Gypsy Peppers Stuffed with Fromage Blanc

from Organic Marin: Recipes from Land to Table

via Dick Lonergan and Anne Halsted

serves 4 as a first course

for the peppers

4 gypsy peppers

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

for the filling

1 cup fromage blanc, ricotta, or fresh goat cheese

1 large egg

1 tablespoon minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 tablespoon minced fresh tarragon

1 tablespoon minced fresh chives

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Preheat an oven to 375 degrees and oil a baking sheet.

Make a lengthwise slit into each pepper and remove the seeds but not the stem. Combine all the filling ingredients in a medium bowl and mix well. Gently spoon a scant 1/4 cup of the filling into each pepper. Rub the peppers with olive oil, the 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Place the peppers,
seam side down, on the prepared pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the peppers are puffed and the filling is set. Remove the skin from the peppers. Serve warm.

This wonderful stuffed pepper recipe comes from Green’s Restaurant in San Francisco. While the recipe calls for gypsy peppers (also called bull's horn peppers), any frying pepper will work. You could also serve the stuffed peppers as a side dish with salad greens.