Tunisian Grilled Peppers and Tomatoes with Couscous

Ingredients

• 3 large bell peppers
• preferably a mix of red
• yellow and green or yellow
• orange and red (about 1 1/2 pounds)
• 2 green Anaheim peppers
• 1 pound ripe but firm tomatoes
• 1 or 2 garlic cloves
• to taste
• Salt to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon ground caraway
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• Pinch of cayenne (more to taste)
• 1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• to taste
• 2 to 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• to taste
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 to 1 1/2 cups couscous
• reconstituted (3 to 4 1/2 cups reconstituted couscous)
• Imported black olives for garnish

Instructions

1. Grill peppers over a hot grill or a gas flame, or under a broiler, until charred.
2. Place in a bowl and cover with a plate or with plastic.
3. Allow to cool.
4. Grill tomatoes over a hot grill or under a broiler for about 3 minutes, until skins split and char.
5. If tomatoes are large, turn over and grill on the other side.
6. Small tomatoes neednt be turned.
7. You do not want to cook them until theyre overly soft.
8. Remove from heat, place in a bowl and allow to cool until you can handle them.
9. When peppers are cool enough, stem and peel.
10. Holding them over the bowl to catch juices, seed and cut in 2-inch long strips.
11. Transfer to another bowl and strain in juices.
12. Peel, core and slice tomatoes.
13. Cut slices into strips and transfer, with juices, to bowl with peppers.
14. In a mortar and pestle, puree garlic with a generous pinch of salt.
15. Add caraway, coriander and cayenne if using.
16. Work in the lemon juice and olive oil and toss with vegetables.
17. Add half the parsley and toss together.
18. Taste and adjust seasoning.
19. Warm couscous if desired and divide among plates or wide bowls.
20. Spoon on pepper and tomato salad with juices in bowl.
21. Sprinkle more parsley on top and serve.