Like any good addiction, it built slowly. First, one box bought at my local farmer's market was enough. Then, by mid week I was jonesing again, and found myself walking away from the Viridian Farms stand with two boxes. Last Saturday, on my way to the market, I was actually starting to sweat, feeling a little panicky that they might be out by the time I got there and I wouldn't get my fix. I jumped out of the car, practically running to the Viridian Farms stand, only feeling relief upon seeing box after box of the cute, wrinkly little green gems known as pimientos de padron lined up on their counter. Knowing others were coming for dinner, I bought the largest box they had, my sense of well being intact as I wandered around the rest of the market, feeling its reassuring weight in my shopping bag.I'm telling you, one taste of these late summer miracles will have you anticipating your next hook up as much as I do. This is the easiest, tastiest, most crowd pleasing appetizer you could ever serve. If they're not in your local market, well, I can only feel for your half empty lives. Me, I'm feeling pretty smug, as the folks at Viridian said they'd be around until the first frost. Imagine, WEEKS of satisfaction ahead!
If you're reading this in PDX, you can get them at the Viridian Farms stand at the downtown Saturday and Wednesday markets. If you're reading this and you live elsewhere, maybe they can overnight you some. It's worth it, I promise!!
The finished product, awaiting consumption!
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Sautéed Pimientos de Padron
ingredients:
1 dozen, more or less, pimientos de padron
olive oil
coarse sea salt (available at most markets. I get mine at Trader Joe's- BB)
method:
Pour olive oil to barely coat bottom of nonstick sauté pan, then add a smidge more. Heat oil over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add peppers, toss some sea salt on top, and sauté until brown and white marks appear, about four or five minutes. Serve immediately, using the stems as convenient little handles.
12 comments:
Wow, so nice seeing these up on TasteSpotting! I bought some of these a few Wednesdays back, along with some of Viridian's San Marzano Tomatoes,to use in a Bloody Mary recipe for school.
I really want more of these things, I found myself eating many of them after roasting. I fortunately had two little baskets of them.
These little peppers have to have the word shared...they are so awesome! And the Bloody Mary sounds pretty rocking, too.
I want some!
you only say that because they look...and taste....SO good! I'm telling you, FedEx is the way to go!!
DAMN. I've never had but now I'm curious and don't know where to get them! frustrating. I'm just going to have to jump on a plane and come buy a box!
These really are fabulous. They have become my new favorite food fad. They are great as part of a tapas meal, or on the side with some scrambled eggs and country potatoes. The spanish play a little pepper roulette in tapas bars because one in every twenty or so is hot. Not too hot though.
J...if you book now, you might get a cheap flight and arrive before the frost kills them for the season. Oh, did I mention FedEx?! You'd love them....the definition of food crack!
Bri....isn't it nice to be in the know? i just went to a wine lunch where they served them. Everyone's on board.
yes, bb, it is nice to be in the know. food fads aside, pimientos de padron are just good eats.
Just checked and Seeds from Italy has seeds so you can grow your own. At only $2.75 for 200, it sounds like a deal!
So much easier to step outside your door and pick your own...and laugh at the addicts running to market for their fix!
Long time reader - first time poster.
Just moved to PDX a month or two ago and after reading this post I finally realized you're here too. Interesting.
I'm loving my little padronies too. I picked some up from the VF folks last week and have been throwing these onto my salad, eating em with olives and cheese, etc.
There a teeny bit bitter, which is fine, but I haven't had any hot ones yet. Oh well, here's to hoping.
Having the cooked up sample of these at the stand soooo made the purchase happen.
I'm pretty stoked that we can score padrones here in Portland now.
In the past, I used my sister in SF as the hookup.
Evidence here.
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