Stuffed Hot Peppers

The summer after we were married I was pregnant and as much as I like pickles and hot stuff, I craved it all the more! We hired the neighbor boy to help with hay since I was out of commission, and his mom gave me some of her recipes, and jars of them to try. It was good that she gave me some to try, because the recipe sounded so odd to me (putting hot peppers in a sweet pickle brine) that I might never have attempted it if I hadn't found how much I liked them! Here is her recipe, and a picture of one of the jars I put up this week.



Abby's Stuffed Hot Peppers

Peck of hot banana peppers (you could use mild if you wanted)
4 cups brown sugar (I used Turbinado with just a drop of molasses added)
1 tsp. celery seed
1 tsp. turmeric
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
2 Tbsp. mustard seed
4 cups white vinegar

Mix brine and bring to a boil, boiling for 5 minutes.

Seed hot peppers, leaving a few if you like it hot. Stuff with sauerkraut and pack in hot jars. Pour brine over peppers and seal lids. Let stand 2 months.



I also started experimenting that summer with ways to make dinners without the work because my back was hurting so much (and I ended up on bed rest anyway). I like hot peppers on my pizza, so I wondered if I could make a pizza without the crust, since that was the biggest job of making pizza. Here's what I came up with:

Pizza casserole

10 hot banana peppers (remember there were only three people eating this!)
28 oz. tomato puree spiced with oregano, salt, and garlic powder
pizza fixings (cheese, pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, spinach, onion)

Seed peppers and rinse. Stuff the peppers with a mix of cheese, pepperoni, and sausage. Layer in a casserole dish, keeping close together (I used my small corning ware pan). Pour pizza sauce over peppers, and then spread remaining toppings and a layer of cheese to finish. Bake at 325* for about 45 minutes.

Now of course the recipe has to be tripled, and we have to use rice cheese or another cheese alternative. But it is a nostaligic thing, reminding me of my first married summer and expecting a bay.