Change of Perspective: Peppers too hot. Relish just right.

We love padron peppers. Blistered in some hot olive oil, and a few sea salt flakes – it’s one of our favorite summer appetizers. Thanks to the Galicians of NW Spain, these little peppers have found there way to Mediterranean climates around the world. The problem with padrons is this – leave them too long on the bush, and they get fiery hot. By this time in the autumn they are bright red AND hot. Too hot. What a waste to have a pepper bush covered with inedible peppers! At least the color is lovely. But then it occurred to me that you could eat them in other ways…. they didn’t have to be fried and salted. So I merged a few simple recipes for pepper jam, chutney, and relish and today we are eating hot red padrons in a whole new way. A little sweet, tart and spicy. But not too spicy. Now I am carefully tending the last few on the bushes, hoping for one last batch of pepper relish. Funny how things change.

2-3 cups seeded, finely chopped hot peppers
1 large onion, finely diced
1 crisp apple, cored, seeded and diced
2 cups of apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup of dark brown sugar (maple syrup could be good…)
1 Tbs sea salt
1 cinnamon stick
a few cloves and pepper corns in a tea ball

simmer this all down to a thick sauce – maybe 45 minutes. Store as you like. We have been eating it on crackers with a dollop of mascarpone.  Yum.