ROMESCO SAUCE

Can be served with just about everything- grilled fish, chicken, dip for raw vegetables, etc.. Makes 2 cups (500ml).

2 greenhouse tomatoes
1 sweet red pepper
1 head garlic
2 tbsp (30ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1 slice (3/4 inch; 2 cm thick) day-old crusty bread
1/2 cup (125 ml) slivered almonds
2 tbsp (30 ml) sherry vinegar or red vine vinegar
1/2 tsp (2ml) each salt and smoked paprika
pinch cayenne pepper

Core tomatoes. Cut top of garlic to expose cloves. Place tomatoes (core side up) pepper halves (skin side up) and garlic on parchment paper-lined rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle oil over all.
Roast in 400F (200C) oven until tomato skins split, pepper skins blister and garlic is soft, about 30 minutes. Let cool enough to handle. Meanwhile remove crust from bread; cut bread into cubes. Place bread and almonds on another baking sheet. When vegetables are roasted, turn heat off and bake almond and bread in still warm owen until toasted and golden, about 5 minutes.
Slip off and discard scions from tomatoes, peppers. Coarsely chop tomatoes and peppers (discard excess liquid) and place in food processor with squeezed out garlic cloves.  Add bread cubes, almonds, vinegar, salt, paprika and cayenne; process until almost smooth yet still with some texture from almonds. For a zippier sauce, add more vinegar. Serve warm.