I am sharing with you a delicious sounding recipe of one of our local chefs – Belinda Jeffery. The recipe is Peperonata, goat’s cheese and ricotta on sourdough – and most of the ingredients (or alternatives) can be sourced direct from our market. Enjoy this one!
Ingredients
- 4 – 8 slices sourdough bread cut about 1cm thick (Crabbes Creek Woodfired or Show n Shine Deli)
- 1 large clove garlic, halved lengthways (Sylva Lining Organics)
- Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling (Byron Spice Palace)
- Approx. 350g ricotta (Cheeses Loves You or Nimbin Valley Dairy)
- 150g goat’s cheese marinated in olive oil and herbs (Cheeses Loves You or Nimbin Valley Dairy)
- Oregano or small basil leaves, to garnish (Summit Organics)
Peperonata:
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (Byron Spice Palace)
- 2 red onions, in 1cm dice (Sylva Lining Organics)
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped (Sylva Lining Organics)
- 1 small red chilli, chopped (Jumping Red Ant)
- 2 red capsicums (peppers), in 2cm dice (Junping Red Ant)
- 2 really ripe tomatoes, seeded and chopped (Jumping Red Ant)
- 1 tablespoon sun-dried tomato pesto
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons wine vinegar (preferably red)
- Sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- About a tablespoon of shredded oregano or basil (Summit Organics)
Method
Step 1: Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 8 minutes until it has softened and become slightly translucent but not brown.
Step 2: Add the garlic and chilli and cook them, stirring, for a couple more minutes. Now increase the heat, tip in the diced capsicum and cook, tossing them about constantly, for a few more minutes.
Step 3: Add the tomato, sun-dried tomato pesto, sugar and 1 tablespoon of vinegar and thoroughly mix it all together. Now reduce the heat to low, cover the pan and cook the mixture until the capsicum is tender – this will take about 12-15 minutes. When it’s ready, taste the peperonata and add a splash more vinegar if it needs it, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the shredded oregano or basil then let the peperonata cool a bit (it always tastes better at room temperature).
Step 4: Run the sourdough slices under a moderately hot overhead grill, until they’re golden brown on both sides. (You can also cook them on the barbecue if you would like a smokier flavour and those gorgeous grill stripes.) As soon as you remove the toast from the grill, firmly rub one side of each slice with the cut side of a garlic clove, then drizzle the slices with a generous amount of olive oil.
Step 5: Put the ricotta and goat’s cheese into a bowl and mash them together. Spread each slice of sourdough thickly with the ricotta mixture, then spoon some peperonata on top. Finish off with freshly ground black pepper and a few herb leaves.
*Recipe and photo credit – https://belindajeffery.com.au/