Lovely friend Asia asked of the last post: “I don’t suppose you can turn all green peppers red in a windowsill huh?”
Well, check out what David’s have become in just three days:
I’ve long thought that any honest pepper would change its spots with time: all colored bell peppers start out green, maturing to red, yellow, purple, even brown! But a quick check reminded me that there are some green bell varieties that will not turn. I wonder if the uniform specimens found in most grocery stores–genetically modified for perfection–have had the ability to become brilliant bred right out. Too bad: we lose not only aesthetic value, but nutrients as well: colored peppers can have double the vitamin C.
Colored peppers are more expensive because they require more care–they spend more time on the vine, after all! So if you want this at home, get a green pepper within hours of its being picked–say, from a farmer’s market. (If you get an old pepper that’s lived in a climate-controlled environment since the harvest, it’ll likely go soft [rot] from sitting out, thus undermining your whole experiment.) And if you happen to be growing your own, just let the “green” bell pepper sit on the vine and see what happens.
The peppers should be ready for use by tomorrow night, when I hope to pair them with tempeh. I’ve got a few blocks I need to use up before the fast-approaching expiration date; tonight I incorporated it into a simple rotini primavera:
Yesterday I made bhindi masala with the brilliant mango powder (amchoor) that arrived from the spice house. (Apparently they didn’t lose my order after all!) Amchoor powder is basically my favorite ingredient. And since four ounces is less than four dollars, you should get some and make your own. Here’s the recipe I’ve refined over many skillets-worth:
- prep, FROZEN: Steam 1lb whole frozen okra til it’s cooked through; rinse with cool water. Cut the stem-ends off; slice lengthwise in two.
- prep, FRESH: Steam 1lb okra til al dente; rinse; cut the stem-ends; slice lengthwise in two.
- Chop two or three small-to-medium tomatoes.
- Chop a white or vidalia onion or two, depending on how much you love onions
- Toss onion into a preheated, oiled, large cast iron skillet. I usually use 2 tbsp of olive or canola oil.
- Cook onions over medium to med-high heat til soft, a little brown, so long as they’re cooked; it’s really up to you.
- Add in a teaspoon of salt, two teaspoons of mango powder, 1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne, and 1/2-3/4tsp tumeric. Stir fry a minute or two.
- Add in the tomatoes, mix thoroughly with the spices.
- Add in the okra. If using fresh okra, mix thoroughly, put a lid on it, and let it steam of a while (now on medium heat). If using frozen, it’ll probably already be mostly cooked from the steaming, so you just need to mix thoroughly and let it simmer for a few minutes so that the flavors can mix.
- Serves two hungry folks; four or more if it’s being offered alongside other things.
Here’s what it should look like when you’re just adding the okra:
And here’s about what it looks like when it’s done: (using ripe green tomatoes; red will result in a different hue).
Lovely zebras.
This dish is my favorite thing to make for dinner because it’s naturally high in calcium (20% DV per serving) and low in calories. A pound of okra only has about 130 calories in it TOTAL, and a few fresh tomatoes, onions, and spices in the recipe don’t add many more. Just go easy on the oil and all that refined basmati rice you’re eating with it.
Finally, don’t forget to give to Pakistanis suffering the greatest natural disaster of our time.
You can text “SWAT” to 50555 from your phone to give $10 and help flood victims. Doctors Without Borders physicians are “working around the clock” to meet the needs of the displaced, focussing on providing clean water, treating diarrhea, and providing women’s health services–as amid the tragedy, babies continue to be born. Church World Servicecontinues to provide food and disaster supplies.
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