Yummy Peppers

To me, having written these columns now for a dozen years or so (Yikes!), peppers seem to come into the pick up room with virtually no fanfare or celebration - tomatoes and fresh garlic get all the attention. But peppers are delicious, nutritious and pretty. They are typically added to dishes rather than being the star. Hopefully this year's crop will be plentiful and long lasting because peppers are very versatile. Take a look at this site and you will see several interesting recipes: Eggplant Dip with Roasted Red Peppers, Pepper Puree, several versions of Roasted Red Peppers, and more. Every year I make several batches of Roasted Red Peppers, usually with garlic, olive oil and a splash of balsamic vinegar. They keep well in the fridge and I use them in sandwiches, as a bruschetta, and mixed into salads with other hearty ingredients. Last year, fellow member Carolyn Lyday sent me an email about Pepper Puree, opening my eyes to new uses for this veggie. The puree keeps well and can even be frozen, giving meals in the middle of winter a nice fresh taste.

Store peppers in plastic in your fridge for best keeping. They will keep for at least 10 days.

I wanted to find a recipe in which peppers take center stage - so I searched and found Grilled Pepper and Torn Mozzarella Panzanella. Panzanella is simply a bread salad - I often have parts of delicious, rustic breads from the farmers market left over and this is a great way to use them. Most panzanellas are made with tomatoes, but I decided to try this one. I hope you like it. Send your ideas to me at lindadansbury@comcast.net