When what you don't know.... by KimB

I get lots of interesting things at the Food Pantry. Loads of stuff I don't know what to do with or how to cook it. It's a culinary adventure-land!

Every week, it's a Door Number 3 SURPRISE! when you get home and have time to look at what's in the bag for the week. Often times it's a wonderful "WOW! YUM!" and other times is a "WTF do I do with THIS?".

In a recent grocery bag I found a large selection of Yellow Bell Peppers, about 3 lbs of bell peppers. Nice bright yellow ones, not too big, maybe a bit small for Stuffed Peppers but good for everything from salads, to rice, to meat casaroles and a bright note for sandwiches. WOW!

There were quite a lot of them, probably more than 20 in the bag. So I decided I'd make Roasted Bell Peppers, which would have great flavor and I can freeze some of it for later uses.

Sounds a Good Plan!

I decided to cut them up into sections. My personal technique is to look at the bottom of the pepper and were it pinches inwards is where the white membrane is located. So I cut off the section omitting the membrane. I get 3 or 4 wedges of good pepper and less hassle with seeds and the core.

These peppers didn't have much white membrane, actually they had nearly none, although they did have unusal black seeds. Normally black seeds make occasional appearance in bell peppers but all of these had black seeds. They looked like small bright yellow apples in shape. Interesting. Maybe a new type of Bell Pepper?

So I'm merrily slicing bell peppers and get a whole gallon size freezer bag of glorious yellow bells pieces. I drizzled olive oil and lemon pepper and some oregano into the bag, sealed the bag and gave it all a good tumble. WOW!

I toss them onto the hot BBQ grill and Let The Sizzle Begin!

I went about some other tasks while the peppers were grilling, one of which is to eat an English Muffin with my latest fruit sauce: Chunky Plum. Tastes great but... it's a bit spicy...

How can plums with sugar taste spicy?

I sniff my hands and they smell of bell peppers and I notice a tiny burning sensation on my lips..

Hmmm...

Maybe it's something about those unusual bell peppers? Maybe they are some kind of spicier bells? They look like over sized habanero peppers but habaneros have thin skins and these have thick skins.

So I hit the web to find out...

Habaneros... Indeed...

They are called Rocoto Peppers (Capsicum pubescens ¹ ) and come from South America. In Mexico they are called "apple peppers". Very popular and very spicy.

How Spicy Are They?

Scoville Heat Units
Tabasco Pepper	50,000
Thai chili pepper (aka Bird's eye chili)	100,000
Habanero & Scotch Bonnet	350,000
Rocoto Peppers	50,000 to 250,000

I have a gallon freezer bag of them...

Rocoto Pepper
Capsicum pubescens

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capsicum_pubescens

The Recipe Box: Basil Rice Pilaf

Basil Rice Pilaf

From the recipe box of KimB

Going to the Food Pantry is an adventure. It's like Forrest Gump's Box of Chocolates: you never know what's going to be in the bag or on offer. Other than standing in line, sometimes for hours, being with hundreds of other people who cannot make their meager pensions last through the month, can be an enjoyable experience or at least an insightful one.

The folks running the Food Pantry are all very nice. They are as helpful as they can be. Most of these folks are volunteers and they know how hard the cost of living increases is making it for everyone, including themselves.

Since all the food is given by donation, the variety changes with each Pantry Day. While they do their best to give out the "Standard American Diet 3 Food Groups: Sugar, Salt and Fat", there are often things available that require a bit more ingenuity to turn into a tasty meal.

I have to use a lot of "ingenuity" these days.

This particular ingenuity dish is very nice. Has lots of uses and can go with many different menus. It can be altered a lot of ways. If you don't like basil, use cilantro or parsley or whatever is in the weekly bag.

Ingredients: Basil Rice Pilaf

Use a Rice Pilaf Mix (aka Rice a Roni) or Make Your Own.

To Make Your Own Pilaf Mix:

• 1 Cup of rice of your choice: jasmine, long grain etc.
• 1/4 Cup of short vermicelli pieces, often sold for soups.

1 tsp of dried onion.
1 tsp of granulated garlic.
1/2 tsp of salt.
2 1/2 Cups of hot water.
2 or 3 Large sprigs of fresh basil, on the stem.
Olive Oil

Preparation:

1. Use a small amount of Olive Oil in a skillet that has a cover. Saute the rice and vermicelli until the vermicelli gets a bit brown.
2. Add the dried onion, dried garlic and salt.
3. Slowly add the 2 1/2 Cups of hot water keeping the liquid at a simmer. Adjust for taste.
4. Place the large sprigs of basil on top and cover.
5. Cook for 15 minutes on the burner at a simmer and 5 minutes off the burner.
6. Once the rice is done, remove the large sprigs of basil. Some of the leaves will remain in the dish.

Serve hot or cold or as a picnic salad with diced tomatoes and a mild vinaigrette.

note: If using canned tomato pieces, drain well. Save the juice for vegetable stock or use it in the vinaigrette.

Basil Rice Pilaf