In season: Sweet, colorful peppers

Bell peppers, sweet, crisp and juicy, are most abundant and some would say tastiest in September and October. Whether green, yellow, orange, red or purple, they’re all varieties of Capsicum annuum, members of the nightshade family and cousins to tomatoes, eggplant and potatoes.

Phillip and Susie Lackey of Phillip and Susie’s Vegetables in Cartersville have plenty of peppers to sell at their booths at the Acworth Farmers Market on Friday mornings, the Marietta Square Farmers Market on Saturday mornings and the Kennesaw Farmers Market on Tuesday mornings.

Phillip Lackey has been in farming one way or another all his life, growing up on Lackey Road in Roswell on land that’s been farmed by his family since the late 1800s. When he retired after 30 years teaching vocational agriculture classes, he and Susie moved to Cartersville where they garden intensely in a 60-by-80-foot space.

A year ago they decided to double the production out of their garden and sell any surplus at a farmers market or two. They enjoyed the other vendors and the customers so much that they went into it in earnest this year, and are selling tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and squash.

For the peppers, Lackey sticks with the tried and true, offering bell peppers that if left to ripen will become either yellow or red, and a few jalapenos. He says many customers wonder why the colored peppers are more expensive than the green.

He explains it like this: “It’s a matter of time and space. The same plant will take all season to produce yellow or red peppers, or we can harvest the green peppers and the plant will produce a second crop. The plant takes up the same amount of space, but you can get two crops of green peppers or only one crop of red or yellow.”

This summer has been tough on peppers with the extreme heat slowing everything down. Now that the rains have returned and cooler weather has arrived, the Lackeys expect to have peppers available until frost to accompany traditional fall crops like cabbage and broccoli.

What’s happening at local farmers markets

For sale

Fruit: apples, Asian pears, muscadines, pears

Vegetables and herbs: arugula, basil, beans, beets, bok choy, broccoli, cabbage, chard, chestnuts, collards, cucumbers, edamame, eggplant, endive, frisee, garlic, kale, lettuce, mizuna, mushrooms, mustard greens, okra, southern peas, peppers, popcorn, potatoes, pumpkins, radishes, spinach, summer squash, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, tatsoi, turnips, winter squash

Cooking demos this week

9:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 16, chef Gerry Klaskala, Aria. Morningside Farmers Market, Atlanta. For information: www.morningsidemarket.com .

10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 16, chef David Jefferies. Peachtree Road Farmers Market, Atlanta. For information: www.peachtreeroadfarmersmarket.com .

Other events

4 – 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 15, fall festival and last day of market for 2010. Brookwood Farmers Market, Cumming. For information: www.brookwoodfarmersmarket.com .

From local reports

----------------------------

Angel-hair Pasta with Shrimp, Peppers and Salami

Hands on: 15 minutes

Total time: 15 minutes

Serves: 4

You can make this entrée with any peppers you like, but red and orange peppers add both sweetness and color. The pepperoncini are a little surprise – small mild pickled peppers with just a bit of a bite. Adjust the amount in this recipe to suit your household’s taste.

8 ounces angel-hair pasta

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

3 bell peppers, ribs and seeds removed, thinly sliced lengthwise

1 pound peeled large shrimp

1/2 (half) cup (about 2 ounces) thinly sliced Genoa salami, cut into strips

1/4 (quarter) cup thinly sliced pepperoncini, stems removed

Coarse salt and ground pepper

In a large saucepan, cook pasta according to package directions. After draining, return to pot and add 2 tablespoons olive oil; toss to coat.

While pasta is cooking, in a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add peppers and cook until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add shrimp and cook until shrimp is opaque, about 3 minutes. Turn off heat; stir in salami and pepperoncini; season to taste. Serve pasta topped with shrimp mixture and pan juices.