Recipe - Piperade With Ham

3 Large red bell peppers
3 tablespoon Olive oil
2 Large onions, cut or sliced up
6 Large garlic cloves,
chopped
3 md Tomatoes, peeled, seeded,
cut or sliced up
One fourth teaspoon Cayenne pepper
10 Large eggs
7 tablespoon Butter
1/3 cup Thinly cut or sliced up fresh basil
4 ounce Thinly cut or sliced up jambon de
Bayonne or prosciutto,
cut crosswise into
strips
Countrystyle bread slices,
toasted

Char peppers over gas flame or under broiler until blackened on all sides.
Wrap in bag; let stand 10 minutes. Peel and seed peppers; cut into
1/3inchwide strips.

Heat oil in havy large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and garlic;
saute until tender, about 8 minutes. Add peppers, tomatoes and cayenne
pepper. Cover and cook until peppers are very tender and tomatoes are
reduced to sauce consistency, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes.
Uncover and cook until mixture is thick, about 14 minuters. Season with
salt and pepper. (Can be made 2 hours ahead. Cover mixture and let stand at
room temperature. Rewarm before continuing.)

Beat eggs in bowl until blended. Melt butter in heavy large nonstick
skillet over low heat. Add eggs and basil; stir constantly with rubber
spatula until soft curds form and eggs are barely set, about 12 minutes.
Add pepper mixture and jambon de Baoyonne and stir just to blend. Season to
taste with salt and pepper.

Mound piperade in center of platter. Surrond with toast and serve.

From the Basque region in France. Bon Appetit/May 94 Typed by Didi Pahl

From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini