Peppers in all shapes and sizes are in season now.
Green bells are great for stuffing, red bells can be roasted and all kinds go great on pizza and sandwiches.
If you’ve got a few red peppers to use up, try them in this easy chicken dish that also uses ripe tomatoes and fresh basil.
— Lisa Abraham
CHICKEN WITH OLIVES
AND RED PEPPERS
1¼ lbs. ripe tomatoes
⅓ cup olive oil
2¾ lbs. chicken pieces
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 celery sticks, finely chopped
2 red bell peppers, halved, seeded and cut into large cubes
Scant ½ cup white wine
1⅔ cups pitted black or green olives
1 cup chicken stock, hot
1 tbsp. roughly chopped basil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Cut a cross in the bottom of each tomato, using a sharp knife, then put them in a heat-proof bowl and cover with boiling water. Leave to stand 2 to 3 minutes, then drain. Peel off and discard the skins, then seed and roughly chop the flesh and set aside.
Heat half the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken pieces and cook until brown all over. Remove the pieces from the pan and set aside.
Pour the remaining oil into the pan. Add the garlic, celery and red peppers and fry about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, then return the chicken to the pan. Pour in the wine and cook 5 minutes longer, then stir in the olives and tomatoes.
Pour in about half the chicken stock, season with salt and pepper and cover. Reduce the heat and simmer 35 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding more stock, if necessary, or until the chicken is tender and the juices run clear when the thickest part of the meat is pierced with the tip of a sharp knife.
Sprinkle the basil over the top and serve hot with mashed or boiled potatoes, if desired.
Makes four servings.
— Fiori di Zucca, Valentina Harris ($24.95, hardcover, Duncan Baird)
Find previous installments of This Week’s Harvest and a list of local farmers markets at www.ohio.com/lifestyle/food.
