Holy Summer Cornucopia! Pt. II

For the past several years, I have literally spent the first half of the summer looking forward to this dish. Looking forward, that is, to the moment when the piles of peppers coming in are so enormous that it's not only possible but indeed necessary to slice up enough for this mouthwatering yet comforting casserole. It isn't the least time- or labor-intensive dish, but it is limited-ingredient and tasty enough to wait for. If you make it for just yourself, the leftovers are like manna from heaven for several days. And it's really not that often that peppers are fresh in bulk, so it's worth the long wait to do it as a seasonal dish. This is adapted from the original Moosewood cookbook (which is justly famed, in my opinion--check it out).

First you need about 3-4 cups of thinly sliced sweet peppers, preferably in mixed colors (maybe 6 or so average-sized bells, feel free to use poblanos or whatever is clever, or throw in one hot pepper if you like). The slicing takes the longest, so pick out a good album to listen to.

Once you've got 'em ready, sautee in a big skillet for about 10 min. with: 4 Tbs fat (mixing butter and olive oil is the suggestion in Moosewood; or use a favorite light-flavored oil), 5 cloves of garlic minced, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1 tsp ground cumin and 1 tsp ground coriander (or double cumin if you're a cumin freak like me). Add 1/2 tsp ground mustard. or 1.5 tsp. fresh mustard and 2 Tbs of flour and mix in well, then remove from heat.

Mix 4 eggs and 1.5 cups plain yogurt. You can either grate in 1/2 pound of sharp cheddar cheese, or you can make slices and set them to the side to be in their own layers. DO NOT cheat on cheese quality. It must be SHARP and it must be full-fat. This is just one of those times that quality matters.

Butter a medium casserole dish. Layer the peppers, cheese, and custard a couple of times. Bake at 375 F for about 40 min or till the top is all set and slightly browning. Dust with paprika before spooning over grain of choice. Die happy.

Pairs well with any form of grain you care for--brown rice and other granular things, toast of all kinds. Good main course for 3 or 4 vegetarians, or serve in smaller amounts as awesome red wine munchies for a larger group.