2 each, red, yellow, and orange bell peppers

4 tomatoes, halved

1 tbsp olive oil

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1 onion, sliced in rings

2 tbsp fresh thyme

Salt and pepper

Halve and seed the n ell peppers.  Place them, cut-side down, on a cookie sheet and cook uner a preheated broiler for 10 minutes.  Add the tomatoes to the bell peppers and tomatoes are charred. 

Put the bell peppers into a plastic bag for 10 minutes to sweat, which will make the skin easier to peel.  Remove the tomato skins and roughly chop the flesh.   Peel the skins from the bell peppers and slice the flesh into strips

Heat the oil in a large skillet and fry the garlic and onion for 3-4  minutes or until softened.  Add the bell peppers and tomatoes to the skillet and cook for 5 minutes.  Stir in the fresh thyme and season to taste with salt and pepper. 

Transfer to serving bowls and serve warm or chilled. 

2 tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, chopped

½ red bell pepper, diced

¾ cup risotto rice, washed

1 tsp dried oregano

1 2/3 cup hot vegetable or chicken stock

½ scant cup dry white wine

2 ¾ oz Mozzarella cheese

Oil, for deep-frying

Fresh basil sprig, to garnish

Heat the oil in a skillet and cook the onion and garlic for 3-4 minutes or until just softened. 

Add the bell pepper, rice, and oregano to the pan.  Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring to coat the rice in the oil.   Mix the stock together with the wine and add to the pan a ladleful at a time, waiting for the liquid to be absorbed by the rice before you add the next ladleful of liquid. 

Once all of the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is tender (it should take about 15 minutes in total), remove the pan from the heat and leave until the mixture is cool enough to handle.

Cut the cheese into 12 pieces.  Taking about a tablespoon of risotto, shape the mixture around the cheese pieces to make 12 balls.

Heat the oil until a piece of bread browns in 30 seconds.  Cook the risotto balls in batches of 4 for 2 minutes until golden.  Remove the risotto balls with a draining spoon and drain thoroughly on absorbent paper towels.  Garnish with a sprig of basil and serve hot.