PETER PIPER'S PEPPERS

As a young child growing up in an Italian-American home, it was customary to visit one’s grandparents either every Sunday or every other Sunday for a seven course dinner.

This was a time before microwaves and dishwashers or large refrigerators. Dinner was at noon so cooking began at the crack of dawn.

I would hear the stories how blocks of ice were purchased to keep food from spoiling. Eventually Grandma did buy a small refrigerator however she never kept much food in it. Today and tomorrow’s meat; the freezer was for ravioli and ice-cream pops for her grandchildren. Habits were hard to change.

Grandma shopped daily. She lived above the market. It was one flight of stairs down to street level and around the corner to the market for groceries. The apartment building didn’t have an elevator. It was a “walk up”. With string bags in hand, she’d cart back to her apartment only what she could carry in her bags and nothing more.

Everything was fresh. Only the ravioli came from a box in the freezer because it was made fresh, stored and sold to the grocer.

Grandpa liked her cooking. And he liked it spicy. Very spicy. To add this dimension of spice to her meals, she would dry her own peppers. The market sold “hot peppers” and Grandma would string these peppers from the pipes in her apartment until they were shriveled and so dry that they would crumble upon touch.

The heat of the pepper was so intense that she would caution never to touch the hot peppers and use your hands to rub your eye. The burning sensation was immediate and uncomfortable.

When she wasn’t drying hot peppers, she was roasting red bell peppers. As you see, peppers were a staple in her cooking and Grandpa’s diet. He must have had a cast iron stomach to consume all that spicy food. Had he been alive today, the variety of peppers with their associated levels of heat would have most certainly pleased him.

Old Mother Frugal’s stomach is not as strong as Grandpa’s but my memories of the peppers are as strong as ever.

SOUND THE BUGLE! Today’s tip: Bell peppers freeze well. Once washed, slice in half, remove seeds and placed in plastic bags. No prior cooking required. Red bell peppers, when roasted, make for a delightful sandwich or sandwich topping. Stockpile when on sale and treat yourself to a wonderful veggie sandwich!

                      BROIL PEPPERS ON ALL SIDES UNTIL CHARRED

 

PLACE IN ORDINARY BROWN PAPER BAG

 

STEAM IN CLOSED BAG UNTIL COOL

 

REMOVE CHAR SKIN AND SEEDS FROM PEPPERS

 

WRAP SEEDS AND SKINS IN PAPER

 

ROASTED PEPPERS ARE READY TO EAT

 

RED PEPPER AND SWISS ON PITA