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phildeez_gw

First Aleppo Usage

Phildeez
12 years ago

I finally got a couple ripe Aleppo pods (AKA Halaby). It is a major ingredient in a lot of hot Mediterranean dishes and I was very happy with the flavor. They are very sweet with a good amount of heat, similar to de Arbol or hot Thai peppers but much sweeter with very thick walls and a lot bigger pods. The walls are so thick that I am nervous to try and dry them without a dehydrator, but I really want some homemade Aleppo powder.

SO, thinking Greek, like I am, I went out to the garden and picked a bunch of mint, basil, and oregano. Threw them in the processor with the two Aleppo pods (deseeded), 3 cloves of homegrown garlic, and a handful of spinach. Added a couple splashes of red wine vinegar, juice of half a lemon, and EVOO and processed. It tasted amazing right out of the processor but it got better with a day or two, although it won't keep more than a week or so. I have been putting it on everything, I wish I had a name for it, call it Greek Chimichurri. The best so far was Mediterranean Pizza with roasted/skinned Hungarians and Big Jims and the chimichurri on top.







I am on a roll, I made a fantastic roasted mango hab/serrano sauce also, going to have to find some people to eat this stuff!

Phil

Comments (14)

  • greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
    12 years ago

    Wow, now that looks tasty!

    For thick-fleshed pods, cut them into thinner strips and they should dry fast enough.


    Josh

  • sjetski
    12 years ago

    Holy cow does that look good, great job and thanks for posting that!

    I think i know what i'll be including on my 2012 grow list. Mind if i ask where you got your seeds from?

  • Phildeez
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Josh, it was not too bad, my girl could enjoy it in small amounts. That amount of herbs helps to combat the heat.

    Sjetski, I drove about an hour to get some transplants from a good nursery at the start of this season. That is where it came from. I will have open pollinated seeds to trade if you want to work something out.

  • greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
    12 years ago

    Phil, you've got to toughen her palate so she can enjoy more peppers with you!

    About them herbs....after munching on the Hot Cherry the other day, I picked a basil leaf
    and a sprig of dill to compliment the heat and flavor from the pepper.

    Josh

  • Phildeez
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    She works at a friggin Mexican restaurant, too! She says she can eat spicy things but she coughs and hiccups every time she tries any of my hot sauces. Although I do admit some of them have been way too hot. She also just truly dislikes the taste of peppers, spicy dishes are acceptable but not the pepper flavor, even belle peppers. Needless to say we will not be getting married, hehe.

  • greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
    12 years ago

    Hehe...deal-breaker, eh? ;-)

    I hate Bell peppers, by the way. Have I mentioned that before? ;-)
    Yeah, I loathe the flavor of Bells. They ruin any dish they touch (for my taste).
    But my disdain goes deeper! There is a subset of the population, the lazy and the unskilled,
    who chop up a couple Bells and throw them into a bowl and think they're the next Master Chef.
    Red, orange, yellow. Yes, Bells are colorful...and that's it.

    (I see the -e- at the end of belle, so perhaps you mean cajun belle?
    Either way, just thought I'd share my dislike for Bells) ;-)


    Josh

  • shoontok
    12 years ago

    Hahahaha.

    That Aleppo sauce sounds real good man.

    Maybe i gotta try growing them next year.

    And Bell Peppers? Yes they suck! They are a waste of garden space. They dont seem to produce much at all but maybe a couple of large pods. I have other mild peppers like Anaheim and Numex Sunrise that produce much better.

    Jim

  • kosherbaker
    12 years ago

    One more Bell Pepper hater here. :) :D

    Is the Aleppo an Annuum then? Thick walls tend to be an Annuum chracteristic. If it is then it will have a lot of that Bell Pepper flavor.

    Rudy

  • sjetski
    12 years ago

    Thanks for the offer Phil, If cross country nurseries doesn't offer them then i may hit you up for a trade or purchase.

    Sweet + heat = a great pepper imho

    Steve

  • tsheets
    12 years ago

    Sounds like an interesting pepper, and looks beautiful as well! That "chimi" you made looks awesome too!

    I like fresh bell peppers, but, not cooked. But, I gave up growing them a few years back - they just didn't do well for me, and with my garden space being at a premium, they got booted! The gf HATES bell peppers 1000%. I think Big Jim's are her favorite, she roasts them and has them as a side dish - says they go great with everything!

  • Phildeez
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    I would never dream of growing bell peppers but I do find them important in certain dishes that I make often, like gazpacho. I also think they work well to dilute a hot sauce without changing the flavor, granted they do add a bit more of that bell pepper taste but nothing compared to the impact of a carrot or sweet potato or the like.

    sheets, I have a Big Jim that is producing disappointingly small pods, but they are still good for grilling. Just the right mild heat level. More than my poblanos.

  • chile_freak
    12 years ago

    great looking pod and great looking sauce but
    I dont know why y'all are so down on bell peppers, I am growing 3 huge bell plants they are nearly 5' high and are loaded w/ peppers so much so that I have had to use thick tomato spikes to keep them upright, i have picked 30 or so peppers so far and have tons more growing, granted there are hundreds of sweet peppers that have delicious flavors as well, but the bell shouldnt be discounted completely
    paul

  • peppermeister1
    12 years ago

    Thanks Phil, Thanks to beautiful pics and recipes like these, I now have about 45 pepper varieties on my 2012 wishlist! Aleppo looks amazing.

    As for Bells, you can't beat some sweet roasted red bells with olive oil, garlic, some fresh mozzarella and genovese basil. mmmm.

    My Ace F1 are finally turning red, and I can't wait throw them on the grill.


    Here is a link that might be useful: Hot pepper recipes, growing tips and info are all at PEPPERMEISTER!

  • romy6
    12 years ago

    Phil my man! That looks like some tasty sauce. Wish I had my private jet in running order i would join you . You have great growing and culinary skills . Can't wait to grow the Aleppo!

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