[Week 11] No-Peel Magic Peppers, 3 New Herby Sauces & Souper Cubes

Hello Farm Share Friends,

Last weekend was nearly as productive as I hoped: I made a large batch of ratatouille and basil pesto, both of which cleared out my vegetable bins and countertop jars. I have yet to pickle my jalapeños, but they’re not showing signs of wear, and I may simply continue using them one by one.

Incidentally, I froze most of the ratatouille (in quart containers) and all of the pesto in Souper Cubes, which I am only just discovering. Friends do you use Souper Cubes? I love how they allow you to easily pop out a single cube of sauce, and I find the lid handy, too. I used ice cube trays for this purpose for years, and they of course get the job done, too.

Also: have you made a batch of ratatouille yet? I think it’s my favorite summer dish. I’ve been slathering it on crackers all day long since Sunday.

This week we’re expecting a heap of peppers and a heap of herbs, and I have a few thoughts:

• Magic Peppers: I learned this pepper-roasting method from Sally Schneider's The Improvisational Cook, and what I love about it is that you don’t peel the peppers after you roast them: you simply chop them up and use them however you wish. They’re great in pasta salads, quiches, omelets, panzanella salads, and more. I’m going to use them in place of roasted red peppers in this harissa recipe.

• Herby Sauces/Marinades/Purées: Here are three new ones (pictured below as well), which look promising:

  • Green Everything Sauce

  • Jalapeno-Cilantro Stem Marinade

  • Parsley Purée

If you have any other fun ideas for all of those herbs, please share!

This week I’ll shoot to use the head lettuce, corn, melon, and green beans first. I’ll store the basil, parsley, and scallions on the countertop (in glasses filled with a little bit of water), and I’ll store the tomatoes on the countertop as well. I sometimes store vegetables like corn, peppers, and eggplant on the countertop as well if I know I’ll be using them within a few days. I love the countertop as a storage location because it reminds me to use things.

Week 11 Vegetables

• Corn → Corn Recipes

• Basil → Herb Recipes

• Tomatoes → Tomato Recipes

• Carrots → Carrot Recipes

• parsley → Herb Recipes

• scallions → Scallion Recipes

• Peppers → Pepper Recipes

• Green Beans