Stuffed Cherry Peppers from Abruzzo

This is the season for all those lovely peppers that have ripened over the summer. Traditionally, cherry peppers are pickled or stuffed. I recommend getting a couple of pounds of peppers and pickling them over the winter. They are very expensive in the jars. Once you have pickle them you can stuff them with tuna, capers and bread crumbs or I like them stuffed with cheese and prosciutto. Here is a recipe from Abruzzo. You can use fresh or canned pickled cherry peppers!

For fresh peppers trim off the tops of the cherry peppers and cut out their centers. You will then scrape out the seeds and veins and discard. In a jar place a combination in a fifty percent to fifty percent ratio balsamic vinegar and red wine vinegar. This will be about four tablespoons total for twelve cherry peppers. Then add 1 cup of olive oil to the jar too. You will add two smashed garlic cloves, fresh chopped rosemary and a couple of whole basil leaves. Now stuff the cherry peppers with smoked mozzarella cheese and thinly sliced prosciutto. Drop the peppers in the jar. I like to add a little crushed fennel seeds to the mix. Then cover with more olive oil if there is not enough oil to cover the peppers. Refrigerate them overnight. They will last for about a week.

If using canned peppers take them out of the jar and reserve the pickling juices in the jar. Stuff the peppers as you would the fresh and set aside. Now doctor the pickling juices with the rosemary, garlic and basil. Return the peppers to the jar if they fit. You may need a larger jar. Add additional olive oil to cover the peppers. Refrigerate overnight.

You can serve them hot if you like. Just warm them in the oven until the cheese melts.