Salon Wanderlust | The Surreal Gourmet

Expatriate Blues
By Karl Taro Greenfeld
You've got money, women -- so why aren't you happy?
D E P A R T M E N T S
Road Warrior
Business travel & beyond
The Surreal Gourmet
By Bob Blumer
Pepperazzi unite!
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Mondo Weirdo
Sleeping with ghosts
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LA S T+W E E K
Tuesday, Sept. 23, 1997

Veritable Venice
By John Krich
A summer resident savors the city's eternal spirit -- and contemporary contradictions
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pepperazzi unite!
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GLAMOROUS PEPPER CLONES MAY LOOK GOOD,
BUT WHEN IT COMES TO TASTE, THERE'S NOTHING LIKE THE REAL THING.
THE SURREAL GOURMET
During the past couple of years there has been a quiet infiltration of hothouse vegetables from Holland, specifically those packaged, vine-ripened tomatoes still on the vine (apparently we need proof), and brightly-colored bell peppers. Like good cosmetic surgeons, the Dutch farm engineers have become adept at taking a vapid, tasteless object and giving it an attractive, inviting exterior with taut skin and a perfectly symmetrical shape. But even the best scalpel-wielding Beverly Hills sculptors can't improve what's on the inside. Sadly, the peppers are watery and flavorless. Because of the air freight, they can cost as much as $6 per pound, which is fine if you only need a few slices to top off a salad. Anything more requires an installment plan.
Fortunately, good ol' American bell peppers are currently at the peak of their season. At $1 to $2 per pound (even less if you shop at farmers' markets or roadside stands), these babies are a bargain. And naturally grown U.S. peppers have all the flavor and taste their clone cousins lack. Leave the green peppers for the colorblind and buy up as many red and yellow peppers as you can carry home. Then roast them over a grill and skin them. Once that's done, the following recipe is a cinch.
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ROASTED RED BELL PEPPER SOUP
(Serves 6)
Ingredients
6 red bell peppers
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 leek, white and pale green part only, diced and thoroughly washed
2 shallots, diced
1 poblano chili
3 1/2 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
1 medium tomato, quartered
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, (remove stems before measuring)
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream (optional)
1. Roast the red peppers and poblano chili whole over a charcoal flame, over the stove's flame or under a broiler, turning until entirely blackened (see explanation below). Remove from the grill and immediately place in a paper bag. Seal and let sit for five minutes.
2. Remove peppers from bag, peel off the charred skin and discard. Slice the peeled peppers open and discard the membranes and seeds (each and every seed, or they will end up stuck between your guests' teeth). Quarter the peppers.
3. In a large soup pot over medium heat, heat the olive oil and add the leek(s) and shallots. Cook for about 6 minutes, or until the shallots are translucent, stirring frequently.
4. Add half of the red peppers and all of the poblano chili. Cook and stir for 2 more minutes.
5. Add the broth or stock, tomato and thyme. Bring to a boil, then immediately reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes. (Adjust heat as required to simmer.)
6. Remove from heat, add the remaining red peppers (these are added at the end to "goose" the distinctive roasted flavor, which gets washed out by the stock), the lemon juice, salt and pepper.
7. Let the soup cool, then blend in a blender or food processor until smooth.
8. To serve, reheat and serve in warmed soup bowls. If desired, top each bowl with 1 to 2 tablespoons of heavy cream per serving, dribbled over the surface in a creative pattern.
Le Secret: For the ultimate roasted flavor, grill peppers over real hardwood charcoal.
The Adventure Club: Make the soup from yellow or orange peppers. (If available, replace the tomato with a yellow tomato or a handful of yellow cherry tomatoes.)
Garnish: A sprig of thyme
Suggested Accompaniment: Crusty bread
Notes: You can store the leftover peppers in olive oil with some fresh thyme or rosemary and enjoy them on salads, foccacia, homemade pizzas and pastas.
Alternatives:
The soup may be served chilled.
The poblano chili may be replaced with 2 jalapeño chilies.

Music to Simmer By: "Homogenic," Bjork's new album
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Roasting bell peppers

Grill method: Place whole peppers on a grill over hot coals. Allow the skin closest to the grill to blacken entirely and puff, then rotate one quarter turn (approximately 2 minutes per turn, depending on heat source). After grilling all the sides, stand each pepper on both ends until they are blackened.
Stovetop method: Same as above, only place pepper directly over flame.
Oven broiling method: Place whole peppers under a preheated broiler as close as possible to the heat without actually touching the heating element. Follow the grill method described above.

SALON | Sept. 30, 1997
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Illustration by Bob Blumer (aka the Surreal Gourmet).
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