A simple and bold recipe, where the peppery freshness of hoja santa meets the sweetness of roasted peppers.

Ingredients:

• red or yellow bell peppers
• olive oil
• fresh garlic
• a few hoja santa leaves, without their stems
• physalis or muscat grapes
• bed of ice

The chef's recipe: 

1. Grill whole red or yellow bell peppers on the barbecue or in the oven until the skin blisters and turns black. Let them cool, then peel them, remove the seeds, and cut them into large strips.  

2. Marinate them overnight in olive oil with a few slices of fresh garlic.

3. Meanwhile, collect the hoja santa leaves. Remove the stems, blanch them for 3 minutes, then blend them with a drizzle of olive oil until you obtain a smooth purée. Cool it quickly on a bed of ice to set the color and preserve the aromas.

4. Cut a few physalis in half (or, if unavailable, muscat grapes).

5. Arrange the marinated peppers, the well-chilled hoja santa purée, and the fresh fruit on a plate.

A dish full of contrasts: grilled, fresh, sweet, peppery, vegetal, red, and green.

About hoja santa:

You can find hoja santa seeds in most garden centers or on specialized websites. Sown in spring, the plant grows easily: preferably in a greenhouse (it likes heat), but also in the ground, in rich soil, sheltered from the wind and with generous watering.