Peter Piper Picked an Unspecified Quantity of Pickled Fruits from a Bush of non Specific Origin





Saturday 11/6/2005

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Diary and Notes

I was in Waitrose today, having a mooch with my friend Dr. Phillius Welshegg (who, being Welsh, was buying sausages) when I spied some excellent little long green peppers that I have never seen before. The label said they were Marmara peppers from Turkey and had a slightly peppery taste. Yum, I thought, peppery peppers, they sound good and I duly bought some.

But then I got to thinking, what exactly should a pepper taste of? Surely they should all be peppery peppers, that's what peppers are, peppery (as in tasting of peppers). It's all a bit confusing.

The trouble must come from us foolish English types having the word pepper meaning both the fruit of the capsicum annuum/capsicum frutescens plant and the fruit of the piper nigrum plant at the same time. So we have two completely different things both being called pepper (no doubt originating from them both having strong flavours - ie black pepper and chilli pepper). So were my peppers peppery? It all depends on what sort of peppery you are refering to. You could argue that peppers are a priori peppery, but then you'd be a nerd like me.

Anyway, the Marmara peppers weren't chilli pepper peppery at all. Not even in the slightest. More like a very sweet yellow pepper with a slight pepper flavour as well. "What, do you mean black peppery?" It's all too much, I think I should have a lie down to relax.

And what, while I am droning on about peppers, is a peck? It's in the nursery rhyme so it must be a real word. So for the benefit of my readers, who may be anally retentive geeks like me and need to know the facts and the whys and the whatevers, a peck (according to The Oxford English Dictionary) is one fourth of a bushel in America, one quarter of a firlot in Scotland (or better still, four lippies) and in England varies greatly with where you are and what you are measuring.

So if you are wondering what a peck of pickled peppers would constitute, who knows? Both the amount is not precise, nor exactly what you are getting (I have some pickled black peppercorns and some pickled green peppers in my cupboard). Maybe Peter Piper should move to the sea and start selling sea shells for a living, by the seashore of course. That's much less confusing.


Cake Blog

A Lemon Muffin from Greggs. I sometimes think Greggs own Manchester, there's one on almost every street corner. Their lemon muffins aren't bad at all.


Menu

  • Marmara Peppers Stuffed with Cured Meats
  • Cheese & Garlic Potatoes
  • Home Made Flatbreads
  • Salad (Tomato, Olive, Cucumber, Pickled Peppers, Red Onion)


    Ingredients*

    Marmara Peppers Stuffed with Cured Meats
    4 Marmara Peppers
    4 Slices Proscuitto
    4 Slices Chorizo
    4 Slices Wafer Thin Ham
    4 Slices Pepper Salami
    2 Tbsp Natural Yoghurt
    		 Cheese & Garlic Potatoes
    150g New Potatoes
    4 Cloves Garlic
    Oil for Cooking
    50g Feta Cheese
    50g Strong Cheddar Cheese
    1/4 Red Onion
    1/4 Tomato
    1/2 tsp Oregano
    Salt & Pepper



    Preparation

  • Peppers: Sear the peppers a little on the outside on a hot griddle pan. Let them cool a little and then cut a slit along the length and remove any seeds/pith. Stuff with the chopped meat and bake until just begnning to brown (about 15 minutes). Drizzle a little yoghurt over each.
  • Potatoes: These are really nachos made with potatoes instead of tortillas. Clean and slice the potatoes. Boil for a few minutes then drain and drizzle with a little oil. Bash a few garlic cloves (with the skin still on) and mix with the potatoes then bake until crispy. Remove the garlic then grate the cheese over the top, sprinkle on some oregano and black pepper and grill until the cheese melts. Garnish with some sliced red onion and tomtato.

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    *All quantities are very approximate and for a single person





    JCBorresen@GMail.com