Dear Customers,
A few weeks ago, about the time the carnival was packing up their gear and heading to their next venue, my wife had a small gathering on my patio to celebrate my birthday! My son surprised me with two tubs of homemade sourdough pizza dough, and we baked pizzas for several hours. A patio pizza party is really a family favorite because there’s always enough dough so that everyone can pick their own customized toppings!
Unfortunately, most of them won’t eat anchovies on their pizzas so I have to wait a while till all the cheese and pepperoni lovers get their pies out of the way! Back yard gatherings are one of my favorite summertime events and pizza parties are very popular, particularly with my grandkids!
Not wanting to pass up the opportunity to contribute, I wandered through my garden looking for something to share with our small crowd. I happened upon several plants loaded down with Poblano peppers that were bending their stalks under their weight. This was the first time I had tried to grow Poblanos and they were beautiful, big and dark green. Poblano peppers are mild chili peppers from Mexico, known for their rich flavor, mild heat, and versatility in cooking. I picked out about 5 of the largest ones and took them to the kitchen.
Taking a 2lb package of Costa’s hot Italian sausage and a 2lb tub of whole-milk ricotta cheese, I decided to make some stuffed peppers like I used to order at a restaurant in Olean. I browned the sausage and drained it and dumped it into a large mixing bowl with the ricotta. Thinking that perhaps it could use something additional to thicken things up, I searched the cold cut drawer in the fridge and found 3 partial bags of shredded cheeses; Monterey jack, Carolina Reaper and good old sharp cheddar.
I cut the stems off the peppers and removed the seeds. Next, I split them from end to end lengthwise and ladled in the cheese and sausage mixture with a small spatula, filling them to overflowing and then some. The final touch was adding several spoonfuls of Rao’s Vodka sauce on top and baking them in the 350°F pre-heated oven for about 45 – 60 minutes. When you just wing it in the kitchen you’re not always sure just how its going to taste, but I must say, I was pleasantly surprised.