We had bell peppers in the last share, and I mentioned that it would likely be the last of the season. I am much more confidence that these are finally the last. Bell peppers have been the one variety of peppers that Nichols was able to salvage this year as the rest of the varieties that normally fill the shares did not far so well due to the rain we experienced in July. We are grateful for these peppers nonetheless.
This week the peppers are these cute little ones, likely the last hoorah of the season for peppers.
Recently I’ve been opting to lightly blister peppers before chopping them to add to a salad, pasta, or vegetable medley. I lightly toss them in oil and then use high heat from either the grill or broiler to char slightly while softening the peppers without going all the way to mush.
In the last share, we cut the bell peppers. I don’t like to do this since the peppers need to be used sooner then. But the peppers in the shares were so big we had to for half shares. These ones are the same, but a lot smaller so we left them whole for you all to use at your leisure.
These were some of the biggest bell peppers I’ve ever seen. Because of that we went ahead and sliced them for you. This way they are more compact in the refrigerator, easy to snack on (they’re super sweet with fruity notes, so highly recommended), or one cut away from a dice for cooking with.
The GOAT of spicy peppers. These jalapeños were actually a surprise in the shares as Nichols had only listed bell peppers. Nick, the account manager for Nichols did say that due to all the rain, the word of the week is “mud.” I wonder if parts of the field are difficult to get to at the moment. I won’t complain about the jalapeños though.
From On Food and Cooking by Harold McGee:
“In the United States, pungent capsicum fruits are generally called ‘peppers,’ or ‘hot peppers,’ terms that stem from the early Spanish identification of capsicum with black-pepper pungency. The native Nahuatl word was ‘chilli,’ which gave rise to Spanish ‘chile,’ and in turn to American ‘chili’ (both a capsicum-flavored stew and the powder used to make it).”
These are a fun variety of bell peppers. They have a thin purple skin with white flesh. It tastes more like a red bell pepper than a green one with fruity notes rather than grassy/vegetal. The purple color comes from anthocyanins which are water soluble so the color fade when you cook them.
An interesting consequence of the way we have CSA Club setup is that this is the first time you all (B group) have received bell peppers while A group got them three shares in a row.
The Oranos are the bright orange and are extraordinarily sweet with a zesty flavor. The Gypsys are the red and yellow, and have a more fruity flavor similar to fresnos (no heat though).
We’re always thinking about the balance between making things convenient for all, and making sure items last as long as possible. This week we opted to just leave the bell peppers whole to give you all some more time before you have to get around to using them.
As all peppers do when left to ripen long enough, the shishitos are a vibrant red. The surprise spicy ones are still there (and maybe a bit more spicy), but majority are not spicy, just sweet and fruity.
A mix of mini varieties of sweet peppers. There’s adorable yellow mini bell peppers, and orange lunchbox peppers.
Nichol’s refers to these banana peppers as ‘hot’ but out of all ones I’ve tried so far this season, I have yet to pick up on any heat. But maybe that’s just me (my disclaimer incase you find a hot one). Some of these have started to turn red as most peppers do if left on the vine long enough. The more red, the more fruity the flavor, while the more yellow ones have that characteristic flavor you might recognize from pickled banana peppers often on generic pizza-place salads.
These peppers look like they would be spicy, but aren’t. A fun range of green to red, melrose peppers have a lighter flavor. Thin skinned, they’re great for grilling or roasting whole.
These are a fun variety of bell peppers. They have a thin purple skin with white flesh. It tastes more like a red bell pepper than a green one with fruity notes rather than grassy/vegetal. I went ahead and cut these into strips to make them easy to snack on or one cut away from a dice for cooking with (the purple color comes from anthocyanins which are water soluble so you’ll notice the color fade when you cook them).
Poblanos are a slightly spicy variety of chile pepper. They have a smoky, meaty flavor that does really well with cheese. We left them whole since the size of them makes them nice for grilling or stuffing.
Blistered shishito peppers are one of my favorite quick dishes. Quickly sauté/roast in a ripping hot pan/oven, and season (maybe with some green garlic salt) and your set. I will warn that while most of the shishitos will be mild, every now and then there is a spicy one. Its like playing hot-pepper-roulette.
A different variety of bell pepper than what was in the last share. This bell pepper is orange skinned, sweet, and fruity.
Blistered shishito peppers are one of my favorite quick dishes. Quickly sauté/roast in a ripping hot pan/oven, and season (maybe with some green garlic salt) and your set. Be careful though; most of the shishitos will be mild but every now and then there is a spicy one. Its like playing hot-pepper-roulette.
Similar to the Melrose peppers in the previous share, these peppers look like spicy, but aren’t. They’re skinnier and taste intensely fruity. With how long and thin they are, they do well being cooked whole and with high heat (grilling or broiling).
