It's been a good year for bell peppers, also Anaheim Chilis and mild Jalapenos. I brought in these beauties to slice and freeze for stir-fry dishes. Last winter, I bought a green pepper at the grocery store. It was big, watery and almost tasteless. Hence, I'm saving more of my superior stock. The Jalapenos I just add whole to dishes to give them a little pep. We originally found the mild ones as an offering from Texas A&M, called Tams. Haven't seen those in a while, but we still call the mild ones Tams. I tossed one into a veggie concoction in the juicer with tomatoes. I realized, when the juice was too hot to drink, that taking the seeds out first would have been a great idea.
The peppers are both Yolo, an old reliable variety, and Margaret's. I found the pointy Margaret's in the Jung catalog some years ago. They were from seeds of a Hungarian pepper saved by a woman with that name. She was apparently a pepper prepper. I began saving my own seeds and was glad I did when they were no longer available in the Jung's catalog. One has to save the seeds from the red ones because the green ones aren't quite ripe. Margaret's have wonderful flavor, especially when red.
The Anaheim chilis are mild and delicious. Once I figured out how to stuff and broil them, they were fabulous. One plant always gives a bumper crop. I only regret I can't eat more of them. I'm just one woman against all that bounty.
Little tomato cages are a good idea for the peppers. Otherwise their limbs break under the heavy peppers.
All summer long, I've enjoyed quantities of peppers. I've had hash stuffed green peppers, plain raw peppers, tuna pilaf and this elegant Spanish Frittata that Lissa sent me the recipe for. It's a meal using lots of what I have on hand, peppers and eggs and parsley. Excellent with a glass of Pinot Grigio.
This year, I grew five bell peppers, two Tams and one Anaheim, and have enjoyed a wealth of peppers. Over the years, I've tried the multi-colored ones but for best flavor, I keep coming back to Yolo and Margaret's. The red ones are sweet. Even sweeter are the moments when I see similar red peppers at the grocery store for over a dollar each.
Rich, beyond my wildest dreams.
