Ingredients:
6 bell peppers, tops cut off and seeds removed
2 leeks, sliced lengthwise and rinsed out then sliced into thin rounds or half moons
4 sprigs thyme, leaves stripped off the stem
¼ cup basil, leaves stripped off the stem and coarsely chopped
1 zucchini, grated or minced
1 large tomato, cubed
Olive oil
Juice of one lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
1 ½ cups cooked grain of your choice
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions:
Boil a large pot of water. Submerge the peppers in for about 2 minutes to blanch them. Once they are blanched, put them into a baking dish.
Sauté the vegetables together in some olive oil, making sure that they still have a bit of a crunch to them.
Mix the cooked grain, vegetables and cheese together in a bowl. Taste and adjust the flavor as desired.
Spoon the mixture into the peppers and top with more cheese and a grind of pepper. Bake at 350 °F for 35 minutes.
Variations:
Replace ¾ cup of the cooked grain with cooked sausage or cooked ground lamb/beef.
Add 1 small seeded and chopped jalapeno pepper to the vegetables.
Add 1 tsp fennel seeds to the vegetables or a 1/4 cup chopped fennel bulb.
If zucchini is out of season, leave it out.
