Today I started peppers. Most of the packages tell me that I should be heating the bottom of the planting trays with warming blankets and keeping things at 80 degrees but that is not an option for me right now so mother nature is going to have to suck it up! I am doing the best I can. I water them, give them plenty of light and I talk to them - ALOT (hey - being in Iowa in the house by yourself can lead to some pretty crazy things.)
Starting off our pepper line-up is something new for us this year. Marconi Red Peppers. This is an Italian pepper and it has a heat factor of 0. Apparently they are good raw in salads or skinned. I started 9 of them in small cells. We purchased these seeds from Seed Savers (http://www.seedsavers.org/) and we are really excited to try these. Hubby just tried raw red pepper for the first time recently and really enjoyed it. High in vitamins A and C. I think they are also a pretty plant so let's hope for a large crop!
Banana Peppers are one of my personal favorites and I am hoping to learn how to can them this year. When I lived in the Chicago area and used to order pizza - which I would never do in Iowa - ugh - I used to love banana peppers on my pizza. Good thing I am gluten free now - makes going without good pizza a little more tolerable. We started 9 banana peppers.
Thai Hot Pepper - started 9 of these as well. (If you have noticed a pattern it is because the cell packs are packs of 9 and it is easier this way - but I am trying to keep good records. Sorry if it is redundant). Mr. Man and I LOVE thai food. A somewhat new passion we both share. We are hoping to grow alot of veggies used in thai dishes and experiment with making Thai at home. There are a few decent Thai restaurants in Des Moines but the one here in Grinnell, IA is HORRIFIC! Just awful. The funny thing is that everyone knows it - and says it - but it does not change. Grinnell College is right here in town and has a pretty decent amount of college students that I am assuming would love some good Thai - no such luck.
Also started Joe's Long Cayenne peppers - guess how many? That's right boys and girl - 9! These are nice and long and they dry really well. We can either hang them on a string (using needle and thread) or simply dry them up and crush them. Then into the shaker - just like the red pepper you find at the pizza place that I do not go to anymore. There is no question that peppers grown and crushed at home are better tasting than red pepper from the spice isle at the grocery store.
Last but not least the staple of the pepper garden - the Big Bertha Bell pepper. We all like stuffed green peppers in this house and we especially love putting bell pepper into asian stir fry. BUT - our very favorite dish is sliced potatoes, green pepper, mushroom, and onion tossed in a little olive oil and spices (paprika, onion powder, salt, dried pepper, etc) and baked in the oven at 400 degrees until everything is a little brown around the edges. YUMMY! We started 9 Big Berthas (of course)
That about wraps it up. More tomorrow.
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