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The Veggie Girl: Bodacious bell peppers
I’m not sure what I like most about bell peppers; there’s so much about them to love.
Their immensely satisfying crunch is definitely a contender, the sound of which (and feel on my teeth) can be considered one of life’s simple pleasures.
Related to this – the cause of the crunch, so to speak – is the crisp texture and water content that makes them such a refreshing treat.
Their mild taste – with its bit of subtle sweetness – makes them a companionable component for many a recipe, whether raw or cooked.
And – oh! – last, but definitely not least, their vivid rainbow colors are a delight to behold! Feasting my eyes on heaps of peppers in bright hues of red, orange, yellow, green and purple is such a treat, one that may tip the scales in favor of this quality.
If you’re wondering, other less available colors include ivory, maroon, chocolate brown and even black.
Add to that some solid nutritional content and you’ve got yourself a pretty lovable vegetable! (Or fruit, if speaking botanically.)
These members of the capsicum family are native to the Americas – Mexico and points south – and have been cultivated for more than 9,000 years.
The term “pepper” is a misnomer, one given by Christopher Columbus upon bringing the plant back to Europe.
At that time, unrelated peppercorns imported from India were an immensely popular spice, and Europeans extended the word “pepper” to mean any piquant food.
However, as we know, our topic today is far from spicy, being one of the few plants in the capsicum genus void of capsaicin, the chemical in hot peppers that produces a burning sensation on mucous membranes.
This is due to a recessive gene that eliminates capsaicin and its resulting hot taste.
Bells are part of a group of mild peppers known collectively as “sweet peppers” and include such cousins as pimentos and banana peppers.
The name “bell” refers to its somewhat square, bell-like shape.
There are those who don’t like bell peppers, and this may be due to the peppers bred to be picked green and immature. These peppers can have – in the words of organic foods enthusiast and writer Jeff Cox - a “bitter, vegetative, almost metallic edge” to their taste.
In contrast, colorful peppers (red, yellow, orange, and the like) are sweetly flavored.
Peppers of every color are used in a variety of recipes.
Green peppers are favored in the cooking of the American south, particularly in such Cajun and Louisiana Creole dishes as etouffe, gumbo and jambalaya.
They’re one of the three components of the “holy trinity” of this style of cooking, a variant on French mirepoix, with the other two being onions and celery. (Mirepoix includes carrots in place of bell peppers.)
The French county dish ratatouille includes red bell peppers along with eggplant and other summer vegetables.
In Spain, bell peppers are featured in gazpacho, a refreshing cold summer soup, and some versions of paella, a dish featuring rice and meats or seafood.
In the Basque region of Spain, rice and pepper soup is popular.
Peppers are wonderful as a component of marinara sauce and other tomato-based dishes, and go especially well with sausages, either as a sauté or in a soup (such as an especially delicious-sounding one with white beans).
You can skewer them for the grill, stuff and bake them, roast and puree them for a soup, sauté all colors together (to use in fajitas, for example), or add them to pasta or bean salads.
Velvety textured roasted red peppers have a rich, soft, but intense flavor, and are a tasty addition to sandwiches or pasta salads. Thankfully, they’re easily made at home in the oven or outdoors on the grill.
One method is to place them on a broiler rack or pan and broil 2 to 3 inches from the heat. Rotate them until the skins are evenly blackened.
Using tongs, transfer the peppers to a brown paper bag (or to a covered bowl or enclose them in aluminum foil) and let them sweat for 15 to 20 minutes.
This makes the skins easy to peel away, and the peppers will be soft and yielding.
Peel, stem, and seed them, and place them in an airtight container until ready to use. They’ll keep, refrigerated, for a week.
Paprika is made from dried and ground sweet red peppers, often of the bell variety, though other members of the capsicum family are also used.
It’s available in sweet, smoked, moderately hot, and hot. It was popularized by Hungarians (who make the best, by the way) and is a main flavor component of many of their dishes, including goulash, a Hungarian stew.
To make a delicious red pepper paste, cook them along with onions and garlic on low heat for a few hours until ultra soft and caramelized. The resulting product may be spread on toasted baguette slices or to add intense flavor to soups, sauces, or other dishes.
When purchasing bell peppers, choose those with glossy, tight skins. They should be firm to the touch, with no soft spots.
If you’re buying peppers to roast and peel, look for those with the smoothest sides.
To store, refrigerate whole, unwashed peppers in the crisper drawer of your fridge for up to a week. Wrap any cut pieces in plastic and use them as soon as possible.
Since peppers colored other than green are riper, they won’t keep as long as the green ones.
A quick and easy way to clean bell peppers is to slice off the top and bottom and cut it lengthwise along one side.
Open the pepper flat and run a knife sideways along the inside of the pepper to remove ribs and seeds.
At this point rinse the pepper and proceed with your recipe or cut for eating raw. The flat oblong shape is wonderful for roasting on the grill.
Peppers become more nutritious as they ripen, and beta-carotene is responsible for their bright hues. Red peppers provide more than 1½ times our daily need for vitamin C in just a half cup.
Peppers have a significant amount of vitamin A, and also contain folate and vitamin B6.
Today’s recipe is wonderful as a bright spread on little toasts for an hors d’oeuvre or as a filling for quiches or small little tarts. It’s nice, too, as a vegetable side dish, served either warm or at room temperature.
Enjoy!
Peppers Provencal
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups thinly sliced yellow onions
2 red bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and cut into very thin strips
½ teaspoon herbs de Provence
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
½ cup finely shredded fresh basil leaves
Heat the oil and butter in a heavy skillet or saucepan over medium heat under the butter is melted.
Add the onions and peppers; season with herbs de Provence and salt and pepper.
Simmer, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are limp, tender, and slightly brown, about 45 minutes. The peppers should have a marmalade-like appearance.
Add the garlic and basil and cook for another five minutes.
Remove the vegetables from the skillet and let cool to room temperature. Drain any excess oil. The peppers are now ready to use.
This recipe makes about two cups and is courtesy of “The Silver Palate Cookbook” by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins.
Note: Herbs de Provence is an herb blend that is sold under a variety of brand labels and is available in most supermarkets. The blend is reminiscent of the herbs used in the Provence region of France, typically including such herbs as savory, thyme, marjoram, and lavender. Blends from different companies vary in their combination of herbs.
Esther Oertel, a freelance writer, cooking teacher, and speaker, is passionate about local produce and all foods in the vegetable kingdom. She welcomes your questions and comments and may be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .