One of the most striking peppers out there is an African-American heirloom fish pepper, Capsicum annuum. Its variegated green and white leaves with green and yellow striped peppers really stand out in a vegetable garden. The color of the fruit ranges from green, orange, brown, white, and red (watch out for the heat on the red). Mildly hot in the green form, these peppers can be used in many dishes, especially fish and shellfish dishes.

The pepper came to America in the 1870s and was widely grown in the Philadelphia and Baltimore areas. It is a secret ingredient in fish recipes, not showing up in cookbooks, but known through oral tradition.

Easy to grow in containers as well as raised and ground gardens, this pepper needs full sun, water 2-3 times per week until established, and mature in 80 days. Because of its handsome display, the plant is valued by ornamental landscapers.

You can get seeds from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds; I ordered starters from Redwood Barn in Davis; Morningsun Herb Farm might also be able to order them.

One of my favorite fish dishes is grilled salmon, especially if I caught the salmon in Sitka, Alaska.

Grilled Salmon with Fish Peppers

2 salmon fillets

2-3 Tbsp olive oil

1/8-1/4 cup white wine

juice from 1 lemon or 1 orange

minced garlic to taste

salt and pepper to taste

minced fish pepper to taste

Marinade fillets in all ingredients for about 3 hours. Grill for 5-7 minutes on side depending on how well done you like your salmon. Enjoy.

Variegated fish peppers. (photo by Susan Christiansen)