Peppers

Capsicum annuum

Even if they weren’t edible, humans might cultivate peppers just for their beautiful colors and shapes. But happily this is not the case, and peppers of all kinds—sweet and hot—add taste, texture, color, and a little (or a lot) of zip to our gustatory lives.

All peppers are members of the genus Solanaceae, the same family as tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants, tobacco, and deadly nightshade. The pepper family is a vast one, with literally thousands of varieties, many of them spicy ones. Bell peppers simply refer to a subset of capsicums whose fruits are typically bell-shaped and taste sweet, with none of the sharp bite that characterizes their spicy cousins.

All bell peppers start out green and slowly change to red, yellow, or orange as they mature, depending on the variety, so do not be surprised if the peppers in your CSA box are “blushing.” As their color changes, they become milder and sweeter. Most CSA farms grow a mix of red, yellow, and green bell peppers. Another variety may be lurking in your box as well—the apple pepper, which is a small, heart-shaped, sweet red pepper with fleshy walls.

History

Peppers originated in South and Central America, where they have been a part of the human diet for over 7,500 years—and domesticated nearly as long. Dried peppers have been found in Incan tombs, and it is thought that chile peppers were one of the first cultivated crops on that continent. Christopher Columbus brought peppers back to Europe, and Spanish and Portuguese trade routes quickly spread both sweet and hot peppers to the Philippines, India, and the rest of Asia.

Nutrition

Bell (sweet) peppers are outstanding sources of vitamin C (a 1-cup serving contains 300 percent of the adult daily requirement) and vitamin A. They also contain significant amounts of vitamin B6, folate, vitamin K, and dietary fiber. Red, yellow, and orange bell peppers are higher in vitamins A and C than green ones, since their color comes from antioxidant compounds called beta-carotenes. Red peppers are one of the few vegetable sources of lycopene, which may help prevent prostate and bladder cancers.

Season

Commercially, bell peppers are widely grown and in season year-round. But all peppers are heat-loving plants, and although they are available year-round in supermarkets, their best season is mid to late summer and early fall.

Selection

Choose bell peppers that are heavy for their size and firm all over, with no soft spots, bruises, or signs of shriveling or decay. Red bell peppers are just green bells that are fully ripened; the redder the pepper, the sweeter it is.

Storage

Store peppers unwashed in the refrigerator in a perforated plastic bag in the vegetable crisper, where they will keep for a few days. If you’re storing a pepper that’s been cut open, just let it lie loose, cut side up, in your vegetable drawer (if it’s bagged, the edges will quickly turn slimy).

Trimming and Cleaning

Wash peppers well before cutting. Supermarket peppers may be covered with a fine coating of food-grade wax; be sure to scrub these well. To prepare, cut around the stem and gently lift this “cap” out; most of the pepper’s seeds are attached to this inside stem end and will be removed this way. Then reach inside and clean out any stray seeds and white inner ribs.

Steaming and Boiling

Bell peppers can be steamed whole or in strips. Place whole peppers in a steamer basket or pan above boiling water and steam for 10 minutes; strips will be done in about 5 minutes. Boiling is not recommended for bell peppers, since this makes them watery.

Stir-Frying and Sautéing

Bell peppers love the wok or sauté pan: Slice them into rings or strips, and stir-fry or sauté them in a little butter or oil, either by themselves or with other vegetables, for 2 to 4 minutes. Great stir-fry accompaniments for bell peppers include onions, leeks, snow peas, tomatoes, green beans, cabbage, mustard greens, or tiny broccoli or cauliflower florets.

Baking and Roasting

Bell peppers respond well to oven baking, although for stuffed-pepper preparations, bells benefit from a parboiling in salted water for 5 minutes before baking. Bake at 400°F for about 20 minutes, or until the peppers are soft but not collapsing. For nonstuffed-pepper recipes, cut the peppers into 1½- to 2-inch chunks, combine them with other vegetables and ingredients if desired (like onions and potatoes), and bake for 20 to 30 minutes at 425°F, or 40 minutes at 375°F.

Roasting peppers caramelizes their natural sugars, making them sweeter and more complex. To roast on the grill, halve or quarter them, depending on their size, remove their seeds and ribs, and brush the pieces with olive oil. Place the peppers directly on the grill on medium heat, and cook for 6 to 10 minutes, turning them over at least once during the cooking time. When done, the peppers should be browned but still somewhat crisp. Or you can roast whole peppers in the oven at 400°F for 40 minutes, turning at least once, until the skins are well charred.

Once they have finished roasting, place the peppers in a large bowl, seal the bowl tightly with plastic wrap, and let them stand for about 20 minutes. The trapped steam within the bowl will loosen the skins from the peppers. Then cut the peppers open and remove the ribs, seeds, stems, and skins. Now they are ready for use in dishes calling for roasted peppers.

Microwaving

Microwave stuffed bell peppers (fillings should be precooked) over high power for about 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the size of the pepper. Pepper chunks can be microwaved in a little liquid on high power for 6 to 8 minutes, or until tender-crisp.

Blanching and Freezing

Blanch peppers if you want to use them in heated dishes; for uncooked preparations, don’t blanch if you want a more crispy texture. To blanch, wash the peppers and remove their seeds. Blanch halved peppers in boiling water for 3 minutes; sliced or diced ones for 2 minutes. Then plunge them into ice water for 5 minutes to stop the cooking process. Remove and drain. Pack in zipper-lock freezer or vacuum food sealer-type bags, or freezer containers. Squeeze out any excess air and leave ½ inch of headspace (unless you are using the vacuum sealing method). Frozen peppers will keep for up to 12 months at 0°F.

Equivalents, Measures, and Servings

• 1 large bell pepper = 1 cup chopped
• 3 medium bell peppers = about 1 pound = 2 cups chopped

Complementary Herbs, Seasonings, and Foods

Anchovies, anise, basil, cheese, chiles, coriander, corn, crab, cumin, eggplants, fennel, fish, garlic, ginger, goat cheese, green beans, lemons, lobster, marjoram, olive oil, onions, parsley, pasta, pork, potatoes, rice, saffron, sausage, sesame, smoked salt, soy sauce, summer squash, tamari, tomatoes, veal, vinegar, winter squash.

Serving Suggestions

• Thinly slice fresh bell peppers into rings or strips and serve with a favorite dressing as a dip. Kids especially love sweet red and orange bell peppers.
• Roasted peppers, although they are a bit time-consuming to prepare, instantly enrich any dish with their rich, sweet flavors.
• Make salsa! Fresh bell peppers give a wonderful flavor without adding heat—a good option for children.
• Dice bell peppers to use in fajitas, tacos, and other Mexican dishes.
• Bell peppers are wonderful stewed or cooked in sauces, and have a wonderful affinity for rich meats like sausage, veal, and steak.
• Add roasted or sautéed bell peppers to your favorite pasta dish.
• Grill bell peppers that have been marinated in olive oil, garlic, and herbs.
• Add chunks of bell pepper, onion, and tomatoes to kebabs.
• Combine bell peppers with other vegetables (broccoli, onions, greens, mushrooms, cabbage, tomatoes, carrots) for tasty, colorful stir-fries.
• That old classic, stuffed peppers, can be livened up from its traditional ground-beef-and-rice filling with different ingredients, like cooked cracked wheat berries, sliced jalapeños, barbecued chicken, sweet onions, eggplant, breadcrumbs, deep-fried parsley sprigs, miniature meatballs…
• Thinly slice bell peppers and add them to sandwiches as a substitute for lettuce. (Great with onions and cucumbers!)
• For a crunchy texture and distinctive flavor, add finely chopped bell peppers to tuna, ham, chicken, or egg salad.

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Stuffed Bell Peppers

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour

2 Bell peppers
¾ lb of ground beef (or meat of your choice)
2 tablespoons of soy sauce
½ a medium onion -minced
2 stalks of green onion – minced
2 cloves of garlic – minced well
1 teaspoon of black pepper
1 whole egg
¼ of cup of chicken stock – keeps meat moist

1. Cut the top of the bell pepper and stick them into the boiling water for about 3 minutes. Peppers should still be firm to the touch since they will finish cooking in the oven with the ground beef.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. While peppers are boiling, combine the rest of the ingredients into a bowl.
4. Pour a little of the boiling water into the baking dish.
5. Remove peppers from the water and place them into a baking dish. The water should cover the bottom quarter of the bell peppers.
6. Stuff the peppers with the meat-mixture.
7. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the meat is fully cooked.
8. Serve with rice or steam vegetables.

— kathynomnom.blogspot.com

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Veggie-Stuffed Bell Peppers

Serves 6

3 small Asian eggplants, unpeeled and thinly sliced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 bell peppers (any color)
4 to 5 medium potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
3 small summer squashes, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ medium leek, finely sliced
1 small jalapeño pepper, minced
2 tablespoons mixed fresh herbs, finely chopped
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
Salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Place the sliced eggplant in a strainer or colander. Toss it with the kosher salt and let it sit for 10 minutes to draw out its moisture.
2. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375°F. Cut the peppers in half lengthwise and remove the seeds and inner white ribs. Place the halves on a foil-lined baking dish that is thinly coated with olive oil.
3. Rinse the salt off the eggplant and pat it dry with a towel. Chop the eggplant, potatoes, and squash very small, keeping each vegetable separate from the others; try to make them all similar in size so that the stuffing blends well and cooks evenly.
4. Over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and heat for a minute. Add the garlic and leek and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes, then add the potatoes. After 3 minutes, add the eggplant, squash, and jalapeño pepper, stirring frequently until the vegetables are soft but not mushy. Turn off the heat and add the herbs, breadcrumbs, ¼ cup of the Parmesan cheese, and salt and pepper to taste.
5. Stuff the peppers with the vegetable mixture and place them in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes. A few minutes before they are done, sprinkle the remaining Parmesan cheese over the top. Enjoy!

— Sang Lee Farms, Peconic, New York

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Ratatouille Niçoise

Serves 4

Source Note: In this recipe, quantities depend on what you have, and varying the proportions doesn’t matter—it is great no matter what!

1 onion, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 eggplant, cut into thin rounds, each slice quartered
1 medium zucchini, sliced
1 large tomato, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
Handful of fresh basil, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. In a large saucepan, sauté the onion over medium heat in the olive oil until it turns translucent. Add the chopped garlic and sauté briefly.
2. Add the eggplant, then the zucchini and tomato, and finally the green bell pepper. Add the basil and season the mixture to taste with salt and pepper. Simmer until the liquid given off by the vegetables has mostly evaporated. Serve warm or at room temperature, adding an additional swirl of olive oil on top if you’d like, with crusty bread.

Variation: You can also put some ratatouille in the bottom of a baking pan, make indentations in the vegetables, and then crack an egg into each indentation. Bake in a 350°F oven for about 15 minutes, or until the eggs are cooked to your taste. Then sprinkle grated cheese (you could use Parmesan, mozzarella, or Fontina) over all of this—the benefits of the veggies far outweigh the fat in the cheese!

— Margaret Houston, Featherstone Farm CSA member

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Vegetarian Paella with Brown Rice

Serves 6

Source Note: If you’d like to make a more traditional paella, switch to shortgrain white rice and add several pinches of saffron threads.

1½ tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
½ teaspoon paprika
1½ cups long-grain brown rice, uncooked
3¾ cups low-sodium vegetable broth
¾ cup dry white wine
1 (14-ounce) can tomatoes, chopped, with juice
1 tablespoon tomato paste
½ tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon, or ½ teaspoon
dried tarragon
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil, or 1 teaspoon dried basil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano, or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 red bell pepper, roughly chopped
1 green bell pepper, roughly chopped
3 ribs celery, finely chopped
3 cups mushrooms, washed and sliced
½ cup snow pea pods
⅔ cup frozen peas, thawed
⅓ cup cashew nut pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet, and sauté the onions and garlic over medium heat until they become soft.
2. Add the paprika and rice and continue to cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the rice becomes transparent. Stir occasionally.
3. Add the broth, wine, tomatoes, tomato paste, and herbs. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.
4. Add the peppers, celery, mushrooms, and pea pods. Continue to cook for another 30 minutes, or until the rice is cooked through.
5. Add the peas, cashews, salt, and pepper to taste. Heat through and place on a large heated serving dish.

Nonvegetarian Variation: Add chopped country ham, clams, mussels, cooked shrimp, chunks of crab, lobster, andouille or chorizo sausage, or rabbit.

— Produce for Better Health; Fruits & Veggies—More Matters; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

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Spicy Roasted Vegetable Soup

Serves 8 to 10

1 medium eggplant, cut into 1-inch dice
2 red or green bell peppers, cut into 1-inch dice
2 large sweet onions, cut into 1-inch dice
3 large carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch slices
1 medium zucchini, cut into ½-inch slices
1 head garlic, peeled, cloves minced
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into ½-inch dice (or substitute winter squash)
¼ cup olive oil
½ pint cherry tomatoes, or 1 cup diced tomato
1 tablespoon ground cumin seed
1 tablespoon ground coriander seed
1 tablespoon fennel seed
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
¼ cup tamari sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar or honey
3 tablespoons tomato paste
3 tablespoons dried currants
12 cups vegetable stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. In a large roasting pan or Dutch oven, toss the eggplant, peppers, onions, carrots, zucchini, garlic, and sweet potatoes with the olive oil. (If you have enough oven space, you may wish to divide the mixed veggies into two portions and spread them onto 2 baking sheets or roasting pans.) Bake for 30 minutes, stirring a few times, until the vegetables start to brown.
3. Remove the vegetables from the oven and place them in a large stockpot. Add all of the remaining ingredients and stir gently to combine. Place the pot over medium-high heat and bring to a boil; quickly lower the heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Add additional salt and pepper to taste.

— Colleen Wolner, Blue Heron Coffeehouse, Winona, Minnesota

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Harissa

Makes 1 cup

Author Note: Traditionally, this piquant red pepper sauce developed as an accompaniment and flavor enhancer to North African stews and couscous dishes. It can make any such warm, complex dish burst with flavor. It also makes a lively spread for sandwiches and a killer addition to hummus.

This recipe features sweet red bell peppers over hot peppers, a departure from authentic North African harissa. But feel free to bump up the amount of red pepper flakes to suit your need for fire.

2 to 3 whole roasted red bell peppers, skin and seeds removed, or 1 cup roasted red bell peppers from a jar
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil (see Variation note below)
1 or more teaspoons red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
¾ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground coriander

Combine all the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor or blender. Puree, pausing to scrape down the sides as necessary, until the mixture is very smooth. Transfer the harissa to a bowl and store it, covered, in the refrigerator for up to one week. If you can, bring it to room temperature before serving—it will have more flavor that way, and the cold sauce won’t cool down hot foods.

Variation: Nuts go so well with roasted red peppers that your harissa can be enhanced by using part nut oil in this recipe. For example, use 2 tablespoons hazelnut or walnut oil, plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil to equal the ¼ cup olive oil.

— Lisa Gordanier (Adapted from Pure Beef by Lynne Curry)

From Bounty from the Box: The CSA Farm Cookbook, by Mi Ae Lipe