Bell Pepper Salad With Capers and Olives

At summer’s end, sweet peppers of every color are ripe and ready, far better than the bland supermarket hot-house varieties available year-round. Thinly sliced and dressed with an assertive vinaigrette, these peppers make an ideal first course or antipasto.

Ingredients

• 4 sweet bell peppers, in different colors
• 1 anchovy fillet, plus more for garnish
• 1 small garlic clove
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon capers, chopped, plus whole capers for garnish
• 0.25 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes, lightly salted
• 0.5 cup green or black olives, such as Castelvetrano or Moroccan, pitted, if desired
• Arugula, for garnish (optional)
• Dried Italian oregano, for sprinkling (optional)

Steps

1. Cut peppers in half from top to bottom. Remove stems, seeds and veins, then slice peppers into strips about ⅛-inch wide.
2. Make a vinaigrette: Using a mortar and pestle, smash anchovy fillet and garlic into a paste. Transfer to a small bowl, and add red wine vinegar and chopped capers. Stir in olive oil and season vinaigrette with salt and pepper.
3. Put sliced peppers in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper, and toss. Add vinaigrette and toss again. Leave for 10 minutes, then taste again and adjust seasoning. (The salad can sit for 15 to 20 minutes without suffering.)
4. Transfer to a serving platter. Garnish with cherry tomatoes, whole capers, olives and anchovy fillets. Surround with arugula, if using. Sprinkle with oregano, if using.