While canned or jarred roasted red peppers are readily found in the grocery store, the extra effort to roast your own will give back to you tenfold in the romesco recipe I share with you today.

Roasting red peppers at home is easy. A flame is best and most flavorful, although I’ve roasted peppers over a gas flame, on the grill, in my wood stove and even on my electric burner. (However, the smoke alarm didn’t love me for that one.)

For half the summer, I’m lucky enough to have a wood-fired flame to flavor everything I cook with a hint of smokiness. Once the produce begins to come in from the farmers markets, my meals become adorned with roasted corn, roasted tomatoes and of course roasted peppers.

If you heat with a wood stove at home and still have yours going, you might try roasting your peppers in the coals by poking the ends with a long fork and then turning as the skin blisters away from the flesh. (If you have a rule that you don’t light your stove after Memorial Day, I understand – the line has to be drawn somewhere, even in the Maine of perpetual rain.)

Over a gas or grill flame, place the pepper over the hottest part of the flame and turn with tongs as needed. The skin should just barely turn black and begin to blister away from the flesh.

Make sure you work to get the crevices to release the skin as well by turning them directly over the flame. Be careful not to char the actual flesh, as too much exuberance results in a somewhat disintegrated pepper.

Once the skin has loosened from the peppers, you can place them in a paper bag or in a bowl covered with plastic wrap to encourage the steam to work the rest of the skin off. But I find that once they’ve cooled a bit, a little rubbing or peeling with my hands is all that is needed.

Don’t rinse them under water to get that last bit of skin off, as you’ll be rinsing all of the goodness away, too.

These recipes are all easy enough for a weeknight dinner, but swanky enough to serve to guests.

CLAMS, SCALLOPS AND CALAMARI WITH SAFFRON AND LEEKS

When I tested this recipe the first time, I used calamari and the second time shrimp, as calamari wasn’t fresh. Both were delicious, and are interchangeable as far as the cooking times. This dish could be served over rice or polenta; either make a good pairing for the flavorful sauce. You can also make crostinis to slather the romesco sauce over or serve with crusty bread to sop up the saffron broth.

2 tablespoons butter

1 1/2 cups diced leeks, about 1 small leek

A pinch of saffron

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 pound steamer clams

1/4 cup corn meal

1 pound scallops, with muscle foot removed

1 pound calamari or squid, cleaned and cut into 1-inch rounds

1/2 cup white wine

1 cup clam or chicken broth

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 cups diced tomatoes, fresh or canned

1/4 cup parsley leaves removed from stem

Place the steamers in a bowl covered with cold, salted water. Sprinkle the corn meal over the clams, stir briefly to wet the corn meal, and let sit for at least 30 minutes.

In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the leeks, saffron, salt and red pepper flakes. Saute until the leeks are soft and tender, about 7 to 10 minutes. Add the seafood and saute for 2 to 3 minutes or until the pan begins to sizzle.

Add the white wine, clam broth and tomatoes, and bring to a boil. Cook all of the seafood until it’s just barely done, about another 2 to 3 minutes, stirring often to make sure the heat is distributed throughout. Add the lemon juice, transfer to a serving bowl immediately, and garnish with parsley and romesco sauce on a crostini.

Serves four to six.

ROMESCO SAUCE

This sauce is a perfect pair for the seafood stew, but also goes well drizzled in soups or combined in a creamy pasta sauce. To prepare crostini to receive a slather of romesco, cut diagonal, 1/4-inch slices from a baguette and brush liberally with olive oil. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes or until the crostini begin to brown on the edges and is beginning to crisp in the center.

1/2 dried pasillia or guajilla pepper

1/2 cup toasted blanched almonds

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 cup diced onion

1 teaspoon garlic

2 tablespoons pesto

10 ounces roasted red peppers, about 2 peppers

1/2 cup croutons or stale bread

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Pour boiling water over the dried pepper and reconstitute for 15 to 20 minutes. In a small skillet, toast the almond slivers over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes, watching closely and stirring often. Transfer to a food processor when the almonds begin to darken to light brown.

Add the onions to the same pan and saute until soft and translucent, about 7 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic for 30 seconds to a minute and transfer to the food processor. Add all of the rest of the ingredients and pulse until incorporated.

Makes 1 1/2 cups.

KAHLUA FLAN

This recipe is adapted from one I saw in Gourmet magazine years ago. The cream cheese gives this flan a silky, rich texture that is melt-in-your-mouth good.

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

2 1/4 cups whole milk

1 3-inch cinnamon stick

1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

Seeds from one vanilla pod or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons Kahlua

1/8 teaspoon salt

5 large eggs

8 7- to 8-ounce ramekins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until amber colored. Swirl the pan and use a damp pastry brush to brush down the crystals on the side of the pan.

Pour evenly into eight 7- to 8-ounce ramekins. Place ramekins onto a baking sheet with sides.

Bring milk with the cinnamon stick just to a simmer in a medium stock pan and then let steep for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, blend the cream cheese and the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, Kahlua and salt in a food processor until smooth. Add the eggs and transfer to a large bowl. Whisk in the warm milk, and pour evenly into ramekins.

Pour boiling water into the baking sheet until it reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until the centers are just beginning to firm but still jiggle like gelatin. Remove from oven and let cool with the water. Refrigerate for up to two days.

When ready to serve, run a sharp knife around the edge of the ramekin and turn over onto a dessert plate. Use a spatula to get all of the caramelized sugar out of the ramekins.

Serves eight.

Anne Mahle of Rockland is the author of “At Home, At Sea,” a recipe book about her experiences cooking aboard the family’s windjammer. She can be reached at: chefannie@mainewindjammer.com