Pan-Roasted Shishito Peppers

We've been getting a steady supply of shishito peppers in our CSA box for the past few weeks. I had not heard of these peppers before we started getting them. After first getting them, I began to slice them and add them to stir fries and scrambled eggs all with excellent results. These Japanese peppers are very mild--milder than the Padron pepper--but evidently you may find a hot one.

The Padron peppers also seem to be a recently new item on the market. We have attended some dinners with friends who had served roasted Padron peppers as an appetizer. With that in mind, I began to do the same with my shishito peppers.

I've done two batches of the recipe below but on the BBQ which also works...maybe better. The peppers cook more quickly and absorb the smoky flavor.

But our most recent Sunset magazine had an article on the other pepper that suddenly seems to be everywhere: the Padron pepper. I just substituted my shishito peppers instead.

I've served these Shishito peppers at three different social occasions all with great reviews. The recipe below is pretty much the same recipe that's in the latest Sunset magazine. But my first two versions were to put the peppers in a large bowl, coat them with olive oil and salt, and then grill them on the barbeque. Use tongs to turn them.

This last time, I made them on the cooktop following this recipe:

Pan-Roasted Shishito Peppers

Ingredients:

• Olive oil - 2 Tbsp. 
• Shishito peppers - 1 bunch
• Salt - 1/2 tsp.
• Red chili flakes (optional) - 1/4 tsp.

Directions:

• Heat a large, heavy frying pan (not a non-stick pan. Use cast iron or an enameled cast iron) over medium heat until pan is very hot. Warm it up over medium heat for around 2 minutes. 
• Add oil and allow it to heat up. Swirl and spread it around. 
• Add peppers and chili flakes and cook stirring occasionally until peppers are blistered in places.
• Season with salt and stir to spread salt around

Serve hot or at room temperature. As you serve, include a receptacle for people to deposit the stems.

More information on Shishito peppers:

http://www.sfgate.com/recipes/article/Shishito-a-mild-tender-pepper-5647230.php

http://www.happyboyfarms.com/our-produce-category.php?id=46&keywords=Shishito_Peppers

Leek and Potato Day

The leeks have been coming at us with a steady pace from the box. They were piling up in the fridge, so today was a day of action. Get through those leeks! It started with:

Potato and Leek Frittata

 

This frittata could have been just a basic leek and potato frittata but I also added some leftover ingredients to help clear out the fridge

• Get some herbed butter melting in a professional medium skillet (one that can go directly into the oven)
• Preheat oven to 400 degree
• Peel some potatoes, dice them, and get them started in the skillet. I used 3 medium red skin potatoes that came in the box
• Clean and slice the leek and add them to the potatoes and butter
• Chop up some onion or shallots
• Chop up a leftover Tofurky sausage
• Dice a leftover bell pepper half
• Toss everything in the skillet with the potatoes and leeks
• Add some salt and pepper along with some Foxpoint Seasoning
• Add some freshly chopped basil
• Crack four eggs into a bowl and mix well along with some parsley and black pepper and a generous splash of milk
• Add egg mixture to the skillet
• Let it start to set on the fire for about 5 minutes or so
• Sprinkle the top with some cheese. I had some leftover feta
• Transfer to the oven and cook until the top begins to brown. Around 15 minutes.
• Remove from the over and let it cool for a few minutes
• Quarter the frittata and serve 

The evening focused on a new soup that we think we saw in a Sunset magazine. It's a healthy and tasty take on the potato and leek soup that has no cream but uses spinach "making it a beautiful electric green and good for your waistline."

It was a tasty soup and definitely one I'd make again. It's quick, easy, and healthy.

Spinach, Leek, and Potato Soup 

 

Ingredients:

• 2 large leeks
• 2 tablespoons of butter or herbed butter
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 cups broth
• 1 large golden or white potato - I used the last 4 red skin potatoes from the box
• 1 8 oz bag spinach
•  Croutons - optional

Preparation:

• In a saucepan melt butter over medium heat
• Add leeks and salt and cook until limp stirring often, about 5 minutes
• Peel and dice potatoes and add to pan
• Add broth and bring to a boil
• Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork
• Add spinach and cook until wilted
• Puree with an immersion blender

Final score: 4 leeks gone; 1 still to go.

Breakfast from the Box

Something cool occurred to me as I was making our Sunday breakfast: I knew the source of just about every ingredient. Most of it came from our weekly CSA box but for those that didn't I knew where it came from. Here's how it went.

I began by cutting up a couple of fingerling potatoes and sweet potatoes (leftover from last week's box). I got them started in the skillet with some butter, black pepper, and a dash of salt.

Then I decided to go for a Southwestern egg scramble given the ingredients in this week's box. I started by dicing half of a yellow onion (from the box) and got it started in a skillet with some EVOO. While the onion cooked down, I diced half of a green bell pepper (from the latest delivery) and added it to the skillet. Four eggs (from a friend's backyard chickens) were whisked together along with some of Penzey's Southwest seasoning and into the skillet they went. I chopped up some cilantro leaves (from the box) and added them into the eggs. A diced avocado (finally ripened from last week's box) got added and then some grated cheddar cheese (OK, this was from Trader Joe's).

Oranges and tangerines (from this week and last) were juiced.

After plating, I sprinkled some dried parsley (from the backyard) over the potatoes and served.

All in all, an enjoyable locavore breakfast.

Roasted Peppers

This week's box included a pound of "mixed sweet peppers." Once I removed everything from the box it seemed like a lot of small peppers. We had a bowl of peppers sitting there and it seemed that they would not last too much longer.

I decided to try my hand at roasting the peppers. I spent some time on Google and was most struck by this entry on roasting peppers so I followed the recipe. The only addition I did was to cover the peppers in plastic wrap as they cooled in a pyrex dish. I read a number of other sites that recommended this.


Once cooled, I peeled and seeded the peppers--a messy task. I toyed with idea of canning them but there wasn't enough to fill a small jar so I decided that a roasted pepper pizza the next day was in order.

Tonight's dinner was a roasted pepper and zucchini (from the backyard) pizza. The roasted peppers were very sweet and flavorful.