A tomato substitute on a sandwich ....... and so much more

I'm talking about grilled red, yellow, or orange peppers. The reds tend to be the cheaper way to go. The differences between the three, apart from color, comes close to insignificant.

You can buy a reasonable substitute, in jars or cans, billed as roast peppers. They're mushier and have, in my view, a blander taste. They taste ..... canned. Not bad at all. just not as good as fresh grilled.

If you don't favor gilling in winter - or grilling at all - you can also oven roast fresh peppers and get a similar product. The difference is that you get the (desirable) char only after a longer cooking time. Making them softer. more like the canned product.

We tend to keep these around as a near staple. They're a great ingredient to have handy and are nice in many, many dishes. They're great all on their own as a vegetable; we like them at room temperature for this.

But they really shine as a tomato substitute on a nice sandwich. When tomatoes taste like cardboard, use these. you won't miss the tomato, I promise.

Preparation is easy. Cut them into slabs. Remove the seeds. Toss them lightly with olive oil and salt. Grill, skin side down first, until they get a nice char - maybe 20% of their surface. Turn them over and grill the flesh side until they get just barely charred at the edges. That's it.

Eat them hot, let them cool to room temperature, or chill them and use them in a salad or any way else you like.

Like, put them in a bag after charing so that the skin will peel off easily?

Toss 'em in a baggie and throw it in the fridge for a few minutes.

I just find it a bother and the skins don't bother us. I guess if you have something like diverticulitis, you might want to peel them.

Is really broiling them, for me. Doesn't take long and ooh! The smell.

Putting them on the hob of a gas range works if you're cooking with gas. Just turn them as they char.

And yes, the smell is pure heaven.

The skin of any pepper of any color is indigestible. It'll add necessary fibre to your diet, but charring it so it can be peeled off both changes the flavor and texture of the pepper to something a little more appetizing on the whole.

I make Grilled Pepper Pot Stew occasionally in the summertime...delicious

I have now tried this twice and am a convert. Keeping fresh tomatoes around for sandwiches has been an issue, I can't seem to sync the timing so I'm often throwing moldy tomatoes out, or not making a sandwich because there are no tomatoes, and for certain sandwiches, tomatoes are critical.

Just had a turkey, swiss, onion and red pepper sandwich, outstanding!

Thanks for the suggestion H2S! :hi: Just picked up a bag of 6 peppers at Costco, 2 each of red, yellow and orange (price was the same as for 6 red, so figured I'd be adventursome)

I find there's a slight taste difference when they're **really** in season and local. Any pepper that gets shipped loses some flavor and all three colors taste virtually the same.

But see what you think when you try yours.

Oh ... taste them fresh/raw, too. The taste difference, in my opinion, is greater when they're raw.