YELLOW WAX PEPPER SOUP

An awesome soup, and can be very hot if you don’t remove the seeds and pith from the Hungarian wax peppers. This is so much better if it is rested overnight. As it is not cooked together the flavours need time to get to know each other. Adjust the seasoning after reheating and before serving.

Ingredients

  • 4 sweet potatoes or a similar amount of pumpkin or a combination of the two
  • 1 kg of Hungarian yellow wax peppers (combination of red and yellow is ok. Yellow bell peppers are nowhere near as hot and just as delicious)
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 2 litres chicken stock
  • salt and pepper to taste (don’t add until final reheating just before serving – the flavour will change as it develops)
  • 1/2 tsp dried thyme or 1 tsp fresh
  • 1/2 can coconut cream
  • 1/2 cup Greek yoghurt
  • Yoghurt, fresh basil or coriander to serve

Method

  1. Slice peppers down the centre and remove the seeds and pith (unless you like it really hot)
  2. Lay them skin side on a wire rack and grill under a high heat for about 20 minutes or until the skins are beginning to char.
  3. If using a high speed blender add the peppers, roughly peeled garlic cloves, thyme and the chicken stock and process until very smooth.(otherwise you need to remove the skins and use a food processor)
  4. Cook the sweet potatoes and or pumpkin in the microwave until tender. When cooled scoop out the flesh and add to the machine of choice and process a bit longer
  5. Add the coconut cream and yoghurt and process a bit more
  6. Pour into  container and let it rest in the fridge preferably overnight
  7. Put back on heat, adjust seasoning and serve.
  8. Choice of basil, coriander, slice of lemon and yoghurt to serve.

YELLOW PEPPER SALAD

Michelle’s mother banana pepper salad

This is from my neighbor Michelle’s mother recipe book. She has a Russian/Chinese background so I assume that these Hungarian wax capsicums would have been what she used.

I like growing banana capsicum because they tend not to get fruit fly, but this year, not paying much attention to the variety I grew copious quantities of Hungarian wax yellow peppers. These babies are quite hot. Something I didn’t realise until I had made my first batch of this salad. 1kg of capsicum is quite a commitment so I determined that it would be eaten.

What I learned is that this improves over a few days and will keep in the fridge for about 2 weeks. It can also be frozen and defrosts ok.

Ingredients

  • 1 kg yellow peppers (red and yellow is fine), sliced fairly thickly on the mandolin – remove the bulk of the seeds unless you want it hot.
  • 4 large carrots sliced into match sticks
  • 3 onions sliced into thin rings
  • 5 cloves garlic crushed
  • 3 tbs tomato sauce or paste
  • 1 tbs dill
  • Chilli sauce and salt (taste before adding)

Method

  1. Add small amount of tasteless oil to a large pan and saute the onions until just beginning to go clear, add the garlic and cook for a minute more, remove to a bowl
  2. Add a bit more oil and fry the carrots until they just begin to change colour, add to the onions
  3. Add a bit more oil – gently saute the capsicum and dill together until just on the verge of softening but still crunchy. Add all to the bowl
  4. Gently stir the vegetables together – add the sauce and some salt and taste and adjust.
  5. Put it in the fridge for at least 4 hours before adjusting flavour again and serving.

Definitely is better after several days.