Conference turris::cooks

    	My family has always made a soup with green peppers (certainly not
     the best time of year for hot soup). I do not know quantities but you
     basically take a few green peppers and an onion and dice the two. Saute 
     in a little butter (you could probably skip this step and go right on
     to the next, add salt and pepper. When translucent then add chicken
     bones enough to make about 8 cups of broth and cook for a few hours.
     Alternately just add chicken broth. After you've cooked it for awhile
     add some paprika to taste. Add noodles and let cook and then serve. 

       This has a name but I don't remember what my mother called it. I
     always enjoyed it.

    
    I like green peppers sliced and thrown in the pot when I cook rice.

Use whatever method of roasting appeals to you.  My dad uses a gas bbq outside.
Some folks use a long wood handled fork and roast them over a gas flame.  I
use the broiler.  Put several peppers on a big tray covered with aluminum foil.
Broil until black all around, turning frequently.  This is a STAY AND WATCH 
operation.

Transfer peppers to a big paper bag, and close the bag.  Leave the bag in a 
bowl or the sink, as it will get wet and juicy.  

When the peppers are cool enough to handle, but still warm, remove the stem and
seeds, and the blackened peel.  I do this over a colander set in a bowl to 
retain the juices.

The roasted peppers can be frozen as is, or stored in a jar in the fridge.

They can be eaten as is, marinated in olive oil, garlic, onion, oregano, etc.,
or sauteed lightly in garlic oil.

You can use them in sandwiches, on homemade pizzas, in or as salads (marinated 
in olive oil and garlic and mixed with string cheese in oil & vinegar), as a 
side dish, in antipastos, pureed they make an great green sauce for pasta 
(angel hair pasta with green papper sauce and shrimp), in omelettes, and so on.

The flavor of home made roasted peppers is unsurpassed.  It changes the pepper's
sharpness and gives it a mellow, almost sweet flavor.  Also, if you roast a few
red/yellow/orange peppers, too, you can make really great looking arrangements
of color on almost all the above foods (except the puree).

Best part is that they can be kept frozen long into the winter for special 
treats, and they maintain their texture (already soft from the roasting).

    At the knitting class I go to, a woman came in last week with
    jars of green pepper jelly.  She said it goes very well over
    cream cheese as an appetizer, or with roasted meats.  I wasn't
    listening especially hard, but here's what I remember:  Wash
    the green peppers, cut into large pieces and put in the food
    processor with as many cut up onions as you want.  Puree the
    two, then add the Surejell.  Let sit awhile, then add sugar
    (optionally, add black or white pepper or Tabasco sauce or salt
    to taste.  It then sits awhile longer, then the whole pot gets
    boiled.  Fill sterilized jars and run through a boiling water bath.
    Invert on a towel for a couple of hours, then turn upright and 
    pack away.  
    
    If this sounds good, I'm sure most cookbooks will have further
    instructions on canning.
    
    Laura

    How'd ya know?  I just roasted five BEAUTIFUL red peppers last night! 
    Got them marinating in olive oil and garlic right now.  YUM!  Roasted
    red peppers are an Italian favorite.  
    
    BTW:  Red Peppers are usually very $$$ but right now they're on sale at
    Big D for $1.49/lb - this week only.
    
    Red peppers have a sweeter taste than green.
    
    I've got lots of recipes that I use peppers in.  
    
    Green peppers - there's the standard stuffed peppers, of course, with
    rice and hamburg.
    
    I've got a recipe at home which I'm going to try later this week for
    sweet 'n sour chicken which has red and green peppers in it.
    
    Last night I had Perdue turkey sausage with sauteed green and red
    peppers and onions.
    
    I use green peppers all the time when I make the following:  garden
    salad, potato salad, macaroni salad, and ham salad.
    
    Speaking of peppers... anybody ever try a PURPLE pepper?  Saw them once
    in Super Stop 'n Shop - but I never tried one.  Curious what they taste
    like.
    
    Rgds,
    marcia

    I made this the other day. Peppers and Eggs.  Fill a 10" skillet with
    sliced peppers, I used the green. (fill the pan so that it is mounded
    over).  To this add a couple of plum tomatoes (mashed). salt and pepper
    to taste.  Cook over low heat until the peppers are tender.  Mean time,
    scramble @ 6-8 eggs and add a small handful of parm cheese.  Pour over
    the peppers and cover till the eggs are done @ 20 minutes on low.
    Oh I forgot to mention, cover the pan while the peppers are cooking.
    You can also add onions. mushrooms wile the peppers are cooking.
                                      Cheryl

             My father makes pickled peppers which are very good when
    served with crackers. It something like the following. Slice the green
    peppers in 1/4-3/8" strips and stand them up inside a jar. Fill the jar
    with peppers and then had the following; pickleing spice, crushed red
    pepper(the more the hotter), 3-4 cloves of garlic, salt, I guess any
    other kind of spice that you like. Then fill the jar half way with dill
    pickle juice that you have saved from store bought and half with white
    vinegar. Let sit for about 4 weeks.

    I sometimes make a different sort of stuffed pepper.  
    
    Filling:
    
    Leftover chicken, diced
    small container of sour cream
    1/4 cup mayonnaise
    1 tsp. thyme
    1 can peach slices, drained
    
    Mix together and fill the uncooked green (I am assuming bell) peppers.
    
    This makes a light and cool meal on a hot summer day.
    
    Judy

re .7

Do you have to can it/vacuum-pack it?  Or can it just sit in the fridge?

I've never done anything like this before.

Thanks,

Nisha

    Re .9
                  No vacuum involved or canning. Actually they will stay
    good either in the refrig or out. But I do like mine chilled before I
    eat them.  I havn't found to many people who don't like them and the
    guys at our hunting camp look forward to me in bringing them in the
    fall. They will stay nice and crisp for about 2-3 months and after that
    they will soften up. But I wouldn't worry about them being around long
    enough to get soft.

    A friend (of Italian descent) gave me this recipe about 20 years ago 
    for pickled peppers.  From memory:
             
    Clean peppers and slice lengthwise about an inch wide.  Place all
    slices in a large bowl of water (about 12 cups) add 1 cup salt - stir.  
    Let sit over night.  Drain thoroughly and place pepper strips in canning
    jars with about 12 cloves of peeled (but whole) garlic.  Make a
    solution of 4 cups water and 4 cups white vinegar...stir to mix well.
    Fill canning jars with solution - cover tightly.
    
    Peppers are extrodinarily crisp and the garlic is so good - we fight to
    see who can eat the garlic first.
    
    I'll check my recipe at home - if it differs a lot from memory - I
    will let you know Monday.
    
    
    Note:  The solution is 1/2 water to 1/2 white vinegar.  
    

make a beer batter for deep-fried foods...cut peppers into chunks and dry with
paper towel.  Dip into batter and fry in hot oil until nicely browned.  Drain
on paper towel.  Serve lightly salted and hot.

Also good for onion rings, green tomato slices.

    
    This an old Italian recipe loaded with peppers. Notice the lack of
    traditional Italian spices. I thought this was odd until made it.  The
    peppers add so much flavor, nothihg else is needed, and the veal melts
    in your mouth because it's cooked so long.
    
    4 green bell peppers seeded and sliced into thin strips
    4 ripe tomatoes, seeded and peeled, or 16 oz can Italian peeled
    tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped.
    2 cloves garlic crushed
    3/4 pound veal cut into 1" cubes
    1 cup dry white wine
    salt and pepper to taste 
    2 tablespoons olive oil
    
    Saute garlic in olive oil until brown, remove garlic from oil and
    discard.  Add the veal to the oil and saute for five minutes stirring
    constantly.  Add white wine, cook until reduced by half.  Add the
    tomatoes and peppers, reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook stirring
    occasionally for 1 1/2 hours.  During the final ten minutes taste for
    salt and pepper. Serve over pasta, and garnish with parmesean cheese
    and parsley.  Simple but delicious.
    
                               Scott
    -TIP-
    It is important to peel and seed the tomatoes.  To do this, bring a pot
    of water, deep enough to completely submerge the tomatoes to a boil,
    but don't add the tomatoes yet. Once the water boils, drop in the
    tomatoes and count to 25 and immediatly remove tomatoes, to cold water.
    When cool, just peel, slice in half (not top to bottom but side to
    side) and remove seeds with your fingers.