Zabby, Dave, and others: The Roasted Yellow Pepper (and tomato) Spread was a success. Pretty, pretty color, and nice taste. I think the icky things inside the peppers are "stuff" not seeds growing. I HAVE seen seeds grow into roots/leaves inside tomatoes, though. We don't have a vegetable garden (only an immense orchard, as you can see on MyPage) so I purchase veggies from the wonderful year-round Produce-Butcher-Health Food Store here in our small town. The only tomatoes to ever grow those seedlings inside, though, were from beautiful tomatoes we purchased at Costco during the "off season". My roasting technique (tightly covering the tray with foil for 20-30 minutes after the peppers are wrinkly) is good. I sit the tray on the table, watch some TV, and pull away. I feel like I'm skinning an elderly person, though. The flesh moves and the skin just pulls up and breaks apart. I also just put the Roma (or Grape Tomatoes, which I've used, too) into a pot of boiling water, then cold water, to skin. I don't see the difference in roasting them, except extended time. I DO put the onion and garlic cloves onto the tray in the oven for a few minutes, though. Then, when all the veggies are skinned or chopped (onions) or smushed (garlic) I use our handheld Stick Blender and puree everything in the pot. I've made double recipes and that's fine, too. I've used cider vinegar, white vinegar, Balsamic vinegar ... but no Red Wine Vinegar because I can't seem to find it in the canning kitchen at the moment. I've been known to add a small "glug" of red wine into the pot, too. I used only white vinegar with the Yellow spread, though, because I wanted a pretty color. Of course I cook it up until it's the consistency I want. I also made some spread with a bunch of those purple skinned peppers (got a large bag of "old" peppers that were just fine from our produce market) and their color was a bit weird. The purple skin changes to a murky green when cooked. I think I used part white and part Balsamic vinegar with those. And I made a batch with those very pale yellow-green peppers. Good, but not the most attractive. The pretties colors are the traditional Red and the bright Yellow. Anyway, I'm having fun, making a mess of things, and because it's not chocolate, I'm not gaining weight in the process of cooking! Thanks, Kathy

Diane, as mentioned before, everything is a dollar. With your sense of humor I thought you'd appreciate the fact that I can no longer let me husband accompany me into a DT. As he places each item on the belt he asks, "how much is this?" The first time the clerk responds, "everything's a dollar." With subsequent items, the clerk gets annoyed, and seedpapa thinks he's being very funny. It is just soooo annoying. Diane, included in the junk part of Dollar Tree is a lot of stuff aimed at kiddos. Brace yourself. I generally steer clear of the food aisle, so thanks SGM for the heads up. I'll have to stop in and look for red peppers. I have also purchased wonderful red peppers, imported from Italy, in Big Lots, on a catch as catch can basis. They aren't a dollar, but they are cheaper than Wal Mart. Often, they are the kind packed in oil, a method not available to us home canners. Tasty nonetheless. Dawn, we drove by the DT distribution center last night on our way back from Houston. Once again I had seedpapa honk at you. I told him I knew you must be getting tired of all this late night and early morning honking. Hopefully, this will be the last trip to Houston for a long while, but I will be going to Dallas next week. Keep your ears out! Seedmama

Roasting peppers really is easy. I find blackening them on a grill easiest especially if I'm doing a large quantity for freezing. But you can also blacken peppers on top of your gas stove. Just place peppers right on grid, turn on burner and turn occasionally until blackened. I take them off the grill and place in either a paper bag or a plastic bag and leave to steam for 5 to 10 minutes. Once they are cool enough to handle the blackened skin just rubs off. If freezing just core pepper and cut into strips and freeze on a cookie sheet. When frozen, package in freezer bags or containers. If using immediately or within a few days, I drizzle with olive oil and fresh minced garlic, salt and pepper. A little fresh lemon juice and some fresh chopped herbs is also an option. Because of the danger of botulism, I prefer to take peppers out of the freezer and dress them with oil and fresh garlic as needed rather than keep them stored in the fridge in oil. Ann

Yum, lots of recipes to cut and paste here, thanks everybody! Here are some more. Marilyn's Ziti in Roasted Bell Pepper Sauce 8 ounces ziti pasta 2 red bell peppers; roasted (or 16 oz. jar) 1 onion; chopped 2 cloves garlic; minced 2 tablespoon olive oil 1 cup heavy cream (I think you could easily use half & half in place of the cream.) Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper 1 pound mushrooms 1 red bell pepper 1 orange or yellow bell pepper 4 green onions; sliced thin 1 cup fresh grated Parmesan Pre-heat oven to 350°. Cook ziti pasta in boiling, salted water as directed on package; drain reserving 1/2 cup pasta water. Roast the 2 red bell peppers as instructed in "Vegetables" section, remove skin and chop. Or use a 1 pound jar; drain and chop. In a medium saucepan, cook onion in 1 tablespoon olive oil until tender. Stir in roasted bell pepper and garlic for one minute. Add cream and bring to a simmer; carefully puree in a blender until smooth (vent lid to allow steam to escape). Season with salt and pepper to taste. Slice mushrooms, red and orange bell pepper (1/4-inch slices) and add to a large skillet along with 1 tablespoon olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat until peppers are soft and liquid is mostly evaporated (about 10 minutes); stirring occasionally. Stir in pureed sauce, ziti, green onions, reserved pasta water and 2/3 cup of the Parmesan cheese. Place in a shallow baking dish and sprinkle with remaining 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley if desired. Bake until hot and bubbly, 25 minutes. *Recipe inspired by Baked Ziti with Mushrooms, Peppers and Parmesan; Gourmet Magazine. Marilyn AVOCADO & PRAWN APPETIZER I also have an appetizer that I make has a first course at a dinner party that has slices of avacado laid between prawns on a bed of boston/butter lettuce and drizzled with a mayonnaise based sauce flavoured with minced roasted red pepper and garlic. Ann T. Woodie, The dressing is very simple. If you are using the roasted red pepper, then you need to roast the pepper first. Otherwise just use some hot red pepper flakes. This recipe was adapted from a Australian Womens Weekly cookbook. 1 cup mayonnaise 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 tablespoons finely chopped roasted red pepper OR hot red pepper flakes to taste (1/4 tsp) 1 clove of garlic finely minced salt and pepper to taste Place a lettuce leaf on a salad plate, lay slices of avocado on leaf, and place cooked, cold large shrimp/prawns in between each slice of avocado. Drizzle with dressing and sprinkle with some chopped chives. DLynn's Roasted Red Pepper & Artichoke Tapenade 1 - 7oz jar Roasted red peppers, drained 1 - 6oz jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained 1/2 c minced fresh parsley 1/2 c grated parmesan cheese 1/3 c olive oil 1/4 c capers, drained 3-4 cloves garlic 1 T fresh lemon juice Combine all in food processor and pulse until well blended. Can be made in advance. Serve with crackers. Also good with a little more olive oil and a little more blended as a sauce for pasta. Doucanoe Bow Tie Pasta with Roasted Red Pepper and Cream Sauce Source: Cooking Light May 2006 1 pound uncooked farfalle (bow tie pasta) 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil 1/2 cup finely chopped onion *1 (12-ounce) bottle roasted red bell peppers, drained and coarsely chopped* 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar 1 cup half-and-half 1 tablespoon tomato paste 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper 1 cup (4 ounces) freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided Thinly sliced fresh basil (optional) Cook the pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, and cook 8 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Add bell peppers; cook 2 minutes or until heated through. Increase heat to medium-high. Stir in vinegar; cook 1 minute or until liquid evaporates. Remove from heat; cool 5 minutes. Place bell pepper mixture in a blender; process until smooth. Return bell pepper mixture to pan; cook over low heat until warm. Combine half-and-half and tomato paste in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Stir tomato mixture into bell pepper mixture, stirring with a whisk until well combined. Stir in ground red pepper. Combine pasta and bell pepper mixture in a large bowl. Add 1/2 cup cheese, tossing to coat. Spoon 1 1/3 cups pasta into each of 6 bowls; top each with about 1 1/2 tablespoons cheese. Garnish with basil, if desired. Yield: 6 servings *My note: I roasted my own red peppers, used 3 of them in the recipe. Linda Roasted Pepper and Garlic Turkey Burgers I am a huge turkey burger fan, and this recipe is a family favorite. The red pepper and garlic help overcome the two major complaints people have with turkey burgers (dry and tasteless) by adding oodles of flavor and keeping the meat moist. Serve these burgers with Aioli or your favorite herb mayonnaise, Romaine lettuce leaves, and kaiser rolls or grilled sourdough bread. 2 pounds ground turkey 1 cup chopped roasted red peppers 6 minced garlic cloves 3 tablespoons minced onion 1/2 cup dry bread crumbs Salt Freshly ground black pepper Preheat the grill. Combine all of the ingredients in a medium bowl. Gently pat the mixture into eight 4-inch patties. Grill over medium high heat for 10-12 minutes, or until cooked through, turning once partway through. Makes 8 servings. Preparation Time: 5 minutes Cooking Time: 15 minutes Total Time: 20 minutes LUIGIS GARLIC BREAD 1 stick butter, room temp 3 large garlic cloves, minced 1/4 teaspoon oregano 1/4 teaspoon basil 1 lb loaf French bread, halved lengthwise Roasted Red Pepper (jar or fresh) Provolone Cheese slices Combine butter, garlic, oregano and basil and spread on bread. Preheat broiler. Broil until golden brown and edges are crisp, careful not to burn. Preheat oven to 375º Place roasted red pepper slices on bread and Provolone slices on top. Heat in the oven until cheese is melted. Slice crosswise with serrated knife.