Friday, January 2, 2009

stocking up for a long winter

Today, I went through the freezer and found (I think I found) all the hot peppers and all the chopped green peppers from the farm that I stored away over the course of the summer. I threw them on some parchment paper and roasted the whole lot for quite a while. When I decided they were done, that is, when the house smelled irresistably good, I let them cool a bit, then removed all the stems and seeds. I soaked the sticky mess in hot water until cool again, then food-processed the peppers and juice with some salt and cumin (I had roasted and pulverized the seeds).

The result was a rich, thick, brown, and very hot paste that I scooped into a quart freezer bag. It's now back in the freezer. I'm thinking about soups, perhaps some sauces, or parts of sauces that we'll work on for the rest of the winter and possibly into the spring. Perhaps I could mix a little with some tahini and toss it with vegetables. Or put a little into the next batch of enchiladas I make. Or mix it with fresh tomatoes for a very interesting salsa.

We'll definitely work something out. I know there's a lot of experimenting I'll be able to do with this spicey ambrosia.

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