Gypsy Peppers Filled with Fromage Blanc and Fines Herbes

From the Annie Somerville collection

Annie Sommerville is the chef at Greens, the beloved vegetarian restaurant in San Francisco. This dish was featured at a benefit dinner at Greens for Marin Agricultural Land Trust, during Slow Food Nation.

Introduction

These beautiful little peppers appear in farmers’ markets in late summer and early fall. With their sweet, thick flesh, they’re easy to peel and great for stuffing. If they’re not available, use any sweet pepper that’s up to 4 to 5 inches long; pimiento is a good choice. We roast the peppers and stuff them with fromage blanc, but you can use chèvre or ricotta instead. Fines herbes — the classic combination of fresh parsley, chervil, tarragon, and chives — contribute their distinctive flavor here, but basil, marjoram, and scallions are also a delicious mix.

Ingredients

Steps

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Rub the peppers lightly with olive oil and place on a baking sheet. Roast until the skins are blistered and the flesh is soft, 15 to 20 minutes. When cool enough to handle, peel the peppers, carefully removing the skin around the stems. Make a lengthwise slit in each pepper, removing the seeds and leaving the stems in place. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.
3. Lower the heat to 375 degrees. Lightly oil a small baking dish.
4. Whisk together the cheese, eggs, herbs, ½ teaspoon salt, and a pinch of pepper in a small bowl. Gently fill the peppers and place them, seam side down, in the baking dish. Bake until the peppers are puffed and the filling is set, 25 to 30 minutes.

Notes

You can roast and peel the peppers the day before. You can also make the filling and stuff the peppers a few hours ahead of time so they’re ready just to pop in the oven.