This Week’s Harvest, 7/27 – The Last One Before The Vegetables Leave For Vacation

I admit I wasn’t super thrilled when I read that I would be getting peppers in this week’s bag.  This was for two reasons: One, I am not historically a big fan of bell peppers; and Two, I got two paniers this week, so it was double the antcipated bell pepper fun.  But when I looked into those bags and saw longish, pointy green peppers, and smelled their intoxicating, slightly spicy aroma, my attitude changed completely.  Now I’m so excited to cook with them, I don’t know where to start.  That’s not true, I know exactly what I want to cook.  Mexican!  Maybe some raja green beans, or Nick’s favorite, chiles rellenos.

Tomatoes are a summer staple, and since there were two containers of them in each of my bags, I am now very long on tomatoes.  I ate one for lunch today, simply sliced, sprinkled with herbed salt, and drizzled with olive oil.  I can’t wait to make some gazpacho (I think the peppers will be happy to play along there, too), pico de gallo, stuffed tomatoes (either with or without meat – they’re great either way), tomato tarts… There’s no shortage of things to do with tomatoes, is what I’m saying.

Like BLT salads!  Juicy tomatoes, crispy bacon, maybe some avocado and ranch dressing, served on a bed of lettuce.  And speaking of no shortage, anybody have any brilliant ideas on how to use up two large bunches of chives?  I mean, I know I can probably use them to garnish and flavor many of the aforementioned dishes, but that’s a lot of chives.

The zucchini are mercifully small and few.  They’ll be great diced as a garnish for the gazpacho, I also love them with pasta, polenta, and my latest obsession, grain salads.

The upside to the freakishly cold summer we’ve been having here in Paris is that the idea of having the oven on for long periods of time isn’t odious, thus paving the way for dishes like baked potatoes or potato gratins, usually reserved for winter eating.

Originally published on Croque-Camille.

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