Sweet romanos stuffed with two cheeses and cherry peppers

Romanos are wonderful Mediterranean peppers. They are long, pointy and slightly gnarled, and look a little like a large poblano chili. Not hot but delightfully sweet, they also go by the names Romiro or extra sweet. Their flavor is nicely balanced by the ricotta salata, a mature dried and slightly salty version of the popular cheese.

Prepare the barbecue. Split the peppers lengthways and remove the seeds and membrane. Rub 15ml/1 tbsp of the oil all over the peppers. Place them hollow-side uppermost.

Slice the mozzarella and divide equally among the pepper halves. Scatter over the chopped cherry peppers, season lightly and crumble the ricotta salata over the top, followed by the oregano leaves and olives. Mix the garlic with the remaining oil and add a little salt and pepper. Spoon about half the mixture over the filling in the peppers.

Once the flames have died down, rake the coals to one side. Position a lightly oiled grill rack over the coals to heat. When the coals are medium-hot, or with a moderate coating of ash, place the filled peppers on the section of grill rack that is not over the coals. Cover with a lid, or improvise with a wok lid or tented heavy-duty foil. Grill for 6 minutes, then spoon the remaining oil mixture over the filling, replace the lid and continue to grill for 6-8 minutes more, or until the peppers are lightly charred and the cheese has melted. Serve with a dressed green or leafy salad and bread.

Serves 4
4 sweet romano peppers, preferably in mixed colors, total weight about 350g/12oz
90ml/6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
200g/7oz mozzarella cheese
10 drained bottled sweet cherry peppers, finely chopped
115g/4oz ricotta salata
30ml/2 tbsp chopped fresh oregano leaves
24 black olives
2 garlic cloves, crushed
Salt and ground black pepper
Dressed mixed salad leaves and bread, to serve