Italian Roasted Red Peppers Cold Appetizer

SERVES 8

Ingredients:
• 4 large red bell peppers
• 1 cup olive oil
• 2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon dried basil, or ½ bunch fresh snipped, cleaned basil
• 2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
• Pinch of sugar
• Ground black pepper to taste

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Wash red bell peppers and bake until skin is charred; turn periodically to ensure that the skin blackens on all sides. Remove peppers from oven and put into a paper sack. Fold the top of the sack over. Allow peppers to steam in the sack for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Peel the skin from the peppers; pull the peppers into strips, allowing the juice to drip into the bowl where the peppers will go. Toss the peppers with olive oil, minced garlic, basil, salt, sugar, and pepper. Let stand for several hours. Serve peppers on slices of Italian bread or as a side dish.

This recipe was published in 'Paula Deen's Kitchen Classics: The Lady & Sons Savannah Country Cookbook and The Lady & Sons, Too!'