Smoky Summer Pepper & Eggplant Salsa
This smoky salsa is a wonderful boost for burgers, sausages and more.
Ingredients:
4-6 Jimmy Nardello red peppers
1 Italian eggplant
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 shallots, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon freshly-squeezed lemon juice
1 small bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tablespoons freshly chopped dill
Method:
1. Roast the eggplant and the peppers directly over the flame of a gas burner, or put under a preheated broiler, turning frequently, until completely blackened and soft. Place in a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap and allow to sweat for about 10 minutes. Then, remove and peel off all blackened skin and discard. Remove stems and seeds from the peppers and chop finely; cut stem off eggplant and chop finely.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet, add shallots and garlic, and sauté for about 3 minutes until soft. Transfer to a large bowl and add the peppers, eggplant, the oil, sugar, salt, lemon juice, cilantro and dill, and mix well.
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Polenta with Chicken Italian Sausage & Sautéed Summer Vegetables
This creamy dish is bright with Italian flavors, courtesy of pungent mixed peppers and summer squash.
Ingredients:
Polenta
4 cups chicken stock
¼ cup water
4 links chicken Italian sausage
2 red Bell peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
1-2 Piment d’Espellete peppers, seeded and thinly sliced*
2 mixed summer squash, washed and thinly sliced
1 Walla Walla sweet onion, peeled and thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
Grated Grana-style cheese
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
*Depending on your heat preference, feel free to tweak the quantity of these smoky, slightly-spicy peppers to your liking.
Method:
1. Bring chicken stock and ¼ cup water to a simmer in a 3- to 4-quart heavy saucepan. Add polenta mix in a slow stream, whisking until incorporated. Simmer, stirring frequently with a long-handled whisk or wooden spoon, until liquid is absorbed and polenta is thick and soft, about 15-20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a skillet, cook sausages in a half inch of water until done and remove to a plate and keep warm. Discard cooking water. In the same skillet, add both varieties of peppers, summer squash, garlic and onions along with a drizzle of olive oil and turn heat up to high. Sauté vegetables, turning just occasionally until all just begin to blister and char. Add sausage, turning down heat, and continue cooking until the sausages are browned. Slice sausages diagonally in large slices to serve.
3. Remove polenta from heat and stir in Grana cheese, and salt and pepper to taste. Top with sausage and pepper mixture. Serve immediately.
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Fried Jimmy Nardello Peppers with Halloumi Cheese
Golden, gooey cheese nuggets are tossed with peppers and lemon for this flavorful starter.
Ingredients:
8 ounces halloumi cheese
2-3 Jimmy Nardello peppers
Juice from half of a lemon
2-4 tablespoons olive oil for frying
Pinch red pepper flakes
Fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Drain the halloumi and cut it into cubes, then pat cubes very dry with paper towels. Slice the peppers in half lengthwise and remove the stem and any seeds. If there are any large, thick ribs, remove them as well, then slice the peppers in half inch slices.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat, adding more as needed to evenly coat the bottom of the skillet. When hot, add the cubes of halloumi and peppers and cook for a few minutes without stirring, until the bottoms of cheese are well-browned, and peppers begin to char.
3. Flip the halloumi and peppers with a pairs of tongs. Once cheese is browned on both sides, remove to a paper-towel lined plate; continue to cook and toss the peppers until they are as soft and blackened as you’d like, about 5 minutes more.
4. Transfer the fried cheese and peppers to a bowl along with any oil in the pan. Grind black pepper over the cheese, add the red pepper flakes and the lemon juice. Stir well, and serve warm or at room temperature.
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Pan-Fried Peppers with Lemon & Garlic
Seasoned with slivered garlic, this Bon Appetit recipe is a favorite for enjoying fresh peppers.
Ingredients:
½ pound Jimmy Nardello peppers, or any combination of late summer peppers, left whole
¼ cup vegetable oil
¼ teaspoon coarse sea salt, plus more for serving
2 large garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Method:
1. Heat heavy large skillet over high heat. Add vegetable oil and swirl skillet to coat. Heat until oil is very hot and begins to shimmer, about 1 minute.
2. Add whole peppers and ¼ teaspoon coarse sea salt; stir constantly until peppers are blistered over half their surface, occasionally shaking skillet, about 2 minutes. Add thinly sliced garlic and continue to stir constantly until the peppers are blistered all over, about 2 minutes longer (some will be soft and some will be slightly firm, depending on size).
3. Transfer peppers to paper towels to drain briefly, then place in a medium serving bowl. Add 2 teaspoons lemon juice; sprinkle generously with additional coarse sea salt and toss to coat. Serve immediately.
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How-To: Dry Chili Peppers
Two simple ways to preserve these spicy peppers to use in recipes all winter long!
Ingredients:
Basque or any other thin-skinned chili peppers
Method:
Air-dry method: Wash your chili peppers thoroughly after picking to remove any dirt, then dry. Place on a plate or a wire rack in a dry, well ventilated room. You can also string the chilies up on string or thread and hang to dry. Within several weeks, you will have dried chili peppers and you can grind them up or use them as ornaments as desired.
Oven-dry method: Wash your chili peppers thoroughly after picking to remove any dirt. Cut them in half, lengthwise to expose the pepper innards. Arrange the chili peppers over a baking sheet. Bake at low heat, about 100°-135°. There is no set time to bake the chili peppers for drying. Keep an eye on them, turning every few minutes or so. You can leave the oven door cracked for some air flow. It will take several hours with this method. Keep in the oven until the moisture has been baked out of them. Use as desired!
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Roasted Ratatouille Toasts
A delightful spin on the classic stew, this time slathered on toasted bread as a starter!
Method:
1 heirloom tomato, roughly chopped
1 pint heirloom cherry tomatoes, some sliced in half, others left whole
½ eggplant, cut into ½-inch pieces
1 zucchini or summer squash, cut into ½-inch pieces
1 sweet pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 sweet onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
Pinch red pepper flakes
â…“ cup olive oil
2½ tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 loaf rustic bread or focaccia, sliced into ½-inch-thick slices
½ cup crumbled sheep’s milk feta or fresh ricotta
½ cup basil, thinly sliced
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 400°. In a large roasting pan, toss the tomatoes, eggplant, squash or zucchini, pepper, onion and garlic with red pepper flakes, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and a healthy pinch of salt and pepper. Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and lightly browned and the tomatoes have released their juices. Stir the vegetables halfway through cooking, and then toss again once they have been removed from the oven.
2. Remove the vegetables from the oven and increase the temperatures to a broil. Lightly brush each slice of bread or focaccia with olive oil. Place them on the upper rack of the oven and toast until lightly browned, 1-2 minutes.
3. Top each toast with a generous portion of the ratatouille mixture, and then add a little crumbled feta or dollop of ricotta on each. Garnish with the basil and season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
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Sweet & Spicy Pepper Relish
This amazing topping brings the sweet heat and is delicious spooned over scrambled duck eggs!
Ingredients:
3 cups chopped chile peppers, such as a combination of this week’s Anaheim, Jimmy Nardello and French sweet peppers
¾ cup white wine vinegar
½ cup sugar
2 cloves garlic, chopped
½ small onion chopped
2 teaspoons yellow mustard seed
Salt to taste
Method:
1. Add all ingredients to a large pan and heat to medium heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a light boil.
2. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 25-30 minutes, or until liquid is reduced and absorbed into the mixture.
3. Add to a jar and allow to cool before serving; it also keeps well in the fridge for about a month!
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Grilled Padrón Peppers
These small, slightly-sweet (but sometimes spicy!) peppers get an extra dose of smoky flavor courtesy of a quick sear on the grill.
Ingredients:
½ pound Padrón peppers, washed and thoroughly dried
1 tablespoon olive oil
Coarse sea salt, such as fleur de sel or Maldon
Method:
1. Heat a grill pan or outdoor grill to high (about 450° to 550°). Meanwhile, place the peppers in a medium bowl, add the olive oil, and toss to coat; set aside.
2. When the grill is ready, place the peppers on the grill in a single layer, making sure they’re not touching. Grill uncovered, turning occasionally, until the peppers start to char and blister, about 6 to 8 minutes total.
3. Remove to a serving plate, season immediately with the sea salt, and serve.
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How-To: Gatherer’s Gold Peppers
These sweet peppers are incredibly versatile, wonderful stuffed, incorporated into pasta sauces or served charred over breakfast potatoes as part of a hash. Here, we outline the traditional Italian method: fried in olive oil and topped with Parmesan cheese.
Ingredients:
4 Gatherer’s Gold peppers
2-4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Method:
1. Slice the peppers in half lengthwise and remove the stem and any seeds. If there are any large, thick ribs, remove them as well. Heat a large, seasoned cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until searingly hot. Reduce the heat to medium and add 2 tablespoons olive oil.
2. Add the peppers cut side down in a single layer. Cook without stirring or moving the peppers for 5 minutes, letting the steam build up under the peppers to soften. Flip the peppers with tongs and cook undisturbed for 5 minutes more, letting the skin of the peppers blister and char in the oil.
3. Continue to cook and flip until the peppers are as soft and blackened as you’d like, anywhere from 5-10 minutes more. Transfer the charred peppers to a plate and blanket generously with Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.
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Sautéed Frying Peppers & Onions with Roasted Potatoes
Tossed with onions and roasted potatoes, these peppers are just as wonderful for brunch as they are for dinner!
Ingredients:
4 Jimmy Nardello peppers
2 Cipollini onions
1 pound French fingerling potatoes
4-6 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
Method:
1. Slice the peppers in half lengthwise and remove the stem and any seeds. If there are any large, thick ribs, remove them as well. Peel and slice Cipollini onions into 1-inch chunks.
2. Heat a large, seasoned cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until searingly hot. Reduce the heat to medium and add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the peppers and onions in a single layer. Cook without stirring or moving for 5 minutes, letting the steam build up under the peppers to soften. Flip with tongs and cook undisturbed for 5 minutes more, letting both peppers and onions blister and char in the oil.
3. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400°. Wash fingerlings and slice into bite-sized chunks, then toss with 4 tablespoons olive oil, plus sea salt and fresh pepper to taste. Spread potatoes on sheet pan and roast for approximately 30-40 minutes, until cooked through and browned.
4. Add potatoes to skillet with peppers and onions. Season with salt and pepper if needed, serve hot.
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