grilled peppers with tapenade dressing

We eat first with our eyes.  Our senses are closely interconnected.  Colour is a valuable player in the impressions we form of our food. If something looks pretty, our eyes tell us to go ahead and try that first bite.   And, if the food presented looks pretty or inviting, our eyes have already given us the green light. When I see a platter of grilled peppers slathered in a tapenade dressing, my mouth begins to salivate.  My eyes did not deceive me it tasted that good!  I’ve made tapenade before but never as a dressing.  The ingredients for this dish are easy to make and you can adjust them according to your tastebuds.  The tapenade sauce is also open to some tinkering…add more lemon juice if you like it tangy.

sauce

kalamata olives, pitted and chopped (about 1 cup)
zest of 1 lemon
1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons capers, chopped
1/4 cup Italian parsley, chopped
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

a mix of bell peppers, quartered (seeds and membrane removed)
tomatoes, quartered or roughly chopped
1 or 2 cloves of garlic, minced
fresh mozzarella, roughly torn

method

Whisk olives, capers, lemon zest and juice, parsley, and olive oil. Season peppers with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Drizzle a bit of olive oil over peppers before grilling. If you don’t have a bbq, roast in the oven at 350f for 30 minutes or until tender.

Arrange grilled peppers on a platter. Add tomatoes and cheese. Top with tapenade dressing.

the culinary chase’s note:

This dish is good warm or cold. Enjoy!