Some seeds can last centuries if properly preserved. I am certain that a box containing postcards, bank statements, and business cards that have sat upright for four years under a lamp is not an effective storage method.
Like the business cards, I may one day need, I cannot discard the basil, courgette, thyme, and red pepper seeds, nor do I have the time to plant them. As a result, they are forced to wait while their corners are beaten into dog ears.
The package that catches my eye the most is peperone Rosso di Cuneo, which features a photograph of pepper so red that it appears to have black stripes; it is also square, like the jaw of a weightlifter. The packet promises seeds of a vigorous, gourmet variety that yields large fruits with firm, unusually thick flesh and an intensely sweet taste. Every time I read this, I crave peppers, especially raw strips.
Also to swim, so that my flesh is as firm and robust as pepper from Cuneo, a city and comune in southwest Piedmont whose name, incidentally, means “wedge.”
The Cuneo pepper has only been cultivated since the early 1900s, as a result of an affair between a local variety and a large, lobed pepper from further south. Recent as it may be, it is now well-established and responsible for some of the most enticing red and yellow pepper recipes, especially antipasti and sauces. I have bookmarked websites everywhere. Antipasti di pepperoni – peppers softly braised with anchovies. Bagnet ross, a sauce comprised of red peppers, tomatoes, onions, vinegar, anchovies, and mustard seeds, is served alongside meats and hard-boiled eggs.
Cipollata Rossa Monferrina made with soft robiola cheese and pepper for spreading on toast; tongue with sweet-and-sour pepper sauce; pickled peppers; and three types of peperonata, including one with sausages, is this week’s recipe from a Slow Food-produced cookbook titled Osteria: 1,000 Generous and Simple Recipes from Italy’s Best Local Restaurants and a chef named Pier Antonio Cucchietti, from Stroppo in Cune Obviously, the peppers can come from anywhere, and you will need two red peppers and two yellow peppers. Jane Grigson suggests that when selecting peppers, they should be smooth and glossy with a brilliant sheen. Good advice, but I have also successfully made this dish with older, wrinkled peppers.
Towards the end of cooking, Simon Hopkinson frequently adds a slice of butter to peppers in a stew, which is delicious and makes them shine. I believe this is best served at a temperature just above room temperature, so it can also be prepared in advance. In the summer, I can easily consume it once per week, accompanied by crusty bread, a green salad, and an abundance of chilled red wine.
Peperonata with sausages – peperonata con la salsiccia
Serving 4
1 large, peeled and sliced onion
1 clove of garlic, peeled and crushed (but left whole)
6 tbsp olive oil
Salt and black pepper
2 red peppers, trimmed, deseeded, and thinly sliced
2 yellow peppers that have been trimmed, deseeded and sliced into thick strips
6 ripe tomatoes or 1 x 400g can of plum tomatoes whole
8 good pork sausages
Optional use of red wine vinegar
A pinch of sugar, if desired
In a heavy-bottomed pan over medium-low heat, sauté the onion and garlic with a pinch of salt in the olive oil until the onion begins to soften and become translucent. Add the peppers, stir for a minute or two, then cover the pan and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the peppers soften and release liquid.
If you are using fresh tomatoes (and can be bothered), peel them by plunging them into boiling water for one minute, then cold water, at which point the skins should easily peel off; then, roughly chop them. If you are using canned tomatoes, crush them. Add the tomatoes to the peppers and cook, uncovered, for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the peperonata is soft, rich, and thick. Season as desired.
In a separate pan, fry the sausages in a small amount of oil until they are well-colored and nearly cooked through; transfer them to the peppers to finish cooking. The best way to determine whether the sausages are fully cooked is to taste one. Some recipes recommend halving them so the peperonata can take hold. You decide. . If the sauce needs to be rebalanced, add a little vinegar and/or sugar before serving.
