Hot and Saucy

It was a 100 degrees on Tuesday! Yes! I'm lovin the heat and so are the peppers. Look at them...they are beaming. Who says peppers don't grow in the Pacific Northwest?

This awesome summer weather makes me crave fresh fruit and gazpacho, but since the big tomatoes are a long way from ripening I will settle on spicy food (and ice cream)! I know there are better ways to lower your body temperature and induce endorphins, but eating spicy is also a nostalgic thing- I grew up eating raw jalapeños with dinner. I decided to take a less radical approach to this Persian tradition and make some hot sauce.

I made two kinds, straight up hot sauce and chili infused oil (inspired by Ze Carlos, my sister's Father-in-Law). For the sauce, I chopped the Bulgarian Carrot Chilis and simmered them in sea salt and apple vinegar, with a touch of rice vinegar for sweetness. I'll marinate the mixture for a couple weeks, then blend and maybe strain the liquid...we'll see. I also infused a blend of olive-sesame oil with these Carrot Chiles and added some garlic cloves and Thai basil. The red peppers are Corno di Toro. The unripened green version is pretty sweet but the red ones have a sting. I put these in some olive oil with sweet basil. We'll have a tasting in August...come over!