Moist, but not soggy. Nothing crunchy. No fruit. No rice. No cornbread.

Those were my wife's orders for this Thanksgiving's stuffing. Come up with a recipe that is New England Pilgrim good. Nothing fancy or strange. No unusual ingredients or flavors. Something savory that oozes comfort and home.

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The request came after seeing too many television commercials and food-magazine articles pushing everything from heat-and-eat bagged concoctions to elaborate, Asian-fusion recipes calling for pears and seafood. Uck!

Since our Thanksgivings continue to be a mix of carnivores and veggies, I decided to follow Mom's philosophy and aim for a one-stop-shopping sort of stuffing everyone could eat.

Though many people will swear by cornbread, I just don't think it belongs in stuffing (no matter how much I love it on its own). Cornbread is just too crumbly and stuffings made with it often end up a mushy mess. I wanted a stuffing with body and substance.

I considered whole wheat bread, especially seeded, but ultimately settled on sourdough for flavor. I liked the tang it gave the recipe.

Makes 10 servings

(Start to finish 1 hour)

12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) butter or nondairy alternative

3 medium onions, finely diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 red bell peppers, finely diced3 tablespoons minced fresh sage

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried marjoram

2/3 cup chopped fresh parsley

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 loaf (about 1 pound) sourdough bread, cut into ½-inch cubes and dried

1 to 1½ cups vegetable broth

Preheat oven to 400 F.

In a large skillet, melt the butter over a medium-high flame. Add the onions, garlic and bell peppers and saute until tender, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add the sage, thyme, marjoram, parsley, salt and pepper and cook another minute. Remove skillet from the heat.

Place the bread cubes in a large bowl. Stir in the vegetables. Pour the broth over the bread and vegetable mixture and mix well.

Transfer the stuffing to a large, lightly oiled or buttered casserole dish. Cover and bake 25 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand 5 minutes before serving.

By J.M. HIRSCH, Associated Press Writer