and down with happiness. Everday Cook may live yet again. The short version is that Ann Arbor approved them for first of the new "developmental liquor licenses." Now they're just waiting for approval from the State.

The long version... well, I'll let David Wells tell it in his own words:

BIG NEWS

Greetings, All.

We've got some changes under foot, and some pretty big news to boot. First and foremost, last Monday the Ann Arbor City Council voted to recommend the first ever Ann Arbor Downtown Developmental Liquor License to us.

We would be remiss if we did not thank all of you who voiced your feelings to our elected officials as well as our favorite food bloggers who were able to get the word out to so many more than we could ever reach. And while it was quite the journey, we do thank city council members for finally bringing this to a vote and approval.

So, what does this mean for Everyday Wines and Everyday Cook. Well, quite simply, having the liquor license will allow us to really focus on what we do best provide a retail and gathering place dedicated to the everyday pleasures of good food and drink. Over the coming weeks well be streamlining our kitchen to offer an array of delicious food. We won't be bringing back lunch exactly as it was, because that would require kitchen renovations that we cannot do. Although we will be different, our quality and love of food will remain. Prior to getting the liquor license, we'll mostly offer carryout for lunch and dinner, but we will have our tables available for those who want to eat their food with us (we'll even provide the wifi). As for the retail, we are moving from kitchenware to focus on wine, beverage, and entertainment items (glasses and accessories, decanters, a hand-picked library of wine and food related books, barware, coffee and tea goods, etc).

We'll also be offering the space on a limited basis for private  meetings and events. Well have more details on this in the coming weeks. Email us at [email protected] if you want us to follow up with you when we have further details.

Then, when the liquor license finally makes its way through the machinery in Lansing (we're hoping it doesn't take more than three or four months but one never knows), we'll venture into wine classes, supper clubs, and a wine tasting room featuring picks from the Everyday Wines crew paired with plates of fabulous food.

And how about offering a few of our loft space walls to localartists on a rotating basis? And what about a corner of the room where our favorite local musicians can play a few songs and sell a few CDs? Okay, we may be getting ahead of ourselves but, ultimately, our goal is to provide an environment to share in the immense pleasures that food and wine can bring to everyday life.

All in all, thanks for all your support during the ups and downs of the liquor license saga. And thanks in advance for your patience while we take the next step.

From your friends in the kitchen and behind the counters at Everyday Wines and Everyday Cook.