Peaches and berries will soon give way to apples and Brussels sprouts at the Arbutus Farmers Market. But I was happily surprised last week with an array of peppers at Stoecker Farms stall. The stock included bell peppers, the Christmas ornaments of the vegetable world with their beautifully shaped glossy greens, reds and yellow. There were also harder to find varieties like chilis and habaneras.
Of course the focus of chilis is always the heat. There is even a scale for measuring chili heat: The Scoville scale is broken down into Scoville heat units (SHU, of course) which measures the level of capascim (the chemical that produces a burning sensation) in a pepper. Habaneras are on the upper echelon of the scale, and on the other end, bell peppers which have no significant heat.
How about a few facts on chilies:
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- If you just bite the tip of a very hot chili pepper and not into the vein, you will not get any heat.
- Chili peppers and bell peppers are the exact same genus and species.
- The heat in chili peppers is not detected by birds.
- Chili pepper is used to feed flamingos in zoos to keep them pink!
- Chemicals from peppers are put in paints to put on boats to keep barnacles from attaching to the sides.
A few quick serving ideas for Bell peppers:
Add finely chopped bell peppers to tuna or chicken salad.
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Sauté chopped peppers, celery, and onions and combine with chicken or seafood to make a simple Louisiana Creole.
Puree roasted and peeled peppers with sautéed onions and zucchini to make a refreshing soup that can be served hot or cold.
Bell peppers are one of the best vegetables to serve in a crudités platter, as they add color, and are great for scooping up dip.
How to Roast Fresh Chili Peppers
Preheat the broiler of your oven. Wash and dry the chili peppers. Place peppers on a baking sheet; broil 3 to 5 minutes on each side until blackened. Remove from the oven. Place hot peppers in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let it steam for 10 minutes. Peel off the charred skin from the pepper, remove stems and seeds.
A few uses for roasted Chili peppers:
Dice and mix with scrambled eggs and cheese.
Mix into your favorite salsa recipe.
Use with fresh tomatoes in a grilled cheese sandwich.
Stir into soups, stews, and pasta sauces.
Add to meatloaf and sloppy Joes.
As always, find a few more recipes here
Now for the FREE part! The Arbutus Farmers Market bags are in! Ask your favorite vendor for one when you spend $10 at the market. Remember we accept debit and credit cards. Come to the Market Tent, (next to the maple syrup) for your market tokens, good at any Market vendor. And get a free Arbutus Farmers Market tote bag.