Peppers!

Serrano – The serrano pepper originates in the mountainous regions of Mexico. Though it’s quite a bit hotter, it’s smaller than a jalapeño. If left to ripen on the plant, its color is a deep red. As one of the few peppers that don’t do well with drying, Serrano peppers are used in salsas. Altiplano is a large fruited serrano and is high yielding.

Jalapeno – The most widely known, the jalapeño is a medium size pepper that has a mild heat to it. It’s commonly used in Mexican cuisine. Much of the pepper’s spice is contained in the seeds, which are frequently removed for those not wanting too much kick. Jalapeños are picked while still green, though when ripe, they are red when fully ripen on the plant. Jalapeños are used in salsas, pickled, stuffed, baked, fried, and included in recipes as well as muddled into cocktails to add a soft warmth to a margarita. The Jedi jalapeno is the largest Jalapeno variety offered at 4-4.5” in length. High yields, slow to check.

Chipotle – Chipotle peppers are smoked ripe jalapeños that offer dishes a rich, smoky flavor. When they are rehydrated and made into a salsa or a meat marinade, they are referenced as adobo. Chipotle peppers can be found whole, ground or canned and have a moderate amount of heat.

Chiles de Arbol – Small and vibrant, this pepper is also known as bird’s beak chile or rat’s tail chile. These chiles are typically found fresh, dried or powdered and are of medium-high heat level.

Habanero – These peppers have a bite and are among the hottest peppers used in Mexican cuisine. In fact, when people work with these gloves, they need to wear gloves. Depending on when they’re picked and how old they are, Habaneros range in color. Habaneros are often used to make hot sauces as they have both citrusy and floral flavor.

Poblano Pepper – Also known as an Ancho Chile, this pepper is frequently roasted and stuffed with beans and cheese. They generally have a milder heat; however, fully ripened red ones can be quite hot. The dried poblano is known as ancho chile, a common ingredient in mole sauce. Baron is one of our favorite varieties. 

Guajillo Peppers – Dried mirasol peppers are made from Guajillos. They have a thin skin, a mild flavor, and deep red color. Once rehydrated with hot water, to make a marinade for meat, they commonly used to make a sauce for tamales or finely ground into a paste.

Amazing Hot pepper – This is an authentic Korena drying pepper. Traditionally used in Korea to make bright red kimchi. Imparts a bright, citrusy flavor that is warm but not hot.

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Sweet Bell Peppers

Sweet Bell Peppers are lovely for stuffing, grilling and making delicious salsas. Here are a few of our favorite varieties (HPS) offered here at the Greenhouse.

  • Big Bertha 70 days. Extra large, elongated 7”x4” across. Mature from deep green to red. Great for grilling.
  • California Wonder 75 days. One of the most popular and best for stuffing. Sweet flavor 4×4” blocky fruit.
  • Early Summer Hybrid 68-73 days. Extra large 4-5” fruits mature from dark green to yellow. Strong plants with impressive yield potential. Excellent disease resistance.
  • Goliath Goldrush Hybrid 72-75 days. Sweet, flavorful and crispy. Compact plants and high disease resistance.
  • Keystone Giant Resistant III 80 days. Large 3-4 lobed fruit with heavy yields. Excellent for home gardens.
  • King Arthur 65-70 days. Formerly known as Fat n Sassy. Heavy yields, highly resistant to bacterial leaf spot. One of the earliest to turn bright red.
  • Purple Beauty 70 days. Sweet bell that matures to a beautiful purple color. Flesh is tender, crisp and sweet.
  • Orange Blaze 65-70 days. 2011 AAS Winner. Early and easy. Gourmet, 2-3 lobed intense orange fruit that is crunch and sweet.  Flavor and color peak at the same time. 
  • Giant Marconi 72 days. Large sweet, yet smoky floored fruits can be eaten green, red, fresh or grilled. Heavy yielder.
  • Sweet Banana 66 days. One of our most popular open pollinated varieties. Looks like hot bananas except that these thick walled fruits are sweet. Fruit is  green 6” long x 1.5-2” in diameter.

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Hot Peppers

We’ve got all kinds of hot pepper varieties (HPS) here at the greenhouse. Check ’em out!

  • Early Jalapeno. 60-65 days. Deep green. 3.5×1.5” fruits Excellent for pickling, Scoville rating of 3500-4500. Ideal for fresh in Mexican dishes. Plants are 26-36” tall.
  • Emerald Fire 90 days. 2015 AAS Winner. 3.5” 2500 Scoville units. Great for stuffing, grilling, canning or in Salsas. Thick walled, very little cracking. Works well in containers.
  • Golden Greek Peperoncino – 72 days. Seed imported from Milan, Abundant yields of thin walled slightly wrinkled, yellowish green, mildly hot. Harvest when green.
  • Habanero Orange 90-100 days. Caribbean variety with Scoville rating of 200,000 to 300,000. Tapered lantern-shaped golden orange fruits have a fruity/citrus undertones. 
  • Holy Mole Hybrid. 85 days. 2007 AAS winner. Gourmet quality, chocolate brown fruits are distinctive, not overly spicy pepper used in Mole sauce and many other dishes.
  • Wicked Ghost 90 days. 800,000 Scoville. Seriously brings the heat. Super Chili 75 days. One of the hottest chili peppers with Scoville rating of 35,000o to 40,000. Ideal for patio container planting. High yielding plants are pretty, semi compact, and grow up to 24”. 

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Rusty Antique Chic

You all know how we love our unique planters here at the greenhouse, and boy, did we find some treasures to use this year! From vintage toolboxes to old toy trucks, we’ll be creating some new and exciting container plants this year. Some will be available for sell so you can either pick one up or use ours as inspiration to create your own!

Tomato Pie

Tomato Pie is more common in the Carolinas than anywhere else in the country. However, that doesn’t mean everyone else can’t enjoy a slice of this old-school dish on the front porch with a salad and an ice cold glass of sweet tea. 

What you’ll need:

  • 1 pie crust (unbaked)
  • 4-5 sliced tomatoes
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh basil leaves
  • ½ cup chopped green onion
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
  • 1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
  • ¾ cup mayo 
  • Fresh ground pepper to taste

To make:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a few layers of paper towels. Lay your sliced tomatoes on paper towels in a single layer and sprinkle them with salt to draw out the juices. Let them sit for about 15 minutes and then pat them dry with paper towels. This will prevent a soggy pie (nobody likes a soggy pie). 

Roll out your pie crust and place it in a pie plate (or you can use a frozen pie crust already in a tin). Crimp the edges and poke holes in the bottom of the crust with a fork. Bake the crust for 10 minutes. 

While your crust is baking, combine the basil, green onions and garlic into a bowl and stir. In another bowl, mix together the cheeses and mayo and season with the black pepper. Stir to combine. 

Remove the crust from the oven and layer half the tomatoes on the bottom of the crust. Sprinkle with half of the basil-onion mixture. Layer the remaining tomatoes on top and sprinkle with the remaining basil-onion mixture. Finish by spreading the cheese mixture over the top of the pie.

Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake the pie for 30 minutes until the cheese begins to lightly brown. Let it rest for 10 minutes before serving.

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