Roasted Marinated Peppers with Goat Cheese

A colorful and elegant first course, roasted red and yellow bell peppers dressed in a lemon-thyme viniagrette, garnished with black olives, orange slices and crumbled soft goat cheese.

Recipe Ingredients:

2 large red bell peppers
2 large yellow bell peppers
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Juice of 1 lemon
1 small clove garlic, thinly sliced
6 branches fresh thyme
Salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
12 black olives
1 large orange, peeled, sliced
2 ounces soft goat cheese

Cooking Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375°F (190°C).
2. Arrange peppers on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake until blackened and soft, 25 to 30 minutes, turning once or twice. Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let stand 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, for marinade, combine oil, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, leaves from about half the thyme, salt and pepper in a large bowl.
4. While peppers are still hot, slip off skin and scrape out seeds. Cut each pepper into quarters. Add to marinade and refrigerate 2 to 3 hours.
5. To serve, arrange peppers on 4 plates. Garnish with olives, oranges and remaining thyme. Crumble goat cheese over and add additional ground pepper.

Makes 4 servings.