Banana Peppers and Frog Balls

It is always such a treat when we get to spend time with our friends Lisa and Jack who live in the Bay Area.  When we last visited them in their beautiful home in San Anselmo just a few months ago, we all spent an amazing day following the Sonoma-Marin Cheese Trail tasting delicious artisanal cheeses and luscious Sonoma wines.  Our time together just flew by, so when Lisa and Jack decided to pop down to L.A. for a very quick trip last weekend, we were very excited to see them again and pick up where we left off.

As background, let me just say that Lisa, an incredibly gifted gardener, has the greenest thumb I've ever seen.  She has been watching me salivate over her home-grown vegetables for decades -- her fresh-picked corn will forever turn you off any you get from the market!  So of course, with no time for harvesting before their early morning departure, during the long journey down Interstate 5 Lisa and Jack felt compelled to make a little detour and pick up these gorgeous banana peppers from a Central Valley farm stand, just for me.

They also picked up this very questionable jar.  (I can only blame Jack for this one!)

Actually, it turns out that "Frog Balls" are pickled brussel sprouts, and they are tangy, crunchy, and sooo delicious.  But it's the peppers that really excited me.  Lisa, like me, loves everything Turkish, and I'm certain when she saw the peppers they reminded her of the delicious pepper dishes we enjoyed so much together in Turkey.  So as soon as I saw them, I immediately decided to make a very simple Turkish zeytinyagli ("with olive oil") dish highlighting the peppers.  Here is the recipe for this super easy, delicious, and VB6 compatible side dish:

First I rinse, seed, and slice six peppers into tiny rounds.

Then I peel and dice two juicy tomatoes, and I sprinkle a bit of salt on them.

Next, I heat up 2 tablespoons of good quality extra virgin olive oil and saute the peppers on a medium heat, stirring often, for about 3 minutes. 

I then add the tomatoes and cook for an additional 3 minutes until the tomatoes and peppers are softened.  Next I add a touch of white vinegar (about 1/4 teaspoon) and just a tiny pinch of sugar.  Finally, I add a bit of salt and pepper to taste.

These peppers are delicious served as a side dish, either room temperature or chilled, and will keep in the refrigerator for several days.  Enjoy!