1 pound mushrooms, sliced
OR
1 pound green peppers, sliced

2 or 3 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, sliced (optional)
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon basil (optional)
2 dried sweet red peppers
1 teaspoon salt
1 pepperoncino, crushed (optional)

2 eggs, sunny side up (optional)

1. Peel, slice and chop onion.

2. Peel, slice and chop garlic.

3. Heat olive oil in a frying pan.

4. Add onion and garlic, and saute until golden.

5. Add green peppers or mushrooms.

6. Add crushed sweet red peppers.

7. Add seasoning and stir-fry until the vegetables are cooked.

8. Serve warm, with eggs (sunny side up) and Italian bread.

Apparently, prior to World War II, fried peppers or fried mushrooms were generally served along with bread for breakfast in the Molise area. Well, at least they were when they were in season. Individuals gathered mushrooms from neighboring woods (No one purchased them) and then made use of them. Well-to-do households added eggs to the mixture. Subsistence farmers like my maternal grandparents rarely had eggs, as the eggs they did have were bartered for salt. That's what my mother told me anyway.... Photo: Mary Melfi.

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