A peck of peppers

Some like to pick green peppers off pizzas and pull them out of salads. They seem so much less exciting than the red, yellow, or orange ones. And there are so few recipes that use the green peppers as the primary ingredient.

In "Chez Panisse Vegetables" author and celebrity chef Alice Waters writes, "People who say they don't like peppers, or find them hard to digest, are probably talking about green peppers." Green peppers, in fact, both the sweet and hot ones, are merely unripe red, yellow, or orange peppers. And yes, the green sweet peppers may be bitter compared to their sweeter, mature counterparts.

Yet, they're abundant and inexpensive. One reason may be that cutting an immature fruit off a plant tells the plant to continue to produce fruit. Waiting until the fruit is fully ripe sends the signal that the plant has done its job, so it stops producing fruits. A plant can produce many more green peppers than brightly colored ones. Another explanation could be that green peppers travel to market better. A fully ripe vegetable would have a shorter shelf life than an unripe one.

At markets now, green peppers - sweet bell peppers and mild poblano, which is a mid-sized, heart-shaped forest green vegetable - are everywhere. Thinly slice them into rounds and fry them in olive oil, then toss the peppers with vinegar, toasted almonds, and raisins. This is one of Tim Wiechmann's favorite ways to prepare green peppers. The chef at T.W. Food Restaurant in Cambridge explains that the dish is versatile enough to accompany a fatty fish, like bluefish, or even a steak.

Farmers' market peppers are rarely bitter. But if you find peppers that taste too strong, don't feel bad about picking them off your pizza. You'll be in good company. - JILL SANTOPIETRO