Did you know that given enough time on the vine any green bell pepper will ripen into a red bell pepper? Yes, it’s summer time and farm stands (and produce sections) across the country are loaded down with fresh picked sweet (not to be confused with hot) peppers just waiting for you to load up and chow down

Bell peppers are sweet peppers and are actually available in yellow, red, orange, purple, black and even a "chocolate" colored varieties. You should be looking for firm and brightly colored peppers that don’t have soft spots or have a slightly wrinkled look. You can serve bell peppers raw with dips or cut up into salads. They can also be chopped into soups, chili, tomato sauces, omelets, potato dishes, or pizza.

The simplest way to prepare the peppers is to cut them in half lengthwise and remove the seeds and membranes. Place them cut side down on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake at 425 oven or on a covered grill for about 20 minutes or until the skins are blistered and brown. Wrap the peppers in foil or place in a plastic or paper bag and let them stand for 30 minutes to steam and they should peel easily.

As for why the colored bell peppers always cost more than the green, even though they're from the same plant the simple answer is that it takes 30 to 45 extra days on the plant for a green pepper to turn red, and time is money! Colored peppers are also more fragile than the green peppers This fragility translates into more lost to spoilage during shipping and the need to handle them with care.

SWEET RED PEPPER CORN MUFFINS (dairy or pareve)

Preheat oven to 425. In large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt and pepper. In small bowl, beat together buttermilk, oil and egg, stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Stir in red pepper. Spoon batter into well greased or paper lined muffin cups, filling each two thirds full. Bake in degree oven for 15 minutes or until tester inserted in center comes out clean. Or bake in 8 inch square baking pan for 20 minutes or until firm to the touch and cut into squares to serve. Makes 12 muffins.

ROASTED RED PEPPERS (pareve)
A sweet pepper dish that is great with any type of fresh bread. You’ll want to double the recipe because it’s going to disappear.

Quarter and clean pith from red peppers. Spray skin side with olive oil mist. Roast peppers under broiler 15-20 minutes, turning occasionally until skins are black. Put peppers in a paper bag until cool. Peel skins, (do not wash peppers) and put them in a bowl. Add smashed garlic clove, oil and vinegar and toss to coat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover and let marinate at room temperature for 2 hours. Serves 2 to 4.

LEMON CHICKEN WITH RED PEPPERS AND SNOW PEAS (meat)
This is a very light and fresh tasting summer dinner.

In a large skillet heat 1 teaspoon of oil over medium heat and sauté peppers, peas and onions until just tender/crisp. (About 3 minutes) Remove the vegetables and place them on the bottom of serving dish. Cut chicken into thick strips and dust them with flour and salt. Add 3 teaspoons of oil into skillet and cook chicken until done, (6 to 8 minutes). Meanwhile in a saucepan combine stock, lemon juice, sugar, oil, cornstarch, sesame oil, zest and garlic-cook over medium high heat for 3 minutes or until thickened. Place the chicken on top of the pepper and snow pea mixture. Pour a little sauce over the top of the chicken. Pour the rest of the sauce into a serving bowl and serve it with the chicken. This is great with rice and egg rolls Serves 3 to 4.

SALMON BUNDLES WITH ROASTED RED PEPPERS (fish)

Preheat oven to 400. Puree the red peppers in a blender or food processor. Layer 2 sheets phyllo on work surface, brushing each with butter or spray with nonstick spray; leave remaining sheets of phyllo covered with plastic. Place 1 fillet crosswise on the pastry, 5 inches from the narrow end. Top with 1 tablespoon puree. Fold the 5 inch section of pastry over the salmon and fold in the sides. Roll the pastry into a rectangular packet to enclose the salmon. Brush with butter on all sides or spray with nonstick spray. Repeat with the remaining pastry and salmon. Place packets on baking sheet and bake for 30-35 minutes until the salmon is cooked through and the pastry is light golden brown. Top with the remaining pepper puree. Serves 6.

ALMOND AND SWEET RED PEPPER RELISH (pareve)

Heat the olive oil in a skillet and add the peppers, onions and garlic. Saute until the vegetables are soft. Stir in the almonds, tomatoes, red wine vinegar, basil, salt, pepper and lemon or lime juice to tastes. . Remove immediately after all the ingredients have been combines and serve. Serves 6.

SWEET RED PEPPER RICE (pareve)

Red bell peppers, red pepper flakes, and paprika add a kick to this side dish. This is perfect with a simple roast chicken.

In large saucepan, heat oil over low heat. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until onion has softened, about 7 minutes. Add garlic, paprika and red pepper flakes, and stir to coat. Stir in bell peppers and cook, stirring frequently, until peppers have softened, about 5 minutes. Add in the rice and stir to coat. Add water, orange zest and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce it to a simmer, cover and cook until rice is tender and creamy, about 17 minutes. Stir in the cilantro and cook until well combines, about 1 minute. Remove from heat, stir in orange juice and serve. Serves 4 to 6.

SWEET POTATO AND RED PEPPER GRATIN (dairy)

Roast red peppers over open flame, under broiler, or over grill until skin is charred black. Remove and place in ziploc bag to rest for approximately 20 minutes. Remove from bag and peel charred skin. Slice open and remove core and seeds. Cut each pepper length wise in half and flatten slightly. Set aside.

Peel and thinly slice sweet potatoes lengthwise and place in bowl of cold water so that the slices won’t discolor. Important: You will need to pat dry potatoes before placing them in baking dish.

Grate cheese with box grater using course grate. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator until needed. Slightly cooled cheese is easier to handle.

Butter 13 X 9 inch Pyrex or glass baking dish. Preheat oven to 350. In the prepared baking dish, layer sweet potatoes on bottom trying to cover entire area. Salt and Pepper the top of the potatoes. Next, layer sweet red peppers over sweet potatoes, again trying to cover the entire area. Salt and Pepper red peppers. Next, layer grated Gruyere cheese (or good Swiss Cheese) over sweet red peppers. Continue layering in this order until you reach almost top of baking dish. Do not forget to salt and pepper each layer of potatoes and peppers. Pour heavy cream over entire area. Reserve enough cheese to completely cover top so that it can melt and turn a golden brown. Optional sprinkle with bread crumbs and sweet red pepper rings.

Bake gratin for 50 to 60 minutes until bubbly and golden brown in 350-degree oven. (Just a suggestion , try having drip tray under baking dish in case of boil over) If top is not as brown as you would like, but potatoes are cooked (test with skewer or fork), place under broiler for a few minutes. Remove when done and let rest for 15 minutes. This dish will be very hot when removed so be careful.

Eileen Goltz, a professional chef and caterer, is the author of the new cookbook, Perfectly Pareve.