GRILLED SWEET PEPPERS WITH FETA AND HONEY

SWEET, SALTY, AND SMOKY…

We got home late Monday night from a whirlwind run up to visit our families in Seattle. The main purpose of our trip was so that I could spend time with, and photograph, my newborn twin nephews. Kyle and the girls camped out at his parents house so I could spend all day Saturday with my sister and her family. It was so wonderful to get to hold not one, not two, but all three of my handsome nephews.

We returned home to a very messy house, a very empty refrigerator, and a very happy garden (it was in the 80’s all weekend). I spent yesterday morning drinking too much coffee and jittering through my cookbooks creating a monthly menu while the girls had peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for breakfast… and for lunch.

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Monthly menu planning is something I aim to do each month but it doesn’t always happen because it takes a big chunk of time up front, but once I commit to it and plan everything out, my whole month is so much easier. Kyle and I haven’t been eating as healthy as we usually do these past few weeks. Between his birthday and all the craziness that just seems to creep up on us, we have been eating more processed food and sugar than we normally do, and eating out a lot more. So this month’s menus focus on healthy eating, using what’s available in the garden and at the farmers’ market, and working on some new recipes. It felt wonderful to sit down and write out, and shop for the majority of, a whole month’s worth of healthy meals.

I have to admit that after a few hours of planning and shopping I wasn’t really in the mood to cook last night! But we had a wonderfully healthy salad with fresh corn, black beans, feta, and a bright dressing which went perfectly alongside these grilled sweet peppers. I’m not exactly sure what the name of these heirloom peppers are; one or both of the girls, most likely Lulu, went through the garden shortly after all of our starts were planted and pulled out my markers so I didn’t have any clue what I’d planted! But any sweet pepper will do for this recipe, and if you can’t find a fun, heirloom variety of sweet pepper, even a orange bell pepper could work! These particular peppers are about 5-6 inches long and turned from a dark, earthy green, to a bright, waxy orange. Ask your produce person, or favorite farmer at the market, for a fleshy, sweet pepper that has no heat at all, and you’ll have something that will work perfectly.

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The preparation of this side dish is so incredibly easy that I almost hesitated to share it. But, this simple side is just the kind of thing that helps elevate a otherwise dull dinner, or save me when I don’t feel like cooking at all. These peppers are simply seasoned with olive oil, salt and pepper, charred on the grill, and then topped with a nice, heavy drizzle of honey and lots of crumbled feta. They are sweet, salty, and smoky. We’ve been eating them prepared this way by the bowlful. They make a great side, or a wonderful addition to a tapas-style dinner. We had them as a small plate last week along with a few hard boiled eggs, serrano and cheese, and some sautéed spinach. You really can’t go wrong.

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GRILLED SWEET PEPPERS WITH FETA AND HONEY

Ingredients.
6 orange sweet peppers (an heirloom variety is ideal, substitute with 3 orange bell peppers)
extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/2-1 tablespoon of honey
a few tablespoons crumbled feta

Directions.
Heat your grill to medium high.
If you’re using bell peppers, cut the meat away from the core, and discard the core. If you’re using sweet heirloom peppers, leave them whole.

Put the peppers, or pepper slices if you’re using bell peppers, in a large bowl, drizzle with olive oil, and season with a bit of salt and pepper.

Place the peppers on the grill and cook for about 3-4 minutes on both sides, until they have a nice char and grill marks but are still tender and colorful.

Transfer to a serving dish and let them rest for a couple minutes. Drizzle with honey, sprinkle with lots of gets, and serve.

PRINTABLE RECIPE.
GRILLED SWEET PEPPERS WITH FETA AND HONEY