I came up with this crunchy tasty appetizer a few years ago, when I needed a tasty bite for one of our famous summer parties. I wanted something fresh that highlighted the veggies of the season, so when I spotted these baby bell peppers in the supermarket, I came up with this tasty, crunchy appetizer. I get requests for the recipe every year. (I grow my own baby bell peppers, but when we’re talking about feeding a large party, it’s time to go to the supermarket! )
Baby bell peppers
6 ears fresh corn, removed from the cob…or organic frozen corn
1/2 Vidalia onion, peeled, quartered, grilled, chopped
1 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (I use Frank’s Red Hot)
6 oz. feta cheese or Queso Fresco, crumbled
Juice of 1 lime
Pinch of white pepper
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped
Cut corn from ears, and saute very briefly in a little olive oil. Place in a bowl and let cool.
Peel and quarter the Vidalia onion, and throw it on a hot grill with a little olive oil to get some nice grill marks on it, leaving the onion still crispy, not soft. If indoors, throw the quartered onion in a hot pan with a little olive oil, and cook until you get some brown marks on it. Remove, let cool, then place in a food processor and pulse until the onion is chopped into small bits, just smaller than the corn kernels. Add onions to corn.
In a separate small bowl, combine the mayonnaise and Frank’s Red Hot. Pour in the crumbled cheese and mix well. Pour this into the corn and onion bowl and mix well.
Add the lime juice, white pepper and parsley to the bowl and mix well again.
Cut the baby bell peppers in half lengthwise, and remove the seeds and membrane. Stuff the peppers with the corn mixture and garnish with cilantro or parsley.
If you’r preparing this ahead of time, refrigerate the stuffed peppers until you’re ready to eat, but allow some time for them to warm up to a cool, not cold temperature.
Live the Live ™ 