Produce Spotlight: Tuscan Melons and Sweet Peppers

Hello all and Happy Friday! Another week of delicious produce has passed, which means another great week is upon us!

We’d like to shed light on two of our favorites for next week’s bins: Tuscan Melons and local Sweet Peppers from Alvarez Farm! Let’s see what they’re all about!

Tuscan Melons

The name of this melon is trademarked as “Extra Sweet Tuscan Style Cantaloupe”. Because of a smaller seed cavity and thin green rind, these melons produce an average of 10 percent higher usable yield than common cantaloupes. Not genetically modified and grown from Italian hybrid seeds, Dulcinea Tuscan Cantaloupes were developed through conventional cross-breeding, also known as hybridization.

Tuscan Cantaloupes are an excellent source of vitamin A and vitamin C.  They are also high in  folate, and lycopene (a beneficial antioxidant).

Tuscan cantaloupe will keep up to 2 weeks, refrigerated.

Storage Tips:

  • Store at 40°– 42°F for optimal shelf life
  • To further ripen cantaloupes with green grooves, leave at room temperature
  • Do NOT store cantaloupes outside or above temperature above 80°F
  • Do NOT store with watermelons, bananas, apples, stone fruit, pears, avocados, grapes, kiwi, mixed melons, tomatoes. Cantaloupes produce high levels of ethylene and can accelerate the shelf life of other produce.
  • Always pre-wash your produce. Thoroughly scrub and wash in clean water before cutting and eating.
Gypsy Sweet and Banana peppers from Alvarez Farm
We are also very excited to feature banana peppers once again from Alvarez Farms. Full of flavor, these mild and sweet peppers are great with many dishes. It’s easy to grow, comes in both sweet and hot varieties and is a good source of fiber, beta-carotene, and vitamins A and C. You’ll know when a banana pepper is ready to be picked because it’s yellow in color and the shape of a banana. Hence the name.

So, what do you do with a bushel of banana peppers? You can only eat so many banana-peppered salads. Let’s see some awesome recipes provided by TLC.

Peppery Pizza: Sure, pepperoni, mushrooms and sausage are great pizza toppings, but how about looking to your backyard garden for veggie toppings? It’ll be healthy and tasty at the same time.

Banana peppers are tangy and sweet, so their flavor mixes well with cheese and other toppings; think cured meat or a green leafy vegetable, like spinach or arugula. Here’s a quick recipe:

Make your own pizza dough and sauce (or buy some at the grocery store). Roll out your dough, leaving a border around the edge for your crust. Ladle on a thin layer of sauce, spreading it around with the back of the ladle. Sprinkle on grated mozzarella cheese. Next, place a layer of torn arugua leaves on the pie. Top with small sliced pieces of cured Italian salami. Top the whole thing off with sliced rings of banana peppers. Bake on a baking sheet for 20 to 25 minutes at 450 degrees. Top with grated parmesan cheese. Delicious!

Stuffed Banana Peppers

We’ve all seen stuffed green peppers. Not everyone likes the taste of bell peppers, though. How about trying it with banana peppers? Banana peppers have a much milder taste than bell peppers, and bring a different flavor to the traditional dish of stuffed peppers. You can make stuffed peppers meaty or meatless, depending on your preference. If you don’t eat meat, think about using rice, quinoa or some other meat alternative.

Use about a pound of meat for every four good-sized banana peppers. Use mild or spicy, whatever your preference. Slice the top of the pepper, making it into a sort of flip-top. Brown sausage or ground beef in a skillet and set aside. In a large bowl, mix bread crumbs, Romano cheese, an egg, and some salt and pepper together. Stir in the meat and add more bread crumbs/cheese or another egg, depending on how moist or dry you want the stuffing. Gently fill the peppers with the stuffing and close the tops of the peppers. Fry the peppers in olive oil until each side is browned. Serve with a bit of marinara sauce and some grated cheese on top, if desired.

Banana Pepper Poppers

You’ve probably had — or at least seen — jalapeno poppers at a local restaurant. A very popular appetizer, poppers are peppers split open, filled with cream cheese and deep fried. If you like poppers but don’t like the spiciness of jalapenos, why not try some banana pepper poppers? You can get the yummy taste without the heat, and you can make them at home.

Wash the banana peppers and pat dry. Cut in half lengthwise and remove seeds. Fill each half with cream cheese. Here comes the good part. Wrap a small (about a third of a slice) piece of bacon around each pepper and stick a toothpick through to hold. Place them on a baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees until the bacon is crispy. Warning: These are addictive!

For variations on the theme, mix in shredded cheeses like parmesan, Gouda or Monterey Jack. Forgo the bacon altogether if you don’t eat meat or don’t like bacon. Or, top the cream cheese mixture with bread crumbs. Add salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika — whatever floats your boat.

All of these recipes sound great! How will you be using your banana peppers? Share your recipes and photos on our Facebook wall! 

Sources: tlc.discovery.com; http://michnutrish.blogspot.com; http://www.dulcinea.com; http://www.specialtyproduce.com

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