Ode to Capsicum Annuum

Tumbling Shoals Farm with zinnias

Jambalaya ingredients

oh. Oh. Oh!!!  Like the return of a long gone lover, pepper season has finally arrived.  And like the one left behind, I’ve been pining away for it, watching the pepper patch like the phone, waiting for the first ring of color.  I could almost taste the crispy sweetness on my tongue. And just when I thought I had been jilted, the brilliant shades of the season shine once again.  Ahhh …August.  Most farmers despise August.  And really, who can blame them?  With the weeds that escaped us a mile high,  heat and humidity in dangerous digits, and summer’s bounty on the way out, but not me.  Nope.  August is jambalaya, gazpacho, salsa, chiles rellenos.  August is the candy crunch yielding to my greedy jaws.  August is roasted pepper sauce, soup, and sandwiches.  August is stuffed peppers, sautéed peppers, pepper pizza.  August is a pepper (or two) a day ….well, you get my drift.