Pretty Peppers

In late summer, it's all about tomatoes. The August It Girl in the centerfold of every food magazine's August issue--and she's always showing lots of skin in a kaleidescope of colors. Yeah, yeah. We know. But I feel the need to point out the garden wallflower that blew me away this year. This September, it's not the tomatoes I will say a long lingering goodbye to. No, it's the peppers. Oh what peppers we had this year!





Quick pickled cukes and peppers: (say it five times fast!)

Heat about a cup of apple cider vinegar with sugar and some allspice and celery seed. Stir until dissolved. Score the rinds of two cucumbers with a citrus zester and then slice thinly. Seed colorful peppers and slice into juliennes that are about one inch long. Toss cucumbers and peppers in a bowl and pour warm vinegar over them. Stir in chopped dill. Immediately place in freezer and stir a few times while you finish cooking the main course. Serve as soon as it's chilled.