This recipe first appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle and comes from Downtown restaurant chef David Stevenson serves 8 as a first course. The stuffing stays together well enough that you can place the peppers on their sides in the baking pan. Serve hot or at room temperature.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup diced red onion
2 cups corn kernels
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 1/2 cups grated manchego, dry Jack or a similar cheese
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
8 red Gypsy peppers (Flamingos also work — may take longer to cook)

INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 350° and oil a small baking pan or glass dish with oil.

Saute the onion, corn and garlic in the olive oil until soft. Season with salt and pepper. Let cool, then add the breadcrumbs, cheese, thyme and parsley.

Cut the tops off the peppers and remove the seeds and membranes. Fill each pepper with the corn mixture, pushing gently so the stuffing stays in place. Rub the peppers with olive oil and place in the baking pan.

Roast the peppers for 25-30 minutes, or until the peppers soften and collapse. If some stuffing oozes out, just push it back in.

Serves 8

PER SERVING: 485 calories, 15 g protein, 25 g carbohydrate, 37 g fat (14 g saturated), 45 mg cholesterol, 439 mg sodium, 5 g fiber