Tips and Recipes
for Brookfield Farm Crops

Sweet Peppers (Capsicum annuum)

Red, yellow, purple, orange, green, and black. Pimento, cubanelle, bell, banana, and mango. Peppers come in so many shapes and sizes that it's hard to keep track of them all. And, did you know-that all bell peppers are green at first, and we often pick and enjoy these "unripe" fruit. If left on their plants, peppers ripen into their different colors. Though sweet peppers originally hailed from the Americas, they are very important exports of the Netherlands and Hungary as well. Sweet peppers are a good source of vitamin C, and those that turn red are also high in beta carotene.

Recipes:

Stuffed Peppers

4 sweet peppers
2 c. cooked rice
1 carrot, diced
1 zucchini, diced
2 tomatoes, diced
1 egg
1/4 lb cheddar cheese
Grated oregano & thyme, salt & pepper

Mix rice, carrots, zucchini, egg, and herbs in bowl. Cut the stems out of the peppers and take out all of the seeds. Stuff peppers with the rice mixture and top each pepper with some tomatoes and cheese. Place on baking pan and bake at 375F for 30 minutes covered with aluminum foil. Remove foil and cook for another 10 minutes or until cheese is slightly browned.

Cream of Red Pepper Soup
(from: Still Life With Menu Cookbook)

1-2 tbsp butter or olive oil
2 cups minced onion
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper
½ tsp ground cumin
5 medium red bell peppers, sliced
1 tbsp unbleached white flour
½ cup stock or water
2 ½ cups milk, at room temperature
optional garnishes: lightly beaten sour cream
minced herbs

Heat butter or oil in soup pot. Add onion and garlic and cook slowly with salt, pepper, and cumin 5-8 minutes. When onions are soft, stir in bell peppers; cover and cook over low heat 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Gradually sprinkle in flour. Cook 5 minutes. Stir in stock or water, cover, and cook 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat. Puree, bit by bit, with milk. Return puree to soup pot or double boiler; heat very gently. Serve topped with sour cream and herbs, if desired. Makes 4-6 servings.

Pepper and Fennel Antipasto
(from: More Recipes from the Kitchen Garden)

Vinaigrette Dressing:
1 clove garlic, minced
3 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. each: salt and pepper
2 Tbsp. chopped parsley
3 Tbsp. chopped chives
6 Tbsp. olive oil

3 fennel bulbs
2 red bell peppers, seeded and cut into strips
1 green bell pepper, seeded and cut into strips
1 red onion, sliced
1 cup cooked garbanzo beans, drained
1/2 cup pitted, halved Nicoise or Greek olives
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 or 2 bunches watercress

In a bowl combine all dressing ingredients except oil. Whisk in oil gradually until thoroughly combined.

Trim root, stalk, and leaves of fennel. Chop and reserve 1 or 2 tablespoons of leaves for garnish. Cut fennel bulbs vertically into slices, then into julienne strips.

In a bowl mix fennel, bell peppers, and onion and pour boiling water over them to cover. Leave in water for 2 minutes, then thoroughly drain and cool. Add garbanzo beans, olives, and feta cheese. Add vinaigrette dressing, tossing to combine. Marinate several hours in the refrigerator.

Ring a salad bowl or individual plates with watercress. Arrange antipasto mixture in the center. Sprinkle with reserved fennel leaves, and any other garnish (like capers or salami) if desired. Serves 6.

Storage Tips: