I usually wait until my habs are full color, but this year besides the usual orange habs that I grow every year, I also grew Red Savinas for the first time. While I did also let those get fully red for the most part, I was curious to see what one would taste like if eaten at "first blush". Truth be told, I had accidentally knocked a not-quite-ripe pepper off the plant and I didn't want to waste it-- it was actually my first one. I had a grill going where I was cooking chicken. I took the pepper inside and cut it up into quarters. Yeah, habs are kinda small, but Savs are larger than the standard orange jobs. They're also hotter. CONSIDERABLY hotter. Tentatively, I took a small taste of part of one of the quarters. It was a very pleasant surprise! The first flavors that hit were "fresh" and "sweet", sort of like a green bell pepper or perhaps a poblano-- soon giving way to a slight jalapeno-like note before the heat set in. Oh, the heat! It came up like a Roman candle, culminating in a burst of fire (in a good way that any pepperhead can relate to). Wow, it was delightful! I wrapped the other pieces up in a bit of tin foil and set them out on the grill with the chicken, over indirect heat from charcoal and mesquite wood. Peppers cook quickly, and the chicken was just about finished when I put the habs in, so in a few moments I took the chicken and peppers in the house and served up dinner. Now, DH isn't a chilihead to the extent that I am so he took a pass on the "H-word" peppers that night. I, on the other hand, took a larger serving of the grilled "Green Savina". I topped a few bites of chicken with the pepper-- and it was fantastic! The heat didn't disappoint (and of course, it would only get hotter as the season went along) and the other flavor notes were excellent. The mesquite smokiness gave it all a nice outdoorsy flavor. I bet that smoked/roasted "Green Savinas" would be awesome with corn, black bean and tomato. Don't be afraid to try your peppers at different ripening stages. Many peppers are very tasty when eaten green OR ripe, and even somewhere in between. I roasted a few half-ripe jalapenos for use in salsa (got 'em when they looked sort of maroon), and a few more for a steak marinade. The pepper flavors change as the peppers mature, and each stage offers a new and unique balance of flavor notes. Have fun! -Megan

Sorry Gang, been off line for a week. Wow didnÂt think IÂd see my post still active. To answer the how many pounds to make a pound question, let me qualify my answer a bit (because you may not believe me). First, IÂm extremely paranoid about food safety. I dry the Jalapenos beyond any reasonable doubt of humidity. No moisture = no room for nasty growths. Thus, in a coffee grinder the powder turns out like talcum powder. So my last batch of Jalapeno from the Farm was 9.4 pounds. After drying and grinding I got 13 1.25  1.5 OZ jars. Told you you wouldnÂt believe me. This is why IÂm suspect about the cheap stuff for sale out there. Done properly (ok my way) it would take a lot of Jalapenos to make a pound of Chipotle. In addition, we (I and the farm) choose the best Jalapenos for the Chipotle, not the stuff thatÂs in the bottom of the basket.. The season is over here for Jalapenos but next year IÂll post a picture demo of quantities and process for you all. Potawie, if I recall correctly you are in the Ottawa area. You could search for the farm that holds Pepper Fest each year and buy a jar at full price or you could contact me at Ottawapepper(at)hotmail(dot)com and we could arrange to meet so you could sample the Chipotle. I think others following this chain might like a second opinion yes/no? Cheers everyone and thanks for the interest, Bill

I love using hickory smoked salt on my pot roast and haven't been able to find it anywhere for a long time. My roast doesn't taste the same without it. I am getting discouraged, also, with the other items that are being discontinued at my local Kroger store--Martha White all-purpose flour, Butter Buds, 8 oz. cans of sauerkraut (I'm the only one in my family that likes it), large containers of Country time lemonade, and shoepeg corn to name a few. The only other place to grocery shop in town is Aldi's, Wal-Mart, Sam's (don't need bulk supplies anymore as an empty nester), and IGA. Because of my husband's dietary needs I have certain brands that I have come to rely on and most of these don't carry the brands I need.

I bet you can guess where the first recipe came from by the capitalized ingredients! I imagine any kind of bay leaf would do. Slow Cooker Turkey  1 turkey breast (6-7 lbs.)  1 Cup apple cider  2 TURKISH BAY LEAVES  1 TB. SMOKED SPANISH PAPRIKA or  HUNGARIAN SWEET PAPRIKA  1 TB. POULTRY SEASONING  11/2 tsp. CRACKED BLACK PEPPER  2 tsp. KOSHER FLAKE SALT Wash and dry the turkey breast and place in a slow cooker. Pour the apple cider in the bottom of the slow cooker. Add the BAY LEAVES. Combine the SPICES and rub over the top of the turkey breast. Cover the slow cooker and cook on low until the turkey breast is done, usually 4-5 hours. The resulting spicy juices are a great low-fat gravy to serve over mashed potatoes. Prep. time: 5 minutes Cooking time: 4-5 hours Serves: 10 Nutritional Information: Servings 10; Serving Size 8 oz. turkey, 2 TB. gravy (240g); Calories 310; Calories from fat 15; Total fat 1.5g; Cholesterol 180mg; Sodium 340mg; Carbohydrate 4g; Dietary Fiber 0g. This Carol Mighton Haddix recipe was in the Columbus Dispatch years ago, reprinted from the Chicago Tribune. I did try it, and it was just okay, so jazz it up a bit. I omitted the cilantro (feh). TURKEY AND OLIVE PAELLA Makes 6 servings This is not a real paella, but it is similar. I love to use the Spanish smoked paprika (pimeton, available in specialty or spice shops) for dishes such as this. But Hungarian or regular paprika works well, too. Look for already-chopped onions and peppers in the supermarket's produce aisle. 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 carton (7 ounces) chopped onions and bell peppers 1 1/2 cups short-grain rice 1 teaspoon smoked, hot or sweet paprika 2 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) chicken broth 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads (optional) Freshly ground pepper 1 can (14 ounces) diced tomatoes 2 1/2 cups diced cooked turkey or chicken 1 jar (7 1/2 ounces) pitted Spanish green olives, coarsely chopped 1 cup leftover peas, chopped green beans or other vegetable (optional) 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro or parsley Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Heat olive oil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions and peppers. Cook, stirring, until lightly colored, about 2 minutes. Stir in rice and paprika. Cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add chicken broth, salt, saffron and ground pepper to taste. Bring to a boil. Cover. Reduce heat to simmer. Cook until rice is almost tender, about 10 minutes. Spoon rice mixture into a 2-quart casserole dish. Stir in tomatoes, turkey, olives and peas. Bake until rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle each portion with cilantro.