PEPPERS- -DRIED, FRIED AND STUFFED INSIDE

I love peppers. Hot, mild, sweet, any type of peppers appeal to me. I like their pretty colors in the garden but most of all I love the many ways you can use them in cooking. I lost track of how many types I raised this time, because I threw away the little markers. I know I have at least six types of sweet and a couple of hot. I didn't plant enough hot or poblano peppers this year. Next year I will plant more of those. I love the bright red of the little tiny chili peppers.

I have dried enough for a string of dried peppers for my kitchen in addition to putting some up to grind for later. I like the look of dried peppers and herbs, hanging in the kitchen. I think it gives it a homey, warm look. I love peppers too because they are easy to freeze. I just seed, slice and freeze. You don't need to blanch them if you use them in a month or so. Billy will probably use the ground up ones in his tamales. Although I have been known to add hot pepper flakes to kick things up a notch. I love hot! I think they will keep producing up until the middle of October at least.

I like poblano peppers for stuffing with cream cheese and then wrapping with bacon. Pop in the oven until the bacon is brown and crisp. Billy smoked some once and they were really good. I think my favorite way to make peppers though is the same way Mama used to make them. Stuffed bell peppers with rice, meat and cheese was a dish I loved as a child. I love rich, red pepper pesto made from bell peppers for corn chips, crackers, crusty bread, pasta, and roasted potatoes too. You can find that recipe all over the Internet. Everyone has their own version.

If I could only grow five veggies, I would pick yellow squash, peppers, tomatoes, green onions and potatoes.

DIY drying and stringing peppers

OKRA-YOU EITHER LOVE IT OR HATE IT

I love it fried up all crisp and brown. But this year I grew some for Billy to make his world famous gumbo. I am not a fan of gumbo, although I like everything that goes in it. I just don't like it mixed together. I prefer my shrimp, boiled with a good cocktail sauce or fried up in a nice sandwich with lettuce and tomato. I love crabs dipped in butter. Now, I know according to his brothers, his gumbo is really good. I'll take their word for it. I don't like the texture on my tongue. That is funny in a way, because I do like boiled okra in field peas with a big ole hunk of buttery cornbread.

My basil, if I don't get it out of there, is going to overtake my okra. We have been picking okra from just these few plants for a long while. It has been enough for his gumbo but I think next year, I will plant just a few more plants.

Here is a good recipe for Fried Okra..you can leave out the hot sauce but it won't be Southern fried. We use hot sauce in the South.

1 pound fresh okra
2 eggs, beaten
4 to 6 dashes hot pepper sauce
1 cup cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
oil for deep frying

Wash okra and drain well. Now cut off ends and save them for your compost pile. Cut okra crosswise into 1/2-inch slices. In a bowl, combine beaten eggs and hot sauce. This is what I do, I like it. Add okra and stir to coat all pieces well. In a shallow dish, combine cornmeal, salt and cayenne. Dip okra pieces into cornmeal mixture to coat well.

Now Mama fried hers up in a big black iron skillet but I use a deep fryier. It's all good....

Heat oil in the deep fryer to 375°. Fry okra in batches until browned, about 4 to 6 minutes for each batch. Drain on paper towels and serve immediately.