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!
Soup’s On Recipes
What a wet spring it has been so far: Rid yourself of the rainy day blues this week with our hearty housemade chicken posole soup crafted with Bella Luna chicken stock, chili peppers and hominy, plus sun-dried tomato Pomodoro bread and all the fixings for a bright Cara Cara orange and honey-lime salad to serve alongside. The week’s provisions also include spring produce such as cauliflower, radishes and golden beets, Portuguese white wine and a decadent dark chocolate and sea salt bar to enjoy for dessert. Enjoy!
Here are some recipe ideas for the week:
Cara Cara Orange Salad with Honey-Lime Vinaigrette
This crisp, citrus-kissed salad is both bold in flavor and beautiful in presentation.
Buttered Radishes with Poached Eggs
Tender radishes and shallots are topped with a silky poached egg for the perfect finish.
Cauliflower Purée
This creamy side dish from Martha Stewart is an excellent alternative to traditional mashed potatoes.
Herb-Roasted Cauliflower
Seasoned with parsley, garlic and lemon, this incredibly-easy cauliflower recipe is a keeper.
Roasted Golden Beet & Carrot Dip
This beautiful spread is delicious slathered on toasted bread.
Braised Radishes with Shallots
Tender and juicy, these beautiful radishes are accented by fresh parsley and balsamic vinegar.
Rainy Day Comforts Recipes
Stave off the rainy day blues this week with a lineup of warm-and-wonderful fall pairings—rich, flavorful roasted squash soup with freshly-grated Grana cheese, toasted Pain au Levain bread and herb compound butter, and baked fruit crisp, fragrant with a cinnamon-pecan topping. Complemented by a French red wine and seasonal produce including Brussels sprouts, Shiitake mushrooms and the last of the season’s Chile peppers for frying, this cozy meal begs to be eaten fireside, tucked in your favorite chair, with the drip-drop-drip of rain falling outside.
Here are a few recipe ideas for the week:
Pan-Fried Chile Peppers with Sea Salt
Rich and sweet with just a hint of spice, Chile peppers are delicious blistered in a cast-iron skillet and then sprinkled with sea salt.
Roasted Squash Seeds
Pumpkins aren’t the only fall squash with delicious seeds to roast: Butternut, Red Kuri Kabocha and many others have seeds worthy of crisping up in a hot oven.
Baked Winter Squash with Sage
Roasted inverted on the pan, savory Red Kuri Kabocha squash is amplified by a stuffing of fresh herbs and onions.
Garlic Butter-Roasted Shiitake Mushrooms
Roasted with capers and garlic, this simple mushroom dish is a real show-stopper.
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Buttered Breadcrumbs
Topped with buttery, golden brown breadcrumbs, these Brussels sprouts are the epitome of comfort food.
Fall Fruit Crisp
Delicious with, apples, pears or a combination of both: Simply toss the fruit with cornstarch and sugar, then sprinkle with the topping from this week’s box.
