For many years I perused seed catalogs every spring, trying to decide which peppers, tomatoes and cucumbers to plant. Sometimes I would let my husband decide, as I did two years ago. He decided to plant the 24 hottest pepper varieties he could find.
More than once I have tended our garden all season, only to bring the harvest into the kitchen and wonder what I was going to do with it. Now before I plant, I peruse my cookbooks instead.
This year as I choose peppers (Capsicum annuum), I go back to my favorite recipes for moles and salsas and pickled peppers. These recipes will determine the varieties I plant in my garden.
Poblano peppers are one of my favorites and produce regal-looking heart-shaped fruits on two- to three-foot-tall plants. Fruit color ranges from a deep, almost-black green to a rich chocolatey brown. When fire-roasted and peeled, the mild and aromatic poblanos are perfect for chiles rellenos. They are easy to stuff, and they hold their shape when cooked. If allowed to ripen and dry, this same pepper becomes leathery and wrinkled. In the dry form, it is known as the ancho chile, the basis of some of my favorite moles.
When I think of cayenne peppers, I usually think red. But this year, both Peaceful Valley (www.GrowOrganic.com) and Gurneys (www.Gurney.com) have seeds for a cayenne pepper mix of green, red, orange, yellow and purple. I can easily visualize these in colorful dried and braided pepper ristras.
Cayenne peppers can be dried and pulverized for chili powder mixes or for straight cayenne powder, if you are hard core. Use a dash in soups, stews and tomato sauce. Shake dried flakes and seeds on pizza or in any dish that needs a little kick. Cayenne is high in vitamins A and C.
This year I will plant jalapeños again. Pickled jalapeño peppers are one of my easiest home pickling projects. To make them, I wash fresh jalapeños, then slice them and pack them in clean jars with a sprinkle of herbs and spices. Then I pour hot vinegar brine over them and process the jars in a hot water bath. For specific directions, follow instructions for pickled jalapeños in any pickling or canning cookbook. Enjoy these spicy pickles on refried beans, in scrambled eggs, or in anything that needs a jolt.
Spanish padrón peppers have been popping up on Napa Valley small-plate menus for the last couple of years. Seedlings should be available in local nurseries in another month or so, and there is still time to plant seeds. Padrón pepper seeds from Renee's Garden are available on local seed racks or online (www.reneesgarden.com).
These one-bite green peppers can range from mild to just plain hot, and they are easy to prepare. Put the peppers in a small cast-iron skillet or ovenproof ceramic dish. Toss with olive oil and salt and throw in a few garlic cloves if you like. Roast in a hot oven until the peppers start to char.
Renee's Garden offers many seed combinations so gardeners do not have to invest in more seed than they can use just to have some variety. The company also color-codes the seeds so you do not have to guess which variety you are planting.
Mexican-style salsa verde is another summer favorite at our house so growing tomatillos (Physalis ixocarpa) is a must. We use fresh, tart tomatillo sauce and the equally delicious roasted tomatillo sauce on enchildas suizas (chicken enchiladas with a tomatillo cream sauce), in salsa verde and fresh salsas of chopped tomatillos, roasted garlic, chopped onion, cilantro and lime. Equally wonderful are purple tomatillos, which make a fresh salsa with a sweet-tart flavor. They start out green, turning purple where the husks begin to reveal them. Purple tomatillos continue to change color after the husks are removed.
This year Territorial Seed Company (www.TerritorialSeed.com) is offering a variety of tomatillo I have not seen before called ‘Mexican Strain'. At almost two inches in diameter, ‘Mexican Strain' is larger than most tomatillos. It has a dark yellow color and is described as more savory than other types. The plants are heavy yielding, and, like other tomatillos, they drop their fruits when fully ripe. Tomatillos are versatile in the kitchen. You can pickle them or use them in a variety of sauces. They are easy to grow and will come back every year if not disturbed.
I fully expect to bring my harvests into the kitchen this year. But instead of wondering what to do with my bounty, I'll be wondering what to try first.
Master Gardeners are volunteers who help the University of California reach the gardening public with home gardening information. Napa County Master Gardeners (http://napamg.ucanr.edu) are available to answer gardening questions in person or by phone, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 9 a.m. to Noon, at the U. C. Cooperative Extension office, 1710 Soscol Avenue, Suite 4, Napa, 707-253-4143, or from outside City of Napa toll-free at 877-279-3065. Or e-mail your garden questions by following the guidelines on our web site. Click on Garden Questions?