Pick a pack of peppers

Peppers in all sizes, shapes and colors are flowing at high tide through farmers' markets right now, and at prices so low they're impossible to resist. You shouldn't. Peppers are vitamin dense, unique sources of mega vitamin C, vitamin E, and these six carotenoids: alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, lycopene, lutein, cryptoxanthin and zeaxanthin. Lycopene is supposed to be the magical nutrient in tomatoes.

A green pepper left on the vine will eventually become a red pepper the way a green tomato becomes a red one. That longer waiting time is what makes them more expensive the rest of the year. Just be sure you buy ones that still have crunch when you touch them. Roasted red peppers are what some people and some jar labels call pimentos. You can roast, grill or blister them on a gas burner, then pop them in a brown bag to burst their thin membrane so you can get it off. Roasted red pepper halves marinated in a garlicky olive oil for an hour or more, then lightly salted, are a traditional Italian antipasto. They are sensational with soft goat cheese on top or you can even wrap the pepper around the cheese and secure it with a toothpick. Roasted red peppers have huge affinity with corn and corn meal in all forms.

The dark almost black green Poblano pepper from Mexico has a smoky spiciness to it that really perks up many dishes and is traditionally the pepper used for chili relleno. It's best to roast or blister it, then put it hot in a brown bag to burst its thin membrane so you can remove it before cooking. You can add minced pieces to your cornbread batter to perk it up, and also add pieces of pimento for even more vivid color and taste. In fact, you can make memorable cornbread or muffins by including both those peppers plus a minced hot one and corn kernels.

You can also make a very memorable succotash right now by sauteeing in butter a small minced purple/red onion, a small red or green bell or a poblano pepper diced and a tsp dried oregano. When the onion is soft, stir in 2/3 cup cooked kidney or pinto beans and the corn kernels off 2 cobs. Season heavily with salt and freshly ground black pepper and cook until corn and beans are hot. Stir in a handful of freshly chopped cilantro leaves.

Here are a few basic ways to savor all the peppers you can get right now.

Piperade

This traditional Basque dish has endless uses, if not just eaten on its own. It can be put on pasta--particularly penne, or, as in Hungary, in rice with hot sausages added (Lezco). It's a terrific topper for scrambled eggs or a filling for omelets. It compliments grilled meat. I also like serving this colorful concoction beside a ham and grits souffle. This recipe is in Veggiyana, the Dharma of Cooking.

serves 4-6

1 large green bell pepper, washed and seeded

1 large red bell pepper, washed and seeded

1 yellow or orange bell pepper, washed and seeded

1 med-lg red onion, peeled

3 lg garlic cloves, peeled and minced

¼ tsp dried oregano leaves

1/8 tsp salt

3-4 tbsp olive oil

Fresh ground black pepper to your taste

Optional additions: 1 cup chopped tomatoes

1 small Poblano pepper (if you want some chili hotness) treated like the bell peppers

¼ cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley for garnish

Slice all the bell peppers into long thin strips. Optionally, you can julienne them into short, thin matchsticks.

Cut the onion into thin rings, then in half and break the rings apart into thin half moon pieces. (Cut in half again if you are making matchsticks out of the peppers so everything is uniform size.)

In a large sauté pan, heat the oil (use enough tbsp to thickly coat the entire bottom of the pan.  Add the garlic and oregano leaves and stir-fry over medium heat for 30 seconds.  Add the onion and sauté for another 30 seconds.

Add all the peppers, trying to keep them in a uniform direction. Continue cooking over medium to medium low heat until the pepper strips are soft but haven’t lost their bright colors. This will take 10-15 minutes. Add the salt and pepper. Remove from heat. (If you are using tomatoes, add them here and continue to sauté over medium low heat until they are mushy.) That's it.

Macedonian Bean Soup

Peppers perk up beans like nothing else so never hesitate to put them together like this recipe so fearlessly does.  
Serves 6

1 lb dried white beans (Great Northern, Kidney, navy, cannellini)

2 med/lg carrots, peeled and diced

2 stalks celery with leaves, diced

1 lg onion, peeled and diced

1/4 tsp freshly ground or cracked black pepper

1 tsp dried sage

3½ cups vegetable broth

3 red bell peppers, roasted and peeled

2 yellow or orange bell peppers, roasted and peeled

2 tbsp red wine vinegar (Balsamic is too strong)

5-6 tbsp olive oil

18-20 pitted Kalamata olives, slivered

Salt to your taste

1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

 Pick over the beans. Soak in enough water to cover and refrigerate overnight.

Roast the peppers. Remove stems, skin membrane and seeds. Chop into small ¼” cubes.  Combine peppers, vinegar and 1 tbsp olive oil in a glass or ceramic small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Drain the beans. Put in a large pan, cover well with cold water and bring to a boil.

Boil for 5 minutes. Drain well.

In a large, heavy gauge pot, heat enough olive oil 4-5 tbsp to cover the bottom.

Add carrots, celery, onion, black pepper and sage. Sauté on low heat for 2 minutes or until vegetables are soft. Stir in the beans. Add broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1½ hours until beans are tender

Drain peppers. Add peppers and olives to the warm soup. Add salt to your taste and finally add the lemon juice. Serve immediately.

Shakshuka

This unique Palestinian/Israeli/Levantine homecooking dish, piles on the peppers to make a rich, lipsmacking tomato sauce in which to poach eggs. A perfect brunch, lunch, midnight supper. You can hold the sauce a day or two until you're ready for the eggs. There are as many ways to make this as Middle Eastern housewives who do. This is simply my simplified version.

Serves 4

3 tbsp fruity olive oil

3 lg garlic cloves, minced

1 lg red onion, diced

1 med green bell pepper, seeded and chunked

1 sm yellow bell pepper, seeded and chunked

1-2 hot chili peppers like Serrano or real jalapeno, seeded and minced

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

½ tsp caraway seeds, smashed or ground

1-2 tsp smoked paprika

¼ tsp dried mint leaves

¼ tsp turmeric

¼ tsp ground cayenne or arbol chili powder

pinch ground cinnamon

1 tsp wine/balsamic vinegar

½ tsp honey

1 tsp tomato paste

2-3 cups chopped tomatoes in their juice

salt

black pepper to taste

8 eggs

1 bunch fresh cilantro, stemmed, washed and chopped for garnish

optional add ons: feta cheese, pitted black kalamata olives, chopped spinach

In a large heavy-gauge sauté pan that has a lid, heat olive oil. Sauté onions, bell and chili peppers and garlic over medium heat til soft, about 5 minutes.  Add the spices—cumin through cinnamon—and heat until fragrant, maybe 60-90 seconds.

Stir in vinegar, tomato paste, honey and tomatoes.  Season with salt and pepper.

Cook until the sauce thickens, maybe 10-12 minutes depending on how juicy the tomatoes were.  Taste for flavor and add seasonings to your taste.

Get the sauce very hot and bubbly over medium heat and have the pan lid handy.  Carefully create 8 small pockets in the sauce and crack an egg into each one. Try to nudge a little sauce into the eggwhites.  Cover and continue cooking to poach the eggs to your liking.

Uncover the pan. Add the optionals you desire. Let them heat up 1 minute. Remove pan from heat. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve right out of the pan.

Red Pepper Sauce

Better than ketchup on burgers and steak, great on spaghetti instead of tomato sauce, a tasty smear for corn on the cob, zesty topping for baked potatoes, change of pace pizza sauce with or without ricotta cheese blended in, omelet filling, dip for deep fried winter squash wedges or coating for steamed cauliflower...there's nothing this doesn't enhance. And it freezes so you enjoy it in February. This recipe is in How to Fix a Leek....the book.

 Makes 1 cup

2 tbsp olive oil                           3 lg or 4 med/sm red bell peppers, cored and seeded

4 garlic cloves, sliced                1 mildly hot pepper (Poblano, jalapeno)

½ tsp dried oregano                  2 tbsp fresh basil OR coriander (your taste)

1 tbsp wine vinegar                   1/8 tsp salt

Slice red peppers into thin strips. Dice hot pepper. Chop the herb. Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add bell peppers, garlic and oregano. Sauté 15 minutes on medium low heat. Stir in vinegar, hot pepper and salt. Sauté 10 minutes. Stir in the herb. Simmer 5 minutes. Purée in a blender or processor.