One of my garden resolutions last year as I struggled to can 8 quarts of tomatoes was to make more recipes to can this year, instead of canning the ingredients.Yesterday I made a big batch of Thai spice tomato soup that will be a welcome treat this winter, and had enough tomatoes to can two quarts as well…
With this resolution in mind, I also devoted a whole raised bed to a food that I don’t really like: peppers. I decided to grow two kinds of paprika (Feherozon and Hungarian Boldog), Jimmy Nardello, Poblano, a Thai variety called Rooster and the always-dependable Serrano.
The end game for these beauties is a red pepper sauce that my boss Ward Bauman makes. He gave me a jar last Christmas and it was incredible. It’s pureed and used just like tomato sauce on pasta. It is made with mostly sweet peppers and peppers that have been seeded, so it’s not too spicy, though it does have some kick (you can decide how many Thai peppers to include). I was determined to add it to my repertoire.
I also have good luck growing peppers. They do very well on the windowsill as seedlings and they grow quite high in the garden and usually produce a lot of fruit. This year was no exception, although it was cool for all of June and July and so they are ripening later. I will have to wait until mid-September or later for the Feherozon to get red, although they can be cooked and eaten when a creamy yellow… The plan is to dry and grind some for spice. However, I have so many good recipes for sweet peppers, including a great Indian one for fall, that they might not make it to powder stage!
Another problem is that somewhere along the line of transplanting the carefully marked seedlings into larger pots, the labeling got a bit off. I’m not a very meticulous gardener, if you haven’t noticed. So I ended up mostly right– lots of Jimmy Nardellos, which is key, but with only one Poblano plant (though it is producing well) and too many Thai Rooster plants! I even pulled one out so that the others could get more sun. I mean, you don’t ever need more than one Thai Rooster plant… I usually keep that on the patio in a pot.
But the paprika pepper plants are so prolific, it almost doesn’t matter. And next year, I’ll be more careful (and maybe try a bell pepper, although I really am not a fan)!
Spicy Pepper Sauce
from Ward Bauman
2 Tbs olive oil
1 lrg red bell pepper, seeded & finely chopped
1/2 lrg onion, finely chopped
3 red chiles, seeded & finely chopped
3 Thai chiles, finely chopped
3 lrg cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbs smoked paprika
2 Tbs red wine vinegar
1 Tbs fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup water
salt & pepper
Saute the bell pepper, onion, red and Thai chiles, garlic and paprika in the olive oil until softened, about 12 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.
Blend the chile mixture with the vinegar, lemon juice and water in a blender or food processor until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Return to the saucepan and bring to a gentle boil, stirring, for a few minutes to reduce the sauce and thicken it to a jam consistency.
If using immediately, let sit at room temperature to ripen for about an hour. If storing, put into a canning jar and process as directed. Keep in the refrigerator once opened.
Yield: about 1 1/4 cups