It was a good year to be a vegetable gardener in central Illinois. An early start in the spring rolled right on into a hot but not too dry summer, perfect for growing whopper tomatoes, peppers and zucchini. In my garden, branches on the bell pepper plants are so overloaded I've twice had to replace bamboo stakes that snapped under the weight of their heavy fruit. A bed of mislabeled mystery peppers turned out to be very productive banana peppers. They have made their way onto countless salads, pizzas and sandwiches.
There have been many years when I've struggled to ripen a good crop of tomatoes or, as in this past season, when squash bugs decimated multiple plantings of cucumbers. Peppers, however, seem to consistently thrive in my raised beds. In cooler years the large peppers may not fully ripen into a colorful hue, but there's usually a bounty of crisp green bell peppers and fiery jalapenos to work with.
Making pickled peppers is likely the fastest and most versatile way to use up hot and frying type peppers such as banana and jalapeno. Pack whole, sliced or diced peppers into a clean glass jar and cover with a steaming hot solution of six cups white or apple cider vinegar (5% acidity), two cups vinegar and one tablespoon each sugar and pickling salt. Additional ingredients such as sliced onions, whole cloves of garlic and whole pickling spices like cumin, allspice and peppercorns can be added as desired. The pickled peppers can be processed in a water bath or allowed to cool to room temperature before being stored in the refrigerator, where they'll keep for several weeks.
Hot pepper honey mustard
This hot mustard recipe was born out of a desire to use up my aforementioned surplus of banana peppers. It's delicious on grilled brats and pretzels, but making it had an unexpected benefit. The day I made it was a particularly beautiful afternoon. When my children arrived home after school the pungent aroma of boiling mustard, vinegar and hot peppers that greeted them immediately drove them out the house and onto their bikes. I didn't have to fuss at them once to turn off the TV!
Ingredients:
20 hot banana peppers
2 cups apple cider vinegar
2 1/5 cups granulated sugar
1 ½ cups prepared yellow mustard
½ cup whole grain Dijon mustard
½ cup honey
½ tablespoon salt
¾ cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup water or apple juice
Cut the tops from the peppers and remove the seeds (pro tip – wear gloves!). Working in batches, puree the peppers and vinegar in a blender. Pour the pepper mixture into a nonreactive pot and add the sugar, mustards, honey and salt. Stirring constantly, bring the mixture to a boil that cannot be stirred down. Combine the flour and water or juice in a separate bowl and whisk until smooth, then whisk this mixture into the hot vinegar-pepper mixture. Reduce heat to a simmer and continue to cook five minutes more, stirring constantly. Transfer into clean jars and process in a hot water bath. It makes four pints.
Stuffed bell peppers
Ingredients:
Olive oil
5 large bell peppers
1 onion
3-4 cloves garlic, minced or grated
1 large carrot
2 stalks celery
1 medium zucchini
1 pound ground beef, lamb or sausage, or 1 can drained lentils
½ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
2 cups peeled, seeded and diced tomatoes (or use 1 14 ounce can whole peeled tomatoes)
2 cups cooked brown rice
1 teaspoon each garlic powder, onion powder, dried italian herb mix and cornstarch
2 tablespoons each minced fresh basil and parsley, plus more for garnish (optional)
2 cups shredded mozzarella or pepper jack cheese
Ground black pepper and red pepper flakes, to taste
½ cup grated Parmesan
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and lightly coat the inside of a large baking dish with olive oil.
Wash and halve the peppers lengthwise, removing the seeds and pith, then set aside.
Peel the onion, garlic and carrot. If you have a food processor, use it to chop all the vegetables (except tomatoes) into roughly ¼-inch pieces, otherwise mince by hand.
Heat a skillet over medium high heat and add a splash of olive oil if the meat is very lean. Season the meat with ½ teaspoon of salt and cook, breaking it up into crumbles, until well browned. Transfer the crumbles to a mixing bowl, drain excess fat from the skillet if needed and return it to the stove. If using lentils, just drain, rinse and add them directly to the mixing bowl.
Add the minced vegetables to the hot skillet and season lightly with salt. Cook until softened and just barely beginning to brown, then add them to the mixing bowl with the meat. Add the tomatoes, cooked rice, seasonings and cornstarch, fresh herbs and shredded mozzarella. Mix gently but thoroughly and season to taste with salt and pepper as desired. If you are using canned whole tomatoes, crush them with your hands.
Fill the pepper halves with the rice mixture, packing it in and mounding it slightly. Arrange the stuffed peppers in the oiled baking dish and add a half cup of water (or dry wine) to the bottom. Sprinkle grated Parmesan over the tops of the peppers. Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes, until the peppers are fork tender. Remove the foil and bake 15 minutes more, until the tops are lightly browned. Serve topped with fresh herbs as desired.
