What Families Are Made Of - Sweet Pepper Salad

2lb (1k) red and orange capsicum bell peppers
1 clove garlic
large pinch of coarse salt
1 tb (càs) raspberry vinegar
1/4C (6cl) olive oil
1 sweet white onion
fresh basil sprigs, leaves and flower buds

Prepare a fire in a charcoal grill or preheat a broiler oven or griller. If using a broiler or electric griller arrange the peppers on a baking sheet and line the baking sheet with aluminum foil to make clean-up easy. Place the peppers on the grill rack or under the broiler, turning several times until the skins are blistered and irregularly charred on all sides. 20-30minutes.

Place the grilled peppers on a plate and enclose the plate in a plastic bag with the open end folded beneath the plate. Let stand for 30 minutes; the steam will loosen the skins. Working over a seive over a bowl to catch the juices, pinch the skins to loosen them from the flesh and pull them off. Discard the skins and the core and the seeds. Tear each pepper into 3 or 4 sections. Set aside the bowl of juices.

Arrange the pepper sections, peeled sides up and side by side touching on a platter. In a mortar pound together the garlic, salt and pepper to form a paste. Stir in the vinegar, the reserved pepper juices and finally the olive oil.

Slice the onion in thin rings. Spoon the sauce evenly over the peppers and scatter the onion rings over the surface. Tear the basil leaves into fragments and crumble the flower buds. Scatter over the top.