One Straw Farm’s Stuffed Bell Peppers

This is a vegetarian adaptation of One Straw Farm's Stuffed Bell Pepper recipe.

For those of you that are not familiar with One Straw Farm, they are the largest organic vegetable farm in Maryland. The farm was founded in White Hall, Maryland in 1985 by Drew and Joan Norman.

From its inception, One Straw has been a pioneer in the local revolution for organic, sustainable solutions and a leader in the local CSA scene.

You can find them on the web at www.onestrawfarm.com.

Ingredients

• 3 large bell peppers of any color
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 2 tablespoons garlic, finely chopped
• 2 small or 1 large zucchini, diced small
• 3 tomatoes, cored, lightly seeded and chopped
• ¼ cup chopped basil
• Salt and pepper
• 3 cups prepared bulgur*
• 8 ounces cheese, crumbled (feta or goat)**

Process

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Cut bell peppers in half length-wise - remove seeds and ribs
3. Place the peppers, hollow side up, into a lightly greased baking dish
4. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil - when hot, add the onion and garlic, and sauté for about 4 to 5 minutes, or until onion is soft
5. Add the zucchini and sauté for about 3 minutes longer
6. Add the tomatoes and basil, and simmer for 5 minutes
7. Remove from heat and set aside to slightly cool
8. When the stuffing has cooled, fold in the bulgur and about half of the cheese
9. Season with salt and pepper to taste
10. Stuff the peppers generously with the mixture and top with the remaining cheese
11. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for about 20 minutes in oven
12. Remove foil and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes or until nicely browned

Notes:

* Couscous (basic or Israeli) or quinoa could be substituted for the bulgar that was originally called for

** The recipe originally called for Feta cheese, however, free free to experiment with other cheeses such as goat, blue, mozzarella