Salade Cuite

Ingredients

• For the salad:
• 3 Cubanelle peppers
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 orange bell pepper
• 1 yellow bell pepper
• 1 green bell pepper
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 14.5-ounce can "petite diced" tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon harissa
• For optional baguette toasts:
• 1 baguette, sliced 1/2-inch thick
• Olive oil
• Salt

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 450 degrees F. Set the peppers on a rimmed baking sheet lined with a Silpat, then roast them for 40 minutes, giving them a turn every 10 minutes as they cook.
2. Once the peppers are blistered and charred, transfer them to a deep bowl and seal the bowl well with plastic wrap. Leave them until they reach room temperature, then slip off the skins and discard the seeds and stems.
3. Warm the olive oil in a sauce pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and gently poach it for a couple of minutes, just until it softens without browning, while you cut the peppers into thin strips.
4. Stir the peppers into the oil, then add the can of tomatoes and the harissa. Season with salt. Bring the liquid up to a boil, cover the pot, reduce the heat, and let everything simmer for 1 hour.
5. While the salad simmers, prepare the baguette toasts. Arrange the baguette slices on a baking sheet, drizzle them lightly with olive oil, and add a light sprinkle of salt.
6. Bake the toasts in a 375 degrees F oven for 15 to 20 minutes. You can also skip the toasts and serve the salad with torn hunks of fresh baguette.