Does anyone out there grow paprika peppers? I’ve used sweet paprika in a few recipes but just recently discovered smoked paprika when I made a spice mix for use as a dry rub in grilling. Now I’ve been putting smoked paprika on everything: scrambled eggs, baked potatoes, slow cooked beans…and as everyone but me seems to have already known, it elevates deviled eggs to a seriously crazy pinnacle of excellence. I’m curious, what are your favourite ways to use this fantastic little spice in cooking? (Tell me how you use other types of paprika as well!). And if you’ve grown the peppers, please tell me about your successes (or failures) with them. I don’t think I can easily grow them here without the benefit of a greenhouse, but I am nevertheless very interested….
I came across a fascinating article about the history of embroidery – although it references 900 years of the craft, it’s a very brief overview so it won’t take you long to read. The photos are fantastic, too. Check it out here.
Whether you’re a reader or a writer, you may enjoy this little piece posted up at Tor.com – it’s a thought-provoking take on writing botany into fantasy fiction. How do you name and describe plants that exist in worlds that aren’t real? Stuff like this is why writing is so fun….
Oh yes, and let’s cycle back to food: I posted a recipe for zucchini and salmon loaf up at Grit.com last week. Use fresh salmon if you have it. If you’re vegetarian, I think you could make a variation with scrambled tofu. And throwing in a few diced mushrooms and red or yellow peppers would be pretty yummy, too. Don’t forget the smoked paprika! ♥
Flowery Prose 
Hey, I just grow the stuff. I never learned how to cook with it.
Growing any kind of peppers is a reward in and of itself! 🙂
You would think that we could grow good peppers here, but they stop producing early. My neighbor had me grow some cool varieties, but I would grow fewer otherwise. The peppers that get dried do not get grown every year. We have kept them for a few years. My neighbor grinds them accordingly and keeps them jarred in the freezer. After grinding, I can them in small four ounce jars that last for years. They do not age as badly as other canned food does. (Canned jalapenos melt the seal and make an icky mess!)
Ik doe niets met paprika want ben er allergisch aan.Sorry
Definitely a good reason not to grow or eat it! I completely understand.
Love smoked paprika! That salmon loaf sounds scrummy.
Very much recommended!
I loved the article on the history of embroidery – I’ve shared it on Facebook! Thanks for suggesting grating zucchini; I never knew!
I love that article as well…very concise, but got me thinking about doing some more research. So many beautiful types of embroidery over time, and it’s neat to see how some of it is experiencing a revival right now. Love it!
And the grating zucchini trick for freezing…it works very well, a good solution for those inevitable (but delightful) days when the plants are producing a little too quickly to keep up. 🙂
Never grown paprika peppers as they are not sold as transplants here. Sounds interesting though. Wonder how they get smoked paprika….set a fire near a paprika plant? hehe
jean
Yes, I don’t think we can get transplants here, either…or perhaps I haven’t looked closely enough. LOL I love your method for making smoked paprika, it’s actually not that far off….
The embroidery article is very interesting–and, you’re right, the photos are wonderful! Makes me want to sit down and stitch!
It really is an interesting article, isn’t it? I agree, very inspirational – I’ve been really eager to get finishing some of my stitching projects and start some new ones, but I really have to find more hours in a day, lol….
what kind of wood do you use to smoke your paprika Sheryl?
I just buy it already smoked, but I did some quick reading and it appears that oak is often used to smoke it.
At the moment I seem to going through one of my “cooking phases”, looking for new recipes and being a little more adventurous that normal. Could be because I have a little more time on my hands before I go back to work next month, or just it is the right time for a change. And I love smoked paprika! Will definitely give the salmon loaf a try. 🙂
I hope you do get a chance to try the recipe – it’s yummy! It’s so wonderful to have just that little bit of extra time to try new recipes, isn’t it?
Thanks for sharing the link to embroidery! I am just starting a unit on sewing with some elementary students and this has some valuable information I can share with them!
I’m so glad it could help, Barbara! I thought it was so interesting….