"peppers" news and stories

Does it have to be beautiful to love it? No, this is not a Buddhist koan, or even a come-on for an anti-aging cream. It's about looking at something completely blistered and wrinkly with funky indentations and weird curves (I'll leave the imagination to you, and keep the comments clean, people!), and seeing past it to the way a perfectly grilled pepper is going to taste when it's on your plate, mixed into a salad, or sliced and slammed on a crusty roll with onions and, if you're so inclined, a rare and very juicy steak.

Photographer mccun934 calls it "Grumpy Old Man," and maybe there's a bit of Walther Matthau in there somewhere. Happy 5th of July Monday.

Become a member of the Slashfood Flickr pool for a shot of having your photos featured in Feast Your Eyes.

One of the easiest ways to prepare fish is also one of the most delicious. Here's how.

Bushels of chiles. Photo: alex.lines, Flickr.

• In Central Texas, pepper season peaks with spicy bites like poblanos and green chiles -- plus vodka, soup and quick-fix recipes.
• Austin Cake Ball is making a splash with their unique round and tasty confections.
• Austin winemaker Ross Outon survives the first round of PBS vino-centric reality show, "The Winemakers."
• Food Matters looks into chicken-friendly recycling, the Alamo's new diner/bowling alley/karaoke bar, in-season veggies, Cake Wrecks, openings and closings and food/drink briefs.
• Bacon is not the only goodness that comes from the wildly diverse pork belly.

It costs a pretty penny to buy roasted peppers. Luckily you can do it with little fuss right in your own kitchen.

French vegetable tian. Photo: Eric Diesel.

Bastille Day occurs at the height of summer, when summer vegetables are clamoring for attention from rows and stakes in the garden and tumbling out of bushel baskets in the marketplace. The shiny, waxen skins of eggplant and zucchini beckon the home cook to the pleasures of vegetables fresh from the embrace of sunshine and soil. Fat, juicy tomatoes are plentiful, as are fragrant bundles of leeks and fresh herbs.

Provençal cooking celebrates the earthy traditions of the French countryside and southern France in general, with food as simple and good as bread, wine, cheese. A tian -- a layered, baked vegetable dish that originated in Provence but is also common to city kitchens -- is the perfect complement to this French holiday. Unlike a gratin, a tian does not include bread crumbs or cheese, which allows the juices in the vegetables to evaporate in the oven's dry heat, concentrating their flavors.

Beyond the jump is an original recipe for tian of summer vegetables, which has been streamlined for the home cook while retaining fidelity to the original French dish. Serve this with your Bastille Day poulet, boeuf or pouisson, and watch as wine glasses around the table clink and diners agree: "Vive la France!"