[sweet or savory] purple produce

Went off to the Beverly Hills Farmers Market again on Sunday, on a whim. I had a large list of groceries which I planned to buy later in the week but the weather was fine and the produce is always better from the market! I did have to refrain from buying the great looking pumpkins and squash (for soup in a few weeks) and the ginormous cauliflowers and stick to what I needed for this weeks menu. (Many guests to feed!)

The usual staples ended up in my shopping bag (red peppers/capsicums and some zucchini) and a bunch of colorful zinnias. Plus a cup of fresh orange juice, refreshing. But what caught my eye were purple sweet peppers. Never seen them before so I picked up a few. There were also pale green/white colored ones but I decided to give those a miss. These peppers will be cooked with the red ones and served with roasted zucchini, mushroom and red onion as a tasty, healthy side dish. (Recipe below!)

Quick recipe: wash and chop up peppers (any combo of red, purple, orange and yellow) into large slices, seeds removed. On a baking sheet or roasting pan toss peppers in a bit of olive oil (I use spray, easy), sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Garlic and rosemary optional. Bake at 350ºF/180ºC until peppers are soft and there is a little bit of char. Same deal with the zucchinis, red onion and mushrooms. Serve mixed on a large platter, separately (line up like a rainbow on a square plate, pretty!) or chop up, add pan juices and toss with pasta. Yummy!