Produce & Recipes

Green peppers are un unripe version of the red or yellow peppers. They are all very generous in vitamin C, but the more mature red ones are much higher in beta carotenes.

Sweet peppers are used in cuisines all over the world. Not only for their flavor and versatility, but because they add life and beauty to any dish - who can resist those glistening, bright colors.

Raw, cooked, stuffed, pickled or immersed in olive oil, the experts say it's best to remove the skin. This is accomplished by roasting the whole pepper over a burner until skin blackens, blisters and can then be easily scraped off.

Storage Tips

  Store green peppers in the refrigerator crisper at 46-48 degrees F for no longer than 2 weeks.

  If that is not possible, then store at room temperature.

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• Pepper Corn Salad

• Roasted Peppers

• French Picnic Tart with New Potatoes, Red Peppers, Sage, and Gruyere

• Roasted Tomato and Red Pepper Gazpacho

• Winter Squash and Roasted Red Pepper Soup

• Pepita Parsley Garnish

Pepper Corn Salad

2 c corn kernels

1 medium yellow bell pepper, washed, halved, seeded and diced into 1-inch sized pieces

2 medium green bell peppers, washed, halved, seeded and diced into 1-inch sized pieces

4 slices pineapples, drained, cut into 1-inch size pieces

3 medium tomatoes, washed, quartered, seeded and diced

1-2 green chilies, washed and chopped

15-20 whole black peppercorns, crushed

1/2 c fresh mint leaves, cleaned, washed and chopped

Salt as desired

2 tbsp lemon juice

Boil corn kernels in salted water until soft. Drain thoroughly. Cool. You may also use precooked, canned corn kernels or sweet corn niblets. Wash thoroughly before use.

Combine corn kernels, yellow pepper, green pepper, tomato and pineapple in a serving bowl. Stir in lemon juice. Add crushed peppercorns, salt, green chilies and mint leaves. Toss with a spoon. Refrigerate. Serve chilled.

Makes four servings.

From the Chicago Times Newspaper.

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Roasted Peppers

Peppers of any color (green, yellow, red, purple) are delicious roasted, whether of the sweet or hot variety. When handling hot peppers it is a good idea to use rubber gloves to avoid the oils from irritating your eyes or skin. Peppers may be roasted whole, though they are easier to handle and roast more evenly in pieces.

Slice off the top of the pepper and discard. Cut lengthwise along the ribs of the pepper into halves or thirds and discard seeds and any white pith. Oil lightly with olive or vegetable oil.

Grill: Lay peppers skin side down over hot coals or medium high fire and roast until moderately charred all over.

Oven: Lay peppers on a rimmed baking sheet skin side up and broil close to heat until moderately charred all over. Transfer to a plastic bowl with tight fitting lid and allow to rest for 15 minutes or so until cool enough to handle. Remove charred skin and cut flesh into strips or other shapes. Store, tightly covered, in refrigerator until ready to use.

Serving Tip: Arrange roasted peppers on a flat serving dish. Scatter feta cheese, black olives and capers over top. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with fresh or dried oregano and freshly ground pepper.

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French Picnic Tart with New Potatoes, Red Peppers, Sage, and Gruyere

1 10-inch unbaked tart crust (your favorite recipe or a frozen one from the store)

1 lb baby potatoes

1-2 tsp olive oil

1 large onion thinly sliced (2 cups)

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 c grated Gruyere cheese (1/4 lb)

2 tbsp minced fresh sage (or 2 tsp dried)

1/2 medium red bell pepper, finely sliced

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place potatoes in saucepan, cover with water, and boil. Cook for 10-15 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Heat oil in skillet, add onion and salt, and cook on low heat until onion is tender, about 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Spread one cup of cheese into bottom of unbaked crust. Spoon onion over the cheese, and sprinkle with sage.

When potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel (if desired) then slice thin. Arrange slices in overlapping concentric circles over cheese. Arrange bell pepper slices over potatoes in ring. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and black pepper to taste.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until crust is golden around edges. Remove tart from oven, and let tart cool for at least 10 minutes. Serve sliced into large wedges either hot, warm, or at room temperature depending on your taste and the temperature outside!

From Mollie Katzen’s Vegetable Heaven.

Roasted Tomato and Red Pepper Gazpacho

There are as many ways to make gazpacho as there are varieties of tomatoes …

2 1/2 lb tomatoes
2-3 lg red bell peppers, divided
2 med red onions, divided
1/4 c olive oil

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 c chopped parsley
1 1/2 c water, divided  

1 1/2 tbsp sherry vinegar
1/2 tsp hot pepper sauce

white pepper, optional

1/2 lg cucumber, peeled, seeded and finely chopped, about 1 cup
olive oil

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Core tomatoes and squeeze gently to remove some of the seeds.  Place tomatoes upright in a large roasting pan. Cut 2 1/2 peppers and 1 1/2 onions into 1-inch pieces and scatter around (but not on top of) tomatoes.  Drizzle 1/4 cup oil over vegetables and sprinkle with salt.  Roast vegetables, uncovered, until soft, about 45-60 minutes.  Puree half of vegetables and juices in pan with half of parsley in processor until smooth.  Add 1/2 cup water and process until very smooth.  Repeat with remaining vegetables, parsley and 1/2 cup water.  Cover and chill at least 6 hours or overnight.

Mix together remaining 1/2 cup water, vinegar and hot pepper sauce and stir into gazpacho.  Season to taste with salt and white pepper, if desired.

Finely chop remaining bell pepper and onion and combine with cucumber.  Top each serving with diced vegetables and drizzle with olive oil.

Serves 4.

Prep Tips: Any sweet pepper may be substituted for the red peppers.  White or red wine vinegar may be used instead of sherry vinegar, but you may want to add a pinch of sugar with the vinegar to offset the extra tartness.  Gazpacho is also good with a dollop of plain yogurt or sour cream and some chopped chives instead of the olive oil drizzle.

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Winter Squash and Roasted Red Pepper Soup
 

2-2 1/2 lb winter squash or pumpkin, peeled, seeded, cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 c water
2 bay leaves
4 c vegetable stock
2 tbsp olive oil
1 med onion, diced medium fine
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 lg red bell pepper, roasted, peeled, seeded, cut into large dice
1 tbsp dried thyme leaves
1 tsp salt, if stock is unsalted
freshly ground black pepper
2 dashes ground cayenne pepper

Simmer squash and bay leaves, covered, in a heavy-bottomed pot with water and stock.  Reduce heat and cook at a very low simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

In a small sauté pan, heat oil over medium heat.  Add onion and sauté for about 5 minutes.  Add garlic and cook another minute or so.  Stir in bell pepper, crumble in thyme leaves, and stir.  Transfer sautéed vegetables to the soup pot with squash.  Cook over low heat, covered, for 5 to 10 minutes.
 

Purée the soup in batches in a blender or food mill.  Return to the pot and season with salt, pepper, and cayenne.  Cover and heat gently for about 5 minutes.
 

Ladle soup into bowls and scatter a scant tablespoon of the garnish over each bowl, or pass it in a separate small bowl.

Pepita Parsley Garnish

1/2 c toasted and salted hulled pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
2 cloves garlic
1/4-1/3 c fresh parsley, tightly packed
3-4 tbsp olive oil

Combine pumpkin seeds, garlic, and parsley in food processor and pulse a few times.  Add 3 tablespoons of oil and pulse to blend, scraping down the sides.  If mixture seems too thick, add another tablespoon of oil or water.  Do not over process – the garnish should be coarse and have some texture.

Serves 6.

Prep Tips: Any winter squash or pumpkin may be used.  If you are not feeling ambitious, omit the garnish and sprinkle with toasted sunflower seeds instead.

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