A Harvest Mix of Peppers and Labneh

A Harvest Mix of Jimmy Nardello and Lipstick Peppers can make a beautiful adornment to your summer table. They’re pan seared with garlic and sit atop a swirl of creamy labneh that’s finished with a generous sprinkling of toasted pine nuts. This toss up comes from the Kitchen in Santa Fe (located on the grounds of Plants of the Southwest) where farm to table is the process every single day. It’s something so simple, but point perfect. “We like real food,” says Chef Olive Tyrrell, “and we want people to feel nourished as well as happy and excited and inspired by the food.”

What is Labneh?

Hailing from the Middle East, labneh or yogurt cheese is actually much simpler than the name implies. The process is essentially just straining yogurt, which sheds the whey that you normally see in yogurt. This makes it reminiscent of Greek yogurt, which people make in a similar way, but it’s even denser, richer, and thicker. Think of an almost cream cheese consistency that’s brilliantly spreadable. Its flavor mingles tanginess with a hint of sea salt. In our Harvest Mix of Peppers, it also cools down the immediate heat and lets you enjoy the depth these bundles carry. Rather than just tasting fiery, labneh allows you discover a whole new pepper profile you didn’t even realize existed.

Print

folder icon instagram icon pinterest icon facebook icon

- Advertisement -

print icon squares icon heart icon heart solid icon

A Harvest Mix of Peppers

---

• Author: Chef Olive Tyrrell
• Yield: Serves 4

Print Recipe

Description

The creamy labneh cools down the spice of these powerful peppers.

---

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the labneh: 

• 16 oz. container of whole milk Greek yogurt
• Sea salt

For the peppers:

• ½ lb of sweet peppers, such as Jimmy Nardello and/or Lipstick*
• 4–5 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled
• 2 tbsp pine nuts, toasted
• Flaky salt, such as Maldon
• Fresh herbs, to garnish

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

---

Instructions

For the labneh:

1. Line a small strainer with a piece of cheese cloth or clean tea towel.
2. Place the strainer on top of a bowl.
3. Place the yogurt in the cheese cloth-lined strainer and gather up the edges and twist them together.
4. Periodically, give the cheese cloth a squeeze to remove excess liquid.
5. The labneh is ready when it has thickened so that it is spreadable but not pourable – this should take several hours.
6. When ready, season lightly with sea salt, place in a clean jar or bowl, and refrigerate until ready to use. This will make more than you need but it will keep in the refrigerator.

For the peppers:

1. Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil to warm, then the peppers. Sear until they’re blistered and softened.
2. Add the garlic and continue cooking for a few more minutes, then season with some flaky salt and remove from the heat.
3. Spread the labneh on the bottom of a platter, top with the roasted peppers, and sprinkle with the toasted pine nuts and fresh herbs. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Notes

Jimmy Nardello is an Italian heirloom pepper brought to the U.S. in the late 1880s. It has a sweet, deep flavor – not spicy – and is perfect for frying. It’s about 6-8” long and can be used in combination with the smaller, vibrant red Lipstick peppers.

Recipe by Chef Olive Tyrrell
Story by Julia Platt Leonard
Photography by Tira Howard

Subscribe to TABLE Magazine‘s print edition.