BY LAUREN SPAGNOLETTI   –   PJ Media

In this series of recipes, I am highlighting the wonderful produce that is in-season in the summer. This week, I couldn’t resist focusing on delicious bell peppers. You can use any color that you’d like – but keep in mind that the red ones are slightly sweeter than the green. I like to change it up and make one of every color.

Since sweet bell peppers are on the Dirty Dozen list (the Environmental Working Group’s list of produce with the highest pesticide loads), that means that they are more likely to have a high pesticide content. So when I cook with bell peppers, I always buy organic. Same goes for the tomato, baby spinach and jalapeno used in this recipe.

The stuffing for the peppers in this dish is an easy-to-make quinoa mixture. If you want to re-purpose the recipe, the quinoa makes a delicious side to chicken or shrimp—so if you don’t have bell peppers, it’s not a problem!

Also, the recipe calls for jalapenos and Monterey (or Jalapeno) Jack cheese to give it a little kick. It’s not overwhelmingly spicy by any means, but if you prefer a milder taste, feel free to substitute cheddar for the cheese, and take out the jalapeno completely. (Keep in mind that removing seeds from jalapenos cuts back on their level of heat. So if you want an even spicier option, keep a few of those seeds in there!)

I have found that this dish works great as a side (we ate ours with cheeseburgers topped with Monterey Jack cheese), but it can work just as well as an appetizer or small lunch. They’re deceptively easy to make, so if you prepare them for guests, you’re bound to get a lot of compliments for very little effort!

(Makes 3 large peppers, or 4 slightly smaller ones)

Ingredients:

• 3 large bell peppers (or 4 slightly smaller ones), with tops, seeds, and spines carefully removed
• 1 cup of uncooked quinoa
• 2 cups of chicken stock (use vegetable stock to make the dish vegetarian)
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 1 large shallot, finely chopped
• 1 large jalapeno, finely chopped with seeds removed
• 1 large tomato, cut into ½ inch chunks
• 2 large handfuls of baby spinach
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and more for brushing and topping later
• ½ cup of Monterey or Jalapeno Jack cheese, shredded
• ½ avocado, cut into slices
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

• Preheat oven to Roast at 375 degrees.
• Cook quinoa according to package instructions, using stock instead of water. Season with a pinch of salt, and fluff with fork. Set aside.
• Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil.
• When oil is hot, but not smoking, add the shallot, garlic and jalapeno.
• Cook for about a minute until the shallot is translucent.
• Add the tomatoes and a pinch of salt, and mix together, about a minute.
• Add the spinach and another pinch of salt. Toss all ingredients together until spinach is wilted.
• Add 2 cups of cooked quinoa to the pan. Season with ½ teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Mix everything together and remove from heat.
• Lightly brush the insides and outsides of the bell peppers with olive oil, and sprinkle with a pinch of salt each.
• Fill each pepper cup with the quinoa mixture. Add a small amount of cheese in the middle, and then continue filling with quinoa.
• **Note: if the peppers aren’t standing up on their own, use a knife to cut the bottoms off so they don’t fall over.**
• Top each stuffed pepper with a sprinkle of jalapeno jack cheese.
• Place peppers on baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes at 375 degrees, or until peppers are tender.
• Add slices of avocado to the top, and enjoy!

By Dede Ryan   –   Mother Earth News

This is a terrific dessert on a warm night, a delicious accompaniment to grilled food, or a snack right out of the fridge. And, the best part is that it’s made from something you usually throw away.

These pickles come from a 1996 copy of Better Homes and Gardens Canning & Preserving recipes. I’ve experimented with variations over the years, but this is the best!

Ingredients:

• 4 1/2 pounds watermelon rind (enough to make 9 cups)
• 6 cups water
• 1/3 cup pickling salt
• 3 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 cups white vinegar
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 15 inches cinnamon sticks
• 2 teaspoons whole cloves

Directions:

1. The most time consuming task is cutting the rind into 1-inch cubes. I like to cut the beast into quarters, then into strips, then use a vegetable peeler to remove the tough green skin. Be sure all the pink fruit is off the rind so your brine stays clear.

2. Cut into cubes to measure 9 cups, place in a large bowl. Combine the 6 cups water and pickling salt and pour over the rind. Cover and let stand overnight.

3. Pour the rind into a colander in the sink and rinse with cold running water. Place in a large pan and cover with cold water. Heat to boiling and reduce to simmer. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes until the rind is tender. You’ll watch it turn to a rich color. Drain.

4. At the same time, in a separate large pan, combine the sugar, vinegar, and 1 1/2 cups water. I make a cheesecloth bag of the cinnamon and cloves and submerge it in the liquid. Heat to boiling, reduce heat and boil gently, uncovered for about 10 minutes. Them remove the delightful-smelling spice bag. Add the watermelon rind and return to boiling. Cover and boil gently until rind is translucent, about 30 minutes.

5. Pack rind and syrup into hot, clean half-pint canning jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles by running a sterilized knife around the product. Process filled jars in a boiling-water bath for about 10 minutes, adding minutes, depending on your elevation (actually, your geographic elevation — if you are standing on a chair, it doesn’t matter). Lift jars onto a cooling rack and wait for the satisfying “ping” as each jar seals.

This recipe makes 6 half-pints.The taste and texture are quite extraordinary. Enjoy!

by Eater Video   –   Eater.com

Home cooking can seem daunting, but with a resourceful cheerleader in your corner, the kitchen is nothing to fear. Introducing You Can Do This!, a brand new video series from Eaterwhere food tips-and-tricks guru Clifford Endo shares the secrets behind some of his favorite kitchen projects. Today, Endo speeds up the fermenting process with the help of a whipped cream canister, which yields perfectly briny pickles in a flash. Watch the video above for a visual how-to, and follow along with the recipe below.

Flash Pickles

1 cup rice vinegar
½ cup mirin
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon black pepper corn
1 tablespoon coriander seed
1 tablespoon salt
1 bay leaf
2 quarter inch slices ginger
2 thin slices jalapeno
1 cucumber

Special equipment: whipped cream canister, 2 cartridges NO2, mandolin

In a small saucepot combine all of the pickling liquid ingredient and bring to a boil. Once the liquid has reached a boil strain in to a bowl. Then place bowl in to a larger bowl filled with ice to cool down the liquid.

Cut a whole cucumber in the hamburger bun lengths 3–4 inches. Slice or run cucumber through a mandolin making ¼ inch planks stopping when you reach the inner seeds. Then rotate and continue on the opposite side stopping when you reach the seeds. Repeat with the remaining two sides.

When your pickling liquid is cool pour in to your whip cream canister not going past the fill line. Then add your planks in to the canister with the liquid and screw the top on tightly.

Charge you canister with one of the NO2 cartridges. After the gas stops slightly agitate the pickles by rolling them around the inside of the canister for about a 30–1 minute. Then gas the canister again with NO2. If you are using the small versions, one cartridge is enough. Briefly agitate again and then lay the canister down on its side for two minutes

Place a cup over the nozzle to contain any liquid that might come out. Then release the gas with the canister facing upward. This is to release just the gas and not the liquid inside. When gas is fully released unscrew the lid and dump contents in to a bowl. Pull the pickles out of the liquid and place on top of your burger and have that oh shit, this is actually pretty good moment.

by BERNADETTE HOGG   –   NZ House & Garden

Use this sweet, spiced liquid to make a range of easy vegetable pickles  to add fresh-tasting crunch to sandwiches, burgers and other meals. The liquid can be kept in a sterilized jar in the fridge for several months, while the prepared vegetable pickles will keep covered in the fridge for 2-3 weeks.

Pickling liquid:

1 liter white wine vinegar

2 cups sugar

4 sprigs fresh thyme

2 whole star anise

1 cinnamon stick

1 teaspoon fine salt

1 teaspoon pickling spice

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds

Place all ingredients in a medium saucepan and stir over moderate heat until sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer for 5 minutes.

Remove from heat and cool completely. Makes about 1 liter

Pickled Cucumber & Onion:

Cut a telegraph cucumber into 10 cm lengths then peel the flesh into ribbons, discarding the seeds.

Peel and finely slice a small onion into rings. Soak rings in cold water for 10 minutes, drain and pat dry with paper towels.

Place cucumber ribbons and onion rings in a non-reactive bowl and cover with pickling liquid. Cover and chill for at least 4 hours, overnight if possible, before using.

Pickled Beetroot:

Slice 3 cooked and peeled, medium-sized beetroot into rings. Place in a non-reactive bowl and cover with pickling liquid. Cover and chill for at least 4 hours, overnight if possible, before using.

Pickled Red Cabbage & Red Onion

Remove the core and finely slice a quarter of a red cabbage. Peel and finely slice a red onion into rings.  Place cabbage and onion in a non-reactive bowl and cover with pickling liquid. Cover and chill overnight before using.

Pickled Radish:

Remove the tops and tails from 10 radishes. Using a mandolin, finely slice into rings. Place in a non-reactive bowl and cover with pickling liquid. Cover and chill for several hours before using.