Late summer is pepper time. The thinner-skinned banana peppers are
perfect for adding flavor and nutrition to a saute or stir-fry. Peppers
grow abundantly in Georgia and all over the South, so chances are the
peppers you buy will be grown close to home. Look for good supplies until
late September.
     Peppers are New World crops but made their way quickly around the
world. Just 50 years after Columbus came upon peppers, three varieties
were growing in India.
     Chiles are bulging with vitamins. For example, raw green chiles have
six times as much vitamin C as an orange and more vitamin A than any
other food plant.
     But if you are a chile head, you probably eat them for the
capsaicin, the chemical that causes the punch, rather than for the
nutrition. Banana peppers offer a gentle kick of heat and more flavor
than a bell pepper. But be wary of Hungarian wax peppers. They look
similar to banana peppers but are a lot hotter. My usual heat test is to
smell the pepper, but it doesn't seem to work for bananas and Hungarian
wax.
     The heat in peppers can vary according to growing conditions and the
age of the fruit. Hot, dry conditions stress pepper plants and increase
the amount of capsaicin. Peppers reach their peak just before maturity,
then mellow as they ripen to their final red, yellow or orange color.
     If you've eaten a pepper too hot to handle, don't grab the ice
water. It's better to grab cold milk or cooling yogurt, as casein, a milk
protein, breaks down the capsaicin.


Other produce

     - Best buy of the week: Okra, eggplant and yellow squash.
     -Looking good: Kentucky and North Carolina snap beans, Ohio sweet
corn, new-crop russet and white potatoes, Southern peas, California late
peaches, Washington blackberries and table grapes.
     Iffy: Most greens, especially spinach and commercial vine-ripened
tomatoes (hard to find).
     Expensive: Spinach, broccoli, winter squash, peaches, new-crop
Bartlett pears.
     Coming in: Figs and muscadines.
     Going, going . . . gone: Apricots and cherries.
     At farmers' markets: Tomatoes, okra, eggplant, red torpedo onions,
white onions, cured garlic, heirloom tomatoes, sauce tomatoes, figs and
muscadines.


Meat, poultry, seafood

     Look for specials this week on country-style pork ribs, Boston butt
pork roasts, stew beef, super trimmed sirloin tip roasts, medium white
shrimp, perch fillets, bay scallops and catfish nuggets.
Chart: Handle with care
-Price: Will average $1 a pound in stores, $1 for four or five peppers at
farmers' markets.
-Nutrition: Peppers are low in calories (about 35 per 4 ounces) and are
rich in vitamin C.
-Selection: The peak season for peppers is July through October, or until
first frost. Choose peppers that are firm and shiny, not pitted. Older
peppers may be wrinkled or have brown cracks; these still are usable -
hot and flavorful.
- Storage: Keep peppers, cold and unwashed, in the vegetable drawer in a
paper bag. Do not use plastic; moisture will accumulate on the peppers'
skin and cause black spots and rotting. If kept cold peppers will hold
for a couple of weeks. Out of the refrigerator they will start to dry
quickly.
-Uses: Use peppers raw in salads and salsas. Grill them for sandwiches
and use them in soups, stews, sauces, casseroles, stir-fries and side
dishes. When handling hot peppers, wear gloves and goggles to protect
yourself from the burning oils, which are concentrated in the veins and
seeds and can irritate eyes and skin.



Copyright 1996, The Atlanta Journal and Constitution, All rights reserved.