Recipes

[PA Mom-mom]

My DS sends me pics of produce he brings home from work each week. He lives in a townhouse and doesn't grow any produce. Usually the produce consists of very hot peppers and tomatoes. He was worried about how hot the peppers were, and I told him if he cooked them long enough they would lose some of their heat. Yesterday, his gloves broke when he was cutting up the peppers, and he didn't change them. This morning his hands were burning up.

DH said his produce table usually consists of giant zucchini. Anyone else shop the workplace produce? Anything unusual?

ETA: He sauteed the peppers and cooked them with the fresh tomatoes and beef (or chicken?) broth, added rice for the last 20 minutes and finally added diced, cooked chicken. He really liked it. Wants to try it with shrimp or crab.

[Kachina624]

Does he have a garbage disposal?  That's where the peppers should have gone if he suspected they were very hot.  Never heard of them losing heat with long cooking.  Lucky he didn't rub his eyes.

I never worked where people brought produce to work. 

[laluzdelmundo]

I've never had much success with things like tomatoes, beans or zuchini, but there were winters here (a prime growing season) when I grew loads of Italian parsley and cilantro. I mentioned it one day to a couple of coworkers who said they would always buy it in the store, but so much of the bunch went to waste before they could use it all. I said I could certainly share some and that was it. I became the parsley and cilantro lady. Even the big boss would take some. That lasted the whole season and for the next few years. 

Someone brought in zucchini one year, lots of zucchini. It seems people who grow zucchini seldom just have a few.

[Travone]

We get produce in my office.   Usually zucchini. squash., and tomatoes.   I love it because I don't have a garden. We also have a board member who sends boxes of peaches each year. 

[laluzdelmundo]

How did I forget to mention the citrus? Grapefruit was often brought in, and sometimes oranges. I don't believe any of it ever had to be tossed out. It always made the break room smell fresher. (PLEASE, NO SEAFOOD IN MICROWAVE!!!)

[PA Mom-mom]

@laluzdelmundo  Yes, herbs are usually needed in small quantities and don't last for long. Your lucky coworkers! 

I'm a firm believer if you ignore zucchini, it will invade your house one day and tap you on the shoulder when you are sleeping! Hahaha!

We live in PA, so no citrus at our workplace tables unless some generous coworker went to FL on vacation and brought home a bag of oranges.

[RedTop]

@laluzdelmundo 

You are correct!  No one who plants zucchini ever has just a few; they are an easy plant to grow and and typically flourish, with an immense bounty.  

This time of year the vegetable will double in size on the vine every day, so they need to be harvested daily, and are at their peak within the first couple of days after picking.  The more zucchini you pick, the more you stimulate the plant to produce, which is why people find themselves covered up with far more zucchini than they can use and it shows up at work free for the taking, left in an unlocked car in your driveway, or in a bag on your doorstep in the dark of night.  

We just fed ours to our hogs.  

[PA Mom-mom]

@RedTop  So true!

[mspatmac]

We had so much home grown fruits, vegetables, nuts and jams at work it was wonderful!  Great to share rather than toss because you had to much.

[Carmie]

I never heard of getting produce at work.  I live in a neighborhood where we share our produce among a few close neighbors.

Last week, I got cucumbers and fresh corn.  I shared tomatoes and sweet peppers along with herbs.

I do not like those giant zucchini.  They are tough and full of seeds.  They need to be picked when they're still small. I often shred them and put them in the freezer to make zucchini bread.

Often, a neighbor sends over homemade strudle or nut roll for my husband and one neighbor smokes meats and we get some.

I have a sour cherry tree and share cherries with neighbors...hence the strudle.

If peppers are too hot...remove the seeds with gloves on. The membrane that holds the seeds to the pepper is super hot. If you are senestive, don't eat this membrane.

I love hot peppers.  I fry them in olive oil, often with a mix of sweet peppers then mix them with tomato purée.  I freeze this and use this for making sandwiches.  It is especially good with fresh pork. I use it like a pepper relish.  Yumm.

I really enjoy summer garden produce.

Adding:  You can always pickle hot peppers.  Wash them well and cut off the stem end and remove seeds if you wish.  You can also keep the stem on, or just cut them into rings.

Place peppers in a tall clean glasss jar.  Fill with half vinegar and half water.  Add salt, garlic cloves or spices you prefer.  Place lid on the jar and store in the refrigerator.

You can also can them, but if you just have a few peppers, this is easy.

They are better than store bought and keep well.