Heirloom Hot Peppers
Have you ever eaten something new and it ended up being so delicious that for the days, weeks, and even the months following, all you wanted to eat was that one thing until the end of all time? For me, this equals the hot peppers my friend dished up before a leisurely evening meal sometime last summer.
Let me introduce you. You pry open a mason jar containing a rich mix of peppers, crisp celery and sliced green olives that have all been dancing in a olive oil bath thoroughly dotted with salt and vinegar. Grabbing a slice of perfectly crusty, buttered French bread, you pile the mixture on top shortly before devouring with complete little piggy food passion.
The recipe has been in my friend’s family for several generations. By some form of a miracle, her mom was generous enough to write down how she makes the peppers. The note with the ingredients has been pinned to our fridge with a magnet, just waiting for its turn at the helm of our kitchen. And as if it were meant to be, at the end of the summer I found myself with an overabundance (and a huge variety) of peppers.
I beat feet to the grocer’s to grab the odds and ends that I didn’t have around the house. I picked up the basics, a new bottle of olive oil, a container of sea salt and a few jars of olives (they don’t last long in our house!). Knowing full well that I did not have the exact recommended ingredients, and in typical Heirloom Lady fashion, I rolled with it. When I got home, I grabbed my big ole’ stock pot and set out to create something deliciously new-ish.
What you need:
Two pounds of peppers - I used a mix of sweet baby bells, shishitos, jalapeños, poblanos and a few cubanelles
One half bunch of celery
One white onions
Half a head of garlic
One ten ounce jar of green olive pieces
1 and 1/2 cups olive oil
1/4 cup vinegar
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 cup of sea salt
What to do:
Slice the peppers thin and put them into a bowl. Cover with 1/4 cup salt and stir. Let sit for 30 minutes.
Finely chop the celery and the onions and put into a bowl. Cover with 1/4 cup salt and stir. Let sit for 30 minutes.
Thinly slice each clove of garlic and set aside.
Drain the the juice from the olives and set aside.
Drain the peppers, the onions and celery.
Combine everything in a large stock pot.
Add the oil, vinegar and oregano. Stir well.
Bring to a boil for 10-15 minutes.
Sterilize your jars and keep hot in the oven. I put mine in on low while I’m prepping the ingredients. Once everything is ready, fill the jars with about half an inch of head space. Put the rings on the jars with, twisting until finger tight.
Lowering them into a hot water bath, process the jarred peppers for about 10 minutes. Once time is up, lift the jars out and let them rest on a towel on your countertop overnight. In the morning, double check your seals to make sure you’re all set. If any are loose, use them up right away and store in the fridge.
Best served as an appetizer, this combination is the perfect preface to any meal or perhaps even as midnight snack? (I wouldn’t know! Or would I?) Aside from being so delicious it becomes an obsession, it really helps that it’s also easy to make.