French Stuffed Red Bell Peppers With Fennel and Goat's Cheese

French Tart's Note:

One of my most popular vegetarian recipes at "Auberge de la Fontaine" and also great served as a starter too. There is something very theraputic about making this dish - choosing the plump red peppers & fresh fennel bulbs - then selecting a fine Chevre - goat's cheese! It is delicious served warm or at room temperature with the garlicky Balsamic vinegar & olive oil dressing they are roasted in, drizzled over the top. Mop up the juices with crusty fresh French bread and serve with a simple tossed salad. These also make a very colourful accompaniment for most main courses.

• Total Time: 2 hrs
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hrs 45 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 3-6

Yield: 6.0 stuffed ...

• 3 large red peppers, trimmed & halved
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 large red onion, peeled & cut into wedges
• 1 fennel bulb, trimmed & cut into wedges
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled & crushed
• salt
• black pepper
• 3 -4 sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained & chopped finely
• 200 g log goat's cheese

Directions:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 120C/240F/Gas 1.
2. Cut the peppers in half, discard the core & seeds and also trim away the white membrane too.
3. Grease a Le Creuset roasting or ovenproof dish.
4. Cut the onion & fennel bulb into 6 wedges each. (Keep the the delicate green fronds from the fennel bulb & put to one side.).
5. Put the onion wedges, fennel wedges & cushed garlic into a mixing bowl & add the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt & black pepper - mix well.
6. Divide the onion & fennel wedges between the 6 pepper halves, arranging them neatly within the peppers & season well.Pour the remaining oil & vinegar dressing over the top of them.
7. Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until the peppers are soft & just tinged brown.
8. Remove the stuffed peppers from the oven & increase the oven temperature to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
9. Sprinkle the chopped sun-dried tomatoes over the top of the peppers.
10. Slice the goats cheese & arrange over the top of the stuffed peppers; return them the oven for 5-10 minutes or until the cheese is melted & bubbling.
11. Remove from the oven, leave to cool slightly and serve them warm or at room temperature with the cooked dressing drizzled over the top of them.
12. Garnish with the green fronds kept from the fennel bulbs.
13. Serve as a starter, 1 pepper half per person with a side salad or as a main course - 2 pepper halves per person with bread & salad.
14. These can also be served as a very colourful & elegant vegetable accompaniment!

Reviews

[Mgnbos]

These were excellent, I only wished I had cut the fennel and onion smaller. As this is written the pieces are too big and unwiedly when they get to the plate. Mind you, that didn't stop anyone from finishing every bite!

[Wish I Could Cook]

Terrific! What a lovely combination of flavors. I minced up the fennel and onion first and then followed the recipe exactly. It was very easy and very good! However, my peppers were on the small side so I ended up putting the extra filling into two ramekins. While it wasn't quite as pretty, they still tasted great. In fact I might skip the peppers next time, saute the fennel and oinion then bake in mini tartlettes. I love it when I find a delicious flavor combination because the possibilities are endless. Merci French Tart!

[Queen Dana]

I have had this recipe tucked away for a while waiting for a good time to use it and yesterday after snacking for a good portion of the day I only wanted a light dinner and this was perfect. I also cubed the onion and fennel.