Ingredients
- Dressing Ingredients:
- 1 large red bell pepper
- 1 large yellow bell pepper
- 1 large orange bell pepper
- (or use any combination of colors you have available)
- 1 can (6 oz. drained) black olives or Kalamata
- 2 T capers, rinsed and drained
- 2 T + 2 tsp. good quality olive oil
- 1 T + 1 tsp. Spanish Sherry vinegar (or substitute white wine vinegar or white balsamic vinegar)
- 1 tsp. caper brine
- 2-3 T chopped fresh marjoram (or substitute fresh basil or oregano)
- 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
- salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat barbecue grill to high. Cut the bell peppers into fourths, trim curled ends and cut out the seeds. Place peppers on the grill skin side down, making sure not to put them too close together. Grill peppers until skins are very charred, about 20-25 minutes, depending on your grill. As individual peppers become nicely blackened, remove them from the grill and place in a plastic or glass bowl.
When all the peppers are charred and placed in the bowl, cover it with cling-wrap and let peppers steam for about 15 minutes. Then peel off skins and discard, and cut peppers into short thick strips. (I cut each quarter pepper into crosswise strips.)
Put olives into a colander and let them drain. Spoon out 2 T capers into a small strainer; then rinse the capers and let them drain. Wash marjoram (or other herb of your choice), dry, and chop.
Whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, caper brine, minced garlic, salt, and pepper to make the dressing. Combine grilled pepper strips, olives, capers, and dressing in a plastic or glass bowl. The salad can be served right away or allowed to marinate for several hours at room temperature until you're ready to serve it.
If you wanted to make this into a more substantial side-dish salad I think chopped fresh mozzarella, tomatoes or cucumbers would make a nice addition.
This kept well in the refrigerator for several days. Let come to room temperature again before serving.