Sweet Frying Peppers

At the farmers' market this week, Jesse Daves of Amyo Farms had a gorgeous array of all kinds of sweet peppers. I bought some tiny green Shishito peppers for the first time - they are Japanese frying peppers, sweet and sometimes ever so slightly hot. Jesse's instructions were simply to toss the whole peppers into hot oil and fry them until they blister and brown, then sprinkle them with sea salt. They are heavenly as a simple appetizer or perhaps with some cold somen noodles as a light summer meal.

Every year I look forward to buying Amyo's beautiful “Jimmy Nardello” frying peppers - I've never seen them anywhere else. An heirloom variety, they are long, red and incredibly sweet.

The best way to eat these peppers is simply to fry them up and eat them on crusty baguettes, maybe with some fresh Italian sausages.

2 T. olive oil

1 C. water

2 fresh Italian sausages

One dozen Jimmy Nardello peppers

Half an onion

1 long baguette

Put sausages in a skillet with oil and water. Cook on medium heat 5-10 minutes, until the sausages look somewhat cooked on the bottom, then turn them over. Continue cooking until the water is evaporated and the sausages are browned. Meanwhile, slice off the tops of the peppers, then slice lengthwise down the middle and remove the seeds. Cut the peppers and onion into thin strips. Remove the sausages from the oil and fry the onions and peppers together on medium heat until the onion is caramelized and the peppers are lightly browned. Slice each sausage in half, cut the baguette in four pieces, and make four delicious sandwiches.

So if you live in Albuquerque, check out Amyo Farms - they are at the Downtown and Nob Hill Growers' Markets, and possibly others. And if you've been thinking about joining a CSA, they've just started one, so ask them about it!

Also published on www.ediblesantafe.com.