"Photo" synthesis: Tunisian pepper and tomato salad, with seasoned beans

So, can anyone figure out where Annalena is going with her typically cute title?   Ah, we're going to look at some pictures as we make this recipe.  And, ragazzi, this is one that Annalena implores you to make, especially if you are a vegan.  And if you are gluten free,  make the substitution she suggests:  you will not regret it.

Everyone speaks of the tomatoes:  they cannot wait until the tomatoes are ripe, and juicy and... DELICIOUS.  And Annalena prays at that church.   But let us not forget a vegetable that often is neglected:  peppers.  Frankly, ragazzi, peppers are one of Annalena's favorite things to eat and to cook.  She probably gets that from her grandmother.  Peppers were a staple of Nana's cooking, and she made them with everything:  pepper and eggs; peppers and veal; stuffed peppers; pepper and beef.  For Nana, it was almost always green ones, probably because red ones cost more, and at that time, ragazzi, those were the colors.   There were no orange, or yellow, or purple ones. We had green, and red, period.

There are people who say they don't like peppers because they can't digest them.  Generally, they speak of green peppers, and raw ones.  Annalena suggests that if you aren't quite sure about  peppers: in other words, if it is a digestion thing, rather than a taste thing, start with cooked, ripe peppers (red ones , yellow ones, and orange ones, all start as green peppers, ragazzi.  This is also true with jalapenos :  green jalapenos will turn red if you let them).   If that works, go to the raw ripe ones, and then maybe try some cooked green ones.   And then, you can try this dish.  It is truly wonderful.  And Annalena has to thank Martha Rose Schulman and the folks at Rancho Gordo, especially Steve Sando, for inspiring this dish, which is a synthesis, of recipes from both of them  (getting it yet, ragazzi?).

Ok, let's start by collecting our ingredients.  You need a pound and a  half of bell peppers, of different colors.  This is probably about three peppers, and you want three different colors anyway.  In the recipe that follows, Annalena used red, yellow and orange.  You also want a pound of tomatoes.  Nice, firm, ripe ones.

Next, we are going to oven top roast them.  And this is how you do it:

Annalena finds it easiest to roast her vegetables right on her stove burner.  It does make a mess, but we deal with that.  Turn the flame up high, and use  your tongs to move the veggies around.  The tomato will take very little time, the peppers, much more.  Many recipes suggest you blacken the peppers entirely.  In Annalena's experience, this results in the pepper burning.  So don't worry about completeness:  if more than say 70% of your peper is blackened, move to the next one.    Put these guys in a bowl, cover it with plastic, and let it cool down. 

While the peppers are roasting, you could get to work on your dressing, or you could wait. You need 3 large garlic cloves, peeled and cut roughly (you can reduce this if you like), a  1/4 teaspoon of caraway seeds, and twice that of coriander seeds.  Put these in a little coffee grinder, and pulse it.  If you don't have one of these, you can use anything else that you use for grinding things, but it's difficult to find something to do this with such a small quantity.  What you CAN do, however, is take the garlic and spices, and mix them with the juice of a lemon,  the same volume of olive oil, and a half cup of chopped fresh parsley.  That will give you the volume  you need to do these in a food processor or blender.  In any event, you want to combine all of these, taste them, and then add salt. 

Annalena wants you to know that this is a salad dressing, and it's wonderful.  So if you don't make this dish, make the dressing anyway.  

Remember those vegetables?  Okay, get back and peel them.  The skin will rub off when you use your fingers, and if it's stubborn, use some water.  Some cooks feel this dilutes the taste of the peppers.  Perhaps, but Annalena will give that up for the convenience.  Get rid of the crowns on the peppers, and cut them into strips.  Put them into a bowl, and get to work on the tomato or tomatoes.  To the extent you can, get the seeds out of the beast.  Then, cut the tomato into strips as well.  Mix those with the peppers, and then pour the dressing over them.   If you wanted to, you could take a rest now, or you could go directly to the couscous, or rice step at the end. 

But if you want a complete meal, now you want three cups of cooked beans.  Annalena used pinto, but use what you got.  Preferably, you've cooked them yourself.  Don't tell Annalena if you didn't.  Put a few tablespoons of olive oil in a pan, and when it's hot, add a small onion, sliced up.  Put the beans in, together with about a quarter teaspoon of saffron,  the same amount of cumin, and a tablespoon of fresh herbs, or more.  Annalena used thyme, but the recipe called for oregano. You make the choice.  Cook these all together over a low flame, until the bean liquid is gone.  Taste, and season. 

Final step - almost.  Make couscous.  Is there anyone who needs to be told how to make couscous?  Ok:  take two cups of water, and bring it to a boil. Add two cups of dry couscous.  Turn off the heat and go away for five minutes.   We won't go into making rice here, but make rice if you don't use couscous. Make four cups. 

Now, we can have some fun.  Remember those marinated vegetables?  Well, drain the juices from them, and mix it into the couscous (this tastes SO good).  put the couscous , or the rice, on a plate, add some veggies, or stir the veggies into the couscous, and mound the beans on top of them.  And, this is what you get:  

Ignore the toasts at the side, but look at what's at the back of the plate. 

Decidedly vegan,  can be gluten free, and just about off the charts with deliciousness. What's not to like?  

Try it.  It sounds ambitious, but it's really not.  Play with fire today.  You'll get a good meal out of it.