Grilled Pepper Salad

1. Set up the grill for direct grilling and preheat to high.
2. When ready to cook, place all the peppers on the grate and grill until the skins are charred on all sides, 4 to 6 minutes per side (16 to 24 minutes in all), turning with tongs. Transfer the hot peppers to a baking dish and cover with plastic wrap. Alternatively, wrap each in a wet paper towel (the steam generated by the hot peppers and water helps you remove the skin). Let the peppers cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, make the dressing. Place the garlic and salt in a non-reactive mixing bowl and mash to a paste with the back of a wooden spoon. Add the vinegar and lemon juice and whisk until the salt is dissolved. Whisk in the California Olive Ranch extra virgin olive oil, parsley, and pine nuts.
4. Using the tip of a paring knife, scrape the burnt skin off the peppers and cut the flesh off the core. Cut into quarters or strips and arrange the pepper pieces on a platter, alternating pieces of different colors. Stir the dressing and spoon it over the peppers. You can serve the salad right away, or let it sit for a few hours to allow the flavors to blend.

Tip: If you are removing the pepper’s charred skin, steam helps loosen it from the flesh. To create steam, place the hot grilled peppers in a baking dish and cover it with plastic wrap or wrap the individual peppers in wet paper towels. Any type of bell pepper can be grilled—green, red, yellow. You can even grill chile peppers. Indeed, this is one-way Mexicans roast chiles for making salsas.