Bell Peppers

Season: Summer, Fall

Storage: In the fridge in plastic bag

Fun Facts: Bell peppers originate from Central & South America, but have become globally popular.  Containing twice as much vitamin C as citrus, bell peppers become sweeter as they ripen.  They are delicious raw served alongside hummus or dip, stuffed with rice and tomato sauce, or stir fried in your favorite Chinese or Thai recipe.

Did you know that the colors of bell peppers are based off of their stages of ripeness? Green bell peppers are the first stage and are considered unripe, then yellow, orange, and final stage is red. In all stages of ripeness, their nutrient contents vary. Green bell peppers have 14% more antioxidants than red bell peppers. Yellow bell peppers have the most antioxidants. Red bell peppers have about 11 times more beta-carotene, 2 times more vitamin C, and 10 times more vitamin A than green bell peppers.

Bell peppers are in the genus Capsicum a flowering plant in the night shade family, native to the Americas. This genus has been known to help treat minor pain. One is able to use the peppers as a topical treatment.

Get local bell peppers by joining our Farm Share or shopping at farmer’s markets, then share your favorite preparations through our Facebook page.

Mango and Black Bean Tacos

Recipe from Forks over Knives

Ingredients

  • 2 mangos, diced

  • ½ red onion, diced

  • 1 red bell pepper, diced

  • Juice of 1 lime

  • Handful of cilantro, chopped

  • 2 avocados, diced

  • 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

  • Salt to taste

  • 10 to 12 (6-inch) corn tortillas

  • Mango salsa and/or choice of hot sauce

Instructions

  • Place mango, red onion, red bell pepper, lime juice, chopped cilantro, avocado, black beans in a medium bowl. Mix well.

  • Add a few generous pinches of salt. Taste and adjust seasoning. Chill until ready to use.

  • Char (or warm) your tortillas. Place about ½ cup of the filling in the center of each tortilla. Fold and serve with salsa and/or hot sauce.

EASY PEPERONATA: ITALIAN PEPPERS RECIPE

Ingredients

  • Olive oil. Extra virgin, if possible.

  • Onions. A wonderful flavor booster.

  • Garlic. An essential ingredient in simple Italian dishes.

  • Bell Peppers. Orange, yellow and red.

  • Wine. Great to de-glaze our Italian pepper stew.

  • Basil. Fresh, if possible.

  • Parsley. Italian flat-leaf has so much more flavor.

  • Salt and Pepper. To taste.

Instructions

  • Before we begin, let’s prep our recipe. Slice the onion and bell peppers into ¼-½ inch strips. Discard the seeds, stalks and any white pith from the bell peppers.

  • Saute onions and garlic in a pan.
    Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pan (over medium-high heat).

  • Reduce heat to medium, add the sliced onion and sauté until they begin to soften. This will take about 6-8 minutes.

  • Add 2-3 whole cloves of garlic and sauté for about one minute or so.

  • Add the 6 sliced bell peppers. DO NOT STIR.

  • Reduce the heat to low, cover and let it slowly cook for about 10 minutes.

  • Once again, there is no need to stir, just give your peperonata a couple of shakes so that the onions don’t stick to the bottom of the pan.

  • Once the bell peppers have begun to soften, it’s time to add ¾ cup of red wine. Stir to combine.

  • Let it all reduce, uncovered, for about 10 minutes or so. Stir occasionally.

  • Feel free to pull them off the heat if you prefer your peppers to have a little bit of a bite.

  • Finally, add the chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley and the basil (⅓ cup each) and adjust your seasonings.

NOTES:

  • Resist the urge to stir when the sweet peppers are added to the softened onions. Just walk away.
  • Serve this dish hot, warm or at room temperature. The flavors improve the longer the peppers sit together.
  • If you are a fan of hot peppers, you can easily add one to this recipe.

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