SausageFest '08

What better way to celebrate testoterone-tinged parenting than with a sausage fest? Yesterday was Father's Day, and being an ardent Celebrationist (I put the mark in Hallmark), I called over Hubbabubba's best budsky and his el ninos and we settled in, unbuckled our belts and let it all hang out (figuratively, people!) for SausageFest '08. To accompany our weiners I made a peperonata salad that hit the right balance of sweet and sour, added beautiful color to an otherwise homely sausage, and made me feel like I was getting a good and tasty serving of veggies. The recipe came via Bon Appetit magazine, which thrills me to no end- I get the whole gamut of foodie magazines and despite having every intention to try out every recipe contained within, I hardly ever follow through. This recipe seemed do-able on a lazy sunday afternoon, as I sipped mint lemonade (easy, easy easy! Just get a bunch of fresh mint and place in a pitcher full of lemonade).

Peperonata
Heat 2-3 tbsp. of olive oil in a large pan, add 2 red onions sliced into 1/2" pieces, saute for about 5 minutes until tender-ish. Add in 4 red, yellow, orange peppers (any combination is OK) cut lengthwise into 1/2 " strips, sprinkle with coarse salt. Reduce heat to low and cover, stirring occasionally, for about 25 minutes, or until peppers are tender and well coated. Stir in 3 tbsp. red wine vinegar, 2 tbsp. capers, 1 tsp. oregano, 1 tbsp. fresh thyme. Stir everything up. increase heat, season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat. Serve at room temperature.