Many Peppers: one recipe, infinite uses

Now is the time for peppers. Every color, flavor, heat and shape. Markets are loaded and peppers are cheap. So now is the time!

Possibly  the most masterful way to show off this gorgeous bounty and get maximum return for your investment is the basic Basque dish known as piperade. It's essentially a sauté of slivered multicolored peppers adorned with onion, oregano and garlic.  Tomatoes are optional.

What comes out of the pan can be frozen to release all its vitamin C in the middle of winter.  And I recommend this: in airtight plastic containers.   But right now there are so many ways to enjoy  this colorful melange, you might not have much left.  Make as much as you can because it's so easy and rewarding.

There is no inflexible must-do recipe.  You just need  a good eye for color. Buy as many different colored peppers as your farmers' market supplies (red, orange, yellow, green bell, dark green poblano, purple, ivory). Add one or two (depending on how much you are making) medium hot  peppers  like Hungarian hot wax or Anaheim or Fresno or the hotter  smaller Serrano.   Get a purple/red onion or two and some cloves of garlic. You're on your way!

Wash the peppers. Half each and remove the stem, seeds and pith lines.  Then slice each lengthwise into thin strips (under 1/4").   Peel the onion(s), slice into very thin disks, then halve the disks.  Smash the garlic cloves (you'll need two for every four peppers) and slice as thin as you can.

 Heavily coat a large sauté pan with olive oil.  Warm over medium heat.  Toss in 1 tsp dried oregano for every 4 peppers .  Toss in the onion and sauté 3-5 minutes until it starts to soften.  Add the sliced peppers (ideally all in the same direction) and garlic. Season with salt to your taste (at least 1/4tsp). Sauté over med/low heat until the peppers are soft, 15-20 minutes.  Stir to blend . If you want tomatoes add now and cook another 2-3 minutes.

That's it! Now you can cool and freeze some. Or/And here's what else you can do to make your life easy:

*Put them back in a sauté pan with a bit of olive oil so they don't stick and add paella rice, vegetable broth and a pinch of saffron plus a pinch of salt to make a vegetable paella. This is a good time to add tomatoes.

piperade paella

*Put olive oil in the sauté pan, brown some hot sausage in it, add the peppers  (be sure for this dish you have at least one medium hot one in the mix) and add rice with broth to make Hungarian lescko, which you serve with a cucumber salad. 

*Prepare to make an omelet or frittata and use the piperade as filling. Cheddar or jack cheese can replace mozzarella .

*Get yourself pizza dough. Line it with a thick layer of ricotta. Sprinkle with fresh lemon juice. Arrange a layer of peppers on top. Sprinkle on 1 tbsp drained capers and a tbsp  chopped pitted black olives.  When it comes out of the oven, toss on some very finely chopped flat leaf parsley and serve.

*Make yourself a mound of cheesy polenta or better yet a grit souffle. Top either with the piperade.
 
*Grill steak of any sort.  Serve with the piperade into which you stir 2 tbsp chopped fresh flat leaf parsley and a drop of balsamic vinegar.   Ditto for a hamburger.   

*Cook up some linguine or penne and toss the warmed piperade on (tomatoes welcome here) with a handful of chopped fresh basil leaves and a mass of grated parmesan cheese.   

If you've overdone it and can't freeze more, don't worry. Just put the remains in a food processor with a bit more garlic, a handful of chopped fresh cilantro leaves, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, and some drained white cannellini (kidney) beans. Puree into a thick hummus like paste.  Now you have a picture perfect dip or spread. 

Use your imagination. Piperade is versatile and now is the best time of yeat to make it.