Peppadew peppers have become one of our go-to appetizer components. Honestly, our relationship with these sweet, tangy and slightly spicy peppers borders on addiction, and they're pretty much guaranteed to impress any guests.
Peppadews are great on their own, but find out how to make them really sing...
Peppadew is actually a brand name for sweet piquanté peppers grown in South Africa. We get ours from Provenance Food and Wine in Lincoln Square and we usually take owner Tracy Kellner's advice and stuff them with goat cheese. If we think guests may be stopping by, we like to keep them on hand so we can whip up a quick snack in just a few minutes.
We buy them by the pound from the refrigerated case, but they're also available in jars (Provenance's Logan Square location only carries the jarred variety).
They're great atop a toasted bagel and cream cheese or chopped and tossed with pasta right before serving.
Kellner also suggests stuffing them with cubes of mozzarella or a soft, creamy blue cheese like Hook's Blue.
Our best recommendation: Buy more than you plan to serve – you'll no doubt eat a few while you're stuffing them.
Related: The Cheesemonger's Seasonal Spotlight: Goat Cheese
(Images: Joanna Miller)
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These are also available at The Chopping Block and Sam's Wine and I'm sure a ton of other places.
A Demo class I took at Chopping Block had them stuffed with goat cheese and drizzled with a balsamic reduction.
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Love them!!!
They were hard to get for a little while because demand was greater than the supply!
view art's profile
Is it available at any of the normal grocery stores?
view anu0480's profile
Does anyone know where these can be found in Washington, D.C.? They sound dreamy!
view birdie_dc's profile
Does anyone know where these can be found in D.C.? They sound dreamy!
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I love pepperdews.
I have bought it in C-TOWN Nyc before.
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A friend of mine is obsessed with these--she mostly puts them on sandwiches. I believe she buys them at Whole Foods.
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If you can't find them locally, you can order them by the jar online. More information on the Peppadew USA site (link in the post).
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I've never seen those before! They look like marischino (sp) cherries in the photo. Yum :)
Leah
The Jew & The Carrot
http://jcarrot.org
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Mmm: we've just started keeping them around all the time-- when we have people over and I've not planned a menu (alas, happens more often than I'd like to admit), we stuff them w/tuna and capers. Sounds a little gross, perhaps, but it's delicious.
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birdie_dc: Wegman's? They seem to have everything. Whole Foods? Maybe World Market in their little food section? I'm suddenly intrigued and want to try them and I live near you in Northern Virginia.
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if you're in chicago, they have the exact same peppers at Strack and Van Til, up on Elston across the street from Target. And it's WAY cheaper than Whole Foods.
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