ROASTED RED PEPPER BRUSCHETTA

v Vegan

An elegant appetizer with a nutty autumnal taste. You can either use jarred peppers or roast them yourself.

8 oz jar roasted red peppers, well-drained, or two fresh red bell peppers
skinny French baguette bread, about 1/2 of a long loaf
1/4 cup blanched almonds
3 dashes salt
1/4 tspn ground cloves
1/4 tspn ground cinnamon
1/4 tspn olive oil (not needed if peppers are packed in oil)

If using jarred peppers, skip ahead. To roast fresh peppers, slice in half, de-stem and de-seed, and place face down on non-stick pan or glass baking dish. Broil the peppers in the oven until the skins char. Remove from oven, and while still hot, use tongs to place peppers in large paper or plastic bag. Tie off end of bag and allow to sit for ten minutes. After you remove the peppers from the bag, the skins should peel off easily. Set the peppers aside.

Slice the baguette into (12) 1/2” thick rounds and spread out on a flat baking sheet. In a food processor, grind the almonds until fairly fine, then add the peppers, salt, cloves and cinnamom. Chop until peppers are coarse pieces, but not pureed. (If you don’t have a food processor, you can use a coffee grinder for the almonds, and a knife to hand-chop the peppers into fine pieces.) Add a few drops of olive oil if the mixture is too dry. Spread a tablespoon of the mixture onto each baguette slice. Cook in oven at 375 degrees for 5-7 minutes or until edges of bread just start to crisp. Makes 12 appetizers.