Yum! Pimientos de Padrón

Addictive. Exciting (there’s about one muy caliente pepper in a batch). The little Spanish peppers available from Happy Quail Farms at the Palo Alto, Menlo Park and SF Ferry Plaza farmers markets make an easy and tasty casual starter during the warm months when the peppers are grown. Cooked in oil and sprinkled with salt, these treats are common in Spain’s tapas bars.

Their flavor is more interesting than other mild green peppers I’ve had. Even the occasional spicy ones are yummy. The classic preparation is to cook them in a little olive oil until they’re blistered and soft. Dry on paper towels and sprinkle with salt. I’ve tossed in a little garlic at the end and this is also good. I saw a recipe in one of Nobu’s books that called for grilling or broiling the peppers and serving with special finishing salt. I’ll try that approach sometime, too.

Reportedly, they’re grown in a remote coastal part of Galicia, where there’s an annual fiesta to celebrate the delectable little pepper.