THIS week we're adding some delicious Mediterranean flavours to your kitchen with two classic dishes from our Italian friends. For those of you who have ever enjoyed a holiday in Italy, these simple dishes will bring the memories flooding back. But for those of you who are yet to visit, this should prompt a swift visit to the travel agents!

First up we have a wonderful roasted pepper dish from southern Italy - Pepperonata alla campagnola. If your diet is in need of a little colour, then this is the recipe for you.  With both red and yellow peppers, the rich purples of red onion and the luscious greens of fresh herbs, it resembles a rainbow on your plate.

Then for your sweet tooth we have an unbelievably simple peach and amaretto dessert. These dishes really do represent everything good and fresh about Italian cooking, particularly if you use fresh ingredients so get yourself down to the greengrocers or your local farmer's market and bring some Italian cookery into your kitchen.

The main ingredients of this first dish, as the name suggests, are the red and yellow bell peppers that are as rich in colour as they are in flavour. Not only are they delicious, but they are also extremely good for you.  Wonderfully rich in vitamins A and C, they can help towards unblocking arteries and fending off heart disease, while the red variety ranks among the top ten foods for beta-carotene content. No wonder Mediterraneans live long and often healthier lives than us!

To make the Pepperonata alla campagnola you will need 6 tbsp olive oil, 1 red onion, peeled and sliced, 3 garlic cloves peeled and sliced, 3 large red and 3 large yellow peppers, deseeded and cut into strips, a 400g (14 oz) tin of chopped tomatoes, 1 red chilli deseeded, a handful of fresh oregano and flat leaf parsley leaves, 350g (12 oz) new season potatoes peeled and cut into small cubes and sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to season.

Heat the oil in a large, heavy based saucepan. Add the onion and garlic and cook gently for five minutes. Then add the peppers, salt and pepper and cook for a further 10 minutes. Next add the tomatoes, potatoes and chilli, cover and simmer for a further 30-40 minutes until thickened. Adjust the seasoning and stir in the fresh herbs. This can be served hot or cold and is perfect with meat or fish.

It is worth noting that you can use fresh tomatoes instead of tinned, but make sure they are ripe and have that intoxicating, "tomatoey" smell! Make a crisscross with a sharp knife at the base of each tomato, bring some water to the boil in a large saucepan and dunk the tomatoes for 20 seconds or so. Drain and plunge into ice cold water. When cooled peel the skin with a sharp knife (it will come away easily) and chop into small dice.

For the peach dessert wash 4 large ripe peaches and put into a large pan. Cover with Italian white wine, half a fresh cinnamon stick, 3 segments and peeled rind from 1 lime. Poach the peaches for 20 minutes or until just soft. Remove them carefully and set aside. Add 300g (10oz) caster sugar to the wine mixture and reduce until you get a syrupy consistency. Strain through a sieve and add 4 tablespoons of amaretto. Pour over the peaches and serve with a dollop of mascarpone cheese. Serve straight away or leave to chill over night and serve cold. Buon Appetito!

* Sheila Benson and Sean Millar are at The Side Door, 29a Hope Street, Liverpool. Tel: 0151 707 7888.