La Bandiera

Though out of order, here is the antipasto that I made from Umbria. La Bandiera means "the flag", and is named as such because it's colors are red, green and white, representing the colors of the Italian flag.

Like Granzevola alla Triestinafrom Friuli-Venezia Giulia, I found several references to this dish, but had a hell of a time finding an actual recipe for it. I did find one recipe in English, but also translated one that was in Italian to make sure that I was doing the right thing. Even then, I was a little unsure of what to do once I had cooked the peppers, onions and tomatoes that make up this dish. Do you just eat it as is? Do you put it on bread like bruschetta? I chose to toast some bread, drizzle on a little olive oil, cover it with the La Bandiera mixture, and eat it like that.

The recipe that I used called for green pepper, onion, and tomato. However, after trying this I made a second version with green pepper, onion, and red pepper. The colors were not very vibrant in the tomato batch, and with a name based on the dish's color scheme, I felt like I had to get some bold colors in there. The red pepper worked much better for this. In my second attempt I also cut the veggies into strips rather than chopping them into small pieces. This worked much better where the onion was concerned, as the chopped pieces cooked more quickly, and became more translucent than white. The second attempt with the peppers and onion cut into long strips also looked much more appetizing as something that I could eat right out of the pan. I'm considering making it again and tossing it with some pasta.

La Bandiera Attempt #1 - tomato, green pepper and onion

La Bandiera

Adapted from Anne's Italy

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

4 green bell peppers, chopped

1 yellow onion, chopped

5 ripe tomatoes, chopped

salt to taste

1 loaf Italian bread

Process:

Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the peppers and onions. Let them cook for about 3 minutes until they become tender.
Add the tomatoes. Salt to taste. Turn the heat down and simmer for several minutes until the veggies are all cooked.
Cut the bread into 1/4-1/2 inch slices. Toast lightly. Drizzle with olive oil. Top the bread with the pepper, onion, and tomato mixture. Serve hot.

La Bandiera Attempt #2 - red peppers, green peppers and onion