Flatbread

Beautiful red, green, yellow and orange bell peppers are piled high in the stalls of the Farmers' Markets at this time of year. Their intense colors and smell, which remind me of the heat of summer, are bewitching to me. Not to mention their tastes. Since we try to eat locally and seasonally most of the time, I roast these beauties and freeze them for use in the winter. One of the tastiest ways we enjoy roasted peppers is on flatbread. This makes a first-rate supper served with a nice Spanish Rioja.

FLATBREAD WITH TOMATOES, ROASTED CHICKEN, EGGPLANT,PEPPERS AND OLIVES

For the topping

• 1 red bell pepper
  
• 1 green bell pepper
  
• 1 eggplant
  
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
  
• 12 black olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
  
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
  
• 2 large, ripe tomatoes, cut into think slices
  
• 4 TBS. olive oil
  

For the dough

•  1 2/3 cups ll-purpose flour
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
  
• 2 tsp. baking powder
  
• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
  
• 1 egg yolk
  
• 3/4 cup water
  

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Place the bell peppers and eggplant on a baking sheet and roast, turning several times to cook evenly, until the peppers are blistered and blackened all over and the skin of the eggplant is wrinkled and shriveled, about 45 minutes. Transfer the peppers and eggplant to a paper bag. Close the bag and set aside until cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes. 

Peel the charred skins off the roasted vegetables. Slice each bell pepper in half lengthwise and discard the seeds, ribs and stems. Cut the peppers and eggplant into thin strips.

Meanwhile, make the dough; In a bowl, sift together the flour, salt and baking powder. Make a well in the flour and add the olive oil and egg yolk. Gradually add the water, mixing the wet ingredients into the flour little by little with a wooden spoon. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead until soft, smooth and elastic, about 1  minute. Form the dough into a ball and place in a large, lightly oiled bowl. Cover with a kitchen towel and let stand in a warm place until the dough puffs slightly, about 30 minutes.

In another bowl, combine the eggplant and bell pepper strips with the garlic and lives and season generously with salt and peppers.

Lightly oil a 12-by 9-inch rimmed baking sheet. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough into a rectangle to fit the pan. Press into the prepared pan and trim away any excess dough.

Cover the dough base with the tomato slices. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over the tomato slices. Arrange the eggplant mixture evenly over the tomatoes and drizzle withe remaining oil.

Bake until the edges are beginning to brown, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. Cut into squares and serve warm. Serves 4 hungry adults.

(adapted from Williams-Sonoma Foods of the World Series, Barcelona by Paul Richardson)

The great thing about this recipe is that you can use whatever you have. I sometimes make this to use up leftover roast chicken. The dough makes a beautifully thin, crispy crust which can be used as the base for a traditional pizza.