Ding Dong Bell Peppers

 

“Ding Dong Bell,

Pussy's in the well.

Who put her in?

Little Johnny Flynn.

Who pulled her out?

Little Tommy Stout.

What a naughty boy was that,

To soak a Pussy cat,

Who never did him any harm,

But scared all the mice in the farmer's barn.”

While the original version of this rhyme is from John Lant, the organist of Winchester Cathedral, in 1580, the version we mainly know and have heard is from New Nursery Rhymes for Old by Geoffrey Hall, published in 1949.  Other versions of the rhyme have a darker nature where the poor kitty is left to perish, however, the main concept was to teach children about animal cruelty and how wrong it was.

In fact, several Mormon leaders have explicitly spoken out against animal cruelty, such as:

David O. McKay (9th President): He frequently spoke in general conferences about kindness to animals, stating, “a true Latter-day Saint is kind to animals, is kind to every created thing, for God created all.”

Joseph F. Smith (6th President): He taught that harming animals is spiritually corrupting, noting that “doing wrong to animals is but a stepping stone to the doing of wrong to our fellow men.”\

 Joseph Fielding Smith (10th President): He similarly taught that cruelty toward animals disqualifies a person from the companionship of the Holy Spirit and emphasized that animals are living souls destined for resurrection.

George Q. Cannon (First Counselor in the First Presidency): While not church president, he was historically the most vocal general leader on animal welfare, preaching heavily in the 19th century against cruelty, neglect, and hunting for sport rather than sustenance.

Even though I am non-Mormon, I travel along the same road of thought, as these men did, about animal cruelty, and do respect their outspokenness on the subject.

Originally, I wanted to start with, “Why are bell peppers called bell peppers?”, then I remembered the rhyme, and there I went on one of my tangents.  Now, back to the original concept.

Simple answer is, “Bell peppers are called that because their plump, squat, lobed shape resembles a traditional hand bell, and they belong to the pepper family.” 

The more detailed, historical, answers are:

Bell - English settlers, of North America, noticed the hollow, wide-bottomed shape looked like a hanging church or hand bell. Records show the term "bell-pepper" used as early as the late 1600s, and were ideal for pickling.

Pepper - Christopher Columbus and early European explorers mistakenly called plants in the Capsicum genus "peppers" because their spicy or pungent varieties added heat to food, reminding the black peppercorns (Piper nigrum). Even though bell peppers are mild and lack the chemical compound capsaicin that makes other peppers hot, they kept the family name.

Do the colors of bell peppers have distinct characteristics?  First off, all bell peppers start off with a deep green color, but as they mature, or are allowed extra time to ripen, they change color and flavor.

Green: Crisp, firm, with a bright, grassy, and slightly bitter taste.

Yellow: Mild, sweet, and slightly fruity or citrusy.

Red: Sweet, juicy, and much less bitter as natural sugars increase.

Purple, White or Brown (rare colors): White and purple taste crisp and grassy like green peppers; chocolate tastes sweet like red peppers.

Bell peppers contain vitamins A, B6, C, potassium, folate and antioxidants; one cup of raw is only nine grams of carbohydrates, ½ gram of fat. 3 grams of fiber, 1.5 grams of protein, and they simply just taste good.

Recipe wise, probably everyone has one for stuffed peppers handed down through the generations.

Instead of a standard recipe, I am giving you two to add to your collection; Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers (made with roasted beef), and Cajun Seasoned Turkey and Rice Stuffed Peppers (using ground turkey for those who do not, or cannot, eat beef).

Hope you enjoy making these.  Also, let’s remember to be as kind to animals, as we are to humans, considering Homo sapiens is scientifically classified as an animal species too.

 

Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients:

2 large green bell peppers

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1/2 cup chopped onions

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

½. tsp salt

1 and 1/2 cups chopped roasted beef

1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

 

 

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375F; spray a one-quart baking dish with nonstick spray.

 

 

 

Cut tops off peppers, remove seeds, stem and white pith; set aside tops and bodies of peppers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In a small skillet, medium-high heat, sauté onions until they soften (about 5 minutes); season with salt and black pepper.

On a medium bowl, mix together onions, beef and cheese.  Stuff each pepper with the mixture and put tops on.  Bake for 30 - 40 minutes; until tops just begin to brown.

 

After Baking.

Makes two servings.

Now, if you really need that bread, make some crusty dinner rolls, fill them with some of the green bell pepper and cheesesteak filling.  There you go, Philly Cheesesteak Sliders!

 

Cajun Seasoned Turkey and Rice Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients:

1 and ½ lbs. ground turkey

2 Tbsp. no-salt seasoning mix

1 cup chopped mushrooms

1 (8 oz.) package Zatarain’s Red Beans and Rice

6 tsps. Olive oil

1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes

Salt (if deemed necessary for taste)

6 large red, green or mixture of both bell peppers; seeds and white pith removed, set aside tops and bodies.

Preparation:

In a large skillet, medium-high heat, brown together the ground turkey, no-salt seasoning and mushrooms until turkey is no longer pink.  Prepare the Zatarain’s according to package directions.

 

 

Preheat oven to 375F; line the cups of a large muffin tin with aluminum foil; pour a teaspoon of olive oil into each foil lined cup.

 

In a large mixing bowl, combine the skillet mixture, Zatarain’s and diced tomatoes; taste to see if salt needs to be added.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stuff each of the bell peppers; place tops back on and put half teaspoon of filling into holes; place each stuffed pepper into a foil lined cup.  Bake for 30 minutes.

Before Baking.

After Baking.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Makes six servings.

Mary Cokenour 

The Movable Feast of the Resurrection.

Easter is celebrated on the first Sunday following the first ecclesiastical full moon (the "Paschal Full Moon") that occurs on or after March 21 (the fixed spring equinox). This date is determined by lunar and solar cycles rather than a fixed calendar date, so Easter Sunday always falls between March 22 and April 25, and is considered a “movable feast”.

Easter is a major Christian holiday based on the resurrection of Jesus Christ three days after his crucifixion.  The primary source of historical information of this event is biblical, the New Testament, written by Christ’s apostles, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John.  There are other documents that mention the event, but not as highly written about than in the New Testament.   Early Christians celebrated the resurrection weekly; it was not until 325 ADE that an annual festival was formalized by the Council of Nicaea.  The name, Easter, came from Eostre (or Ostara), an Anglo-Saxon Pagan goddess of spring and fertility celebrated in April.  As Christianity spread, pagan traditions were incorporated to enable a smoother transition for the newly indoctrinated.

Two symbols of the pagan celebration are eggs and rabbits, definitely signifying fertility.  Painting eggs red symbolized the blood of Christ, with the shell representing the tomb. Rabbits, however, ended up becoming stew meat.  It was not until the 17^th century that German immigrants brought the tradition of the "Osterhase" (Easter Hare from German Protestant folklore) to America, a creature that laid eggs for well-behaved children to find in nests.

But, before the spread of Christianity, what did the followers of Christ, after his resurrection, serve at the weekly feasts? 

Roasted Lamb: The central dish, symbolizing Jesus's sacrifice, and his being the "Lamb of God" who takes away the sins of the world.

Baked Goods: Hot cross buns, often eaten on Good Friday, represent the crucifixion.

Bitter Herbs and Charoset: Reflecting the Passover roots of the celebration, these include herbs like horseradish, and a fruit/nut paste.

Stewed Beans/Legumes: A traditional, slow-cooked dish like cholent (bean stew).

Fish: Commonly eaten as part of the post-resurrection tradition.

Olives, Figs, and Herbs: Common staple foods of the region.

Eggs: As mentioned above.  The decorated types did not come about until the Easter Hare came to America.

 

Globally, foods used for the celebration changed due to what was available in the area.  Basically, though, it involves the slow-cooking of beef or lamb, with local vegetables, herbs, and, depending on the region, ingredients like red wine, beer, and/or spices.  The recipe I will share is one traditionally served in those earlier years, Cholent.

Cholent is a traditional, slow-cooked savory stew originating from Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine, designed to simmer overnight for 12–18 hours.  It features ingredients of either beef or lamb, potatoes, beans, barley, and onions, resulting in a rich, comforting flavor.

 

Cholent

Ingredients:

2 pounds medium red potatoes, peeled and halved  

2 small onions, chopped

3 lbs. beef roast, or lamb, cut into 2-inch pieces

1 cup dried chickpeas, soak for one hour in warm water, rinse

1/2 cup pearl barley, soak with chickpeas  

2 Tbsp. minced garlic

1-quart low sodium beef broth

2 cups water

1 Tbsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper 

1 and 1/2 tsps. paprika

1 and 1/2 tsps. turmeric

1 tsp. cumin

1 kishke - optional

Notes of Interest:

What is kishke? Kishke (or kishka) is a traditional Ashkenazi Jewish dish, often called "stuffed derma", consisting of beef or fowl intestines stuffed with a mixture of matzo meal, schmaltz (chicken fat), onion, celery, carrots, and seasonings.  

Is Jewish kishke and Scottish haggis the same?  While similar in concept and texture, they differ in ingredients: kishke typically uses flour/matzo meal and schmaltz, while traditional haggis uses sheep’s organ meat and oats.

Preparation:

In a 6-quart crock pot, begin layering the ingredients – potatoes, onions, meat, chickpeas/barley mix.  In a large bowl, mix together the garlic, beef broth, water and seasonings; pour evenly over ingredients in the crock pot.

Cover crock pot, set on low and let cook for 12-16 hours.

Optional cooking method: To cook this recipe in the oven, layer the ingredients in a large heavy -duty 8-quart Dutch oven. Make sure liquid just covers all ingredients. Cover with lid and cook at 200F for 12-16 hours.

Makes 12 servings.

 

 

While many families have the addition of Easter bread (bread braid with colored, hard-boiled eggs inserted where bread crosses) at their table, hot cross buns have a place of importance.  Hot cross buns, traditionally eaten on Good Friday, mark the end of Lent, with the cross representing the Crucifixion of Jesus. The spices symbolize those used to embalm Christ, while their history blends Christian symbolism with older pagan traditions honoring spring, rebirth, and fertility.

Religious Symbolism: The cross on top represents the cross on which Jesus died, and the spices represent the spices used in his burial. 

End of Lent: Traditionally, these buns were eaten to mark the end of the fasting season, as they were often made without dairy (before modern recipes).

Pagan Origins: The tradition predates Christianity, with Saxons baking buns marked with a cross to honor the goddess of spring, Eostre, representing the 4 seasons, or the rebirth of the world.

Folklore and Superstition: It was believed that hot cross buns baked on Good Friday would not mold for a year, would protect against fire (when hung in the kitchen), and bring good luck to sailors.

So, this year, while your family probably has its traditions, think about going back in time and prepare what might have been served during the Resurrection celebration then.  Think of it as a culinary education on what was eaten at that time, and why.

Mary Cokenour