Recipe: Vegetable-stuffed Hungarian peppers

Total time: 1 hour, 25 minutes

Servings: 6

Note: From Donna Deane. Hungarian peppers are available at select farmers markets and supermarkets, and at Otto’s Hungarian Import Store in Burbank.

Olive oil

6 small to medium-size sweet Hungarian peppers

Salt

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 cups coarsely chopped brown mushrooms

1 medium green Italian squash (cut into 1/2 -inch dice)

1 medium yellow Italian squash (cut into 1/2 -inch dice)

1 ear of corn, kernels removed (about 1/2 cup)

4 teaspoons minced basil, divided, plus 2 tablespoons roughly chopped basil

2 teaspoons chopped dill, divided

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

4 medium tomatoes, peeled and seeded

3 cloves garlic, minced, divided

1/2 cup chicken broth or water, divided

1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs

2 tablespoons butter, melted, divided

1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly brush a shallow 12-by-7-inch baking dish with olive oil.

2. Halve each pepper lengthwise, taking care to leave the base and stem intact (the peppers should look like little boats) for each of the larger halves. Chop the remaining smaller halves into a small dice and set aside.

3. Remove the seeds, then cook the peppers in salted, boiling water just until tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Strain and set aside.

4. In a large, heavy skillet heat 1 tablespoon oil. Add the onion and sauté until just tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and sauté until they are tender and have released their juices, 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

5. Add the diced pepper and squashand sauté until just tender, 3 to 5 minutes more, adding oil as needed to prevent sticking. Add the corn kernels and 1 teaspoon each of minced basil and chopped dill. Add one-half teaspoon salt and one-eighth teaspoon pepper. Remove from the heat and set aside.

6. Make the tomato sauce, by coarsely chopping the tomatoes and pulsing them in a food processor to a coarse purée. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a small sauté pan over medium heat and add 2 cloves minced garlic, sautéing just until aromatic. Add the tomato purée and half of the chicken broth.

7. Add one-fourth teaspoon saltand bring just to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Halfway through, stir in the remaining chicken broth. Remove from heat and stir in the roughly chopped basil.

8. To assemble, spoon the sauce into the prepared baking dish, covering the bottom completely and evenly. Divide the sautéed vegetables evenly among the pepper halves, filling the peppers completely.

9. In a small bowl, mix the bread crumbs with the remaining garlic, minced basil and chopped dill. Season with a pinch of salt, and stir in 1 tablespoon of the melted butter. Spoon the bread crumbs evenly over the stuffed peppers and drizzle the remaining butter over each.

10. Carefully place the peppersin the pan over the tomato sauce. Place the pan in the oven, and bake until the bread crumbs are browned on top and the sauce is bubbly, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve immediately.

Each serving: 190 calories; 5 grams protein; 24 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams fiber; 9 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 10 mg. cholesterol; 405 mg. sodium.