Well, this was unexpected. As I watched much of my veggie garden turn crispy during our drought this summer, only the pepper plants didn’t succumb. In fact, they thrived. Who knew those spindly stems and delicate leaves were such hot weather warriors?

So now what to do with this single crop bounty? Yeah, yeah, I know. Freeze them, can them for winter—I’ll do that too.  But incorporating “just picked yummy goodness” into meals this time of year is the point of little backyard gardens. Besides, the plants worked so hard that I felt I owed the pepper-plenty some starring roles, and yet another pepper-based salad just wasn’t cutting it anymore.

I decided a main course of stuffed peppers would give them the distinction they deserved. Never mind that recipes for stuffed peppers normally call for sturdy Bell peppers, it was time to improvise. These smaller, thin-skinned rebels don’t stand up obediently for stuffing and cooking, so a little creativity was in order.

Seeding the skinny peppers needed some deft coaxing, but their more subtle flavour was worth the effort.

The faster and easier part was preparing the stuffing. No, I didn’t actually measure anything. I used some ground beef, onions, garlic, rice, seasoning and an egg for binding so all the ingredients would be compelled to feel the love.

I soon discovered it was a good idea to snip the pointy ends to prevent the peppers from splitting like little balloons as I stuffed them. A dab in flour helped to keep the stuffing from escaping during cooking.

Three cans of cubed tomatoes, processed until smooth, were just enough to cover the peppers comfortably while they simmered for about an hour.

Starring role this time around?  I think “yes.”