This year we have a wide selection of various hot and sweet peppers at Orchard nursery, so come in and pick some up today!
 
Sweet Peppers:
In the United States, the term "sweet pepper" encompasses a wide variety of mild peppers that, like the chile, belong to the Capsicum family. Both sweet and hot peppers are native to tropical areas of the Western Hemisphere. Sweet peppers can range in color from pale to dark green, from yellow to orange to red, and from purple to brown to black. Their color can be solid or variegated. Their usually juicy flesh can be thick or thin and flavors can range from bland to sweet to bittersweet. The best know sweet peppers are the bell peppers, so-named for their rather bell-like shape. They have a mild, sweet flavor and crisp, exceedingly juicy flesh. When young, the majority of bell peppers are a rich green, but there are also yellow, orange, purple, red, and brown bell peppers. The red bells are simply vine-ripened green bell peppers that, because they've ripened longer, are very sweet. In cooking they find their way into a variety of dishes and can be sautéed, baked, grilled, braised and steamed. Sweet peppers are an excellent source of vitamin C and contain fair amounts of calcium, phosphorus, iron, thiamine, riboflavin and niacin.
 
Hot Chile Peppers:
One of the wonders that Christopher Columbus brought back from the New World was a member of the Capsicum genus, the chile. Now this pungent pod plays an important role in the cuisines of many countries including Africa, China (Szechuan region), India, Mexico, South America, Spain, and Thailand. There are more than 200 varieties of chiles, over 100 of which are indigenous to Mexico. They vary in length from a huge 12 inches to a 1/4" pewee. Some are long, narrow and no thicker than a pencil while others are plump and globular. Their heat quotient varies from mildly warm to mouth-blistering hot. As a general rule, the larger the chile the milder it is. Small chiles are much hotter because, proportionally, they contain more seeds and veins than larger specimens. Those seeds and membranes can contain up to 80 percent of a chile's capsaicin, the potent compound that gives chiles their fiery nature. Since neither cooking nor freezing diminishes capsaicin's intensity, removing a chile's seeds and veins is the only way to reduce its heat. After working with chiles, it's extremely important to wash your hands thoroughly; failure to do so can result in painful burning of the eyes or skin (wearing rubber gloves will remedy this problem). Chiles are a rich source of vitamins A and C, and a  good source of folic acid, potassium and vitamin E.
 
The above information is from: The New Food Lover's Companion, Second Edition, by Sharon Tyler  Herbst, Barron's Cooking Guide.
 
GROWING:
Grow in full sun and water regularly, but less frequently as plants grow. When the first blossoms open, give the plants a light application of fertilizer.

Have you seen Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution on ABC? "Jamie has made a new series for American TV about food – how families eat, what kids get at school and why, as in the UK, the diet of processed food and snacks is causing so many health and obesity problems. The series was filmed in Huntington, West Virginia.

Jamie's challenge was to see if he can get a whole community cooking again. He worked with the school lunch ladies and local families to get everyone back in the kitchen and making tasty meals with fresh ingredients – no packets, no cheating. He's started a Food Revolution: to get people all over America to reconnect with their food and change the way they eat." (click here for more information or to sign Jamie's Food Revolution petition)
 
It's easy to start your own food revolution by adding fresh fruits and vegetables to your diet. Even better - grow your own Food Revolution! Summer veggie season is in full swing and there's still time to plant fruit trees too. Orchard will be participating in the Plant a Row for the Hungry program again this year. We'll be collecting your excess harvests from July through October and bringing them to the Monument Crisis Center in Concord. What a great way to help others in the community be a part of the Food Revolution. So plant an extra row of veggies today!  

Give a bouquet of good wishes with Bloem Box. Colorful little boxes hold a biodegradable ribbon filled with seeds.  The top is cleverly adorned with the flower of the seeds inside. Choose from: Original poppy, Habitat Garden or Tiny Tin Edibles.

Be happy today!

It's garden tour time! Stay tuned in the next few weeks to hear about local garden tours. Orchard is selling tickets for the Moraga Junior Women's Through the Garden Gate tour. Check it out:

Moraga Junior Women's Club
7th Annual "Through the Garden Gate" garden tour
Saturday, May 1, 2010
10:00 AM to 3:00 PM, rain or shine
 
A self-guided tour featuring five spectacular gardens throughout Lamorinda.
 
Tickets are $30 ($25 is tax deductible) and pre-ordered, gourmet box lunch from Whole Foods Market is available for $10.  Tickets and lunch can be purchased at our ticket outlet:
 
Orchard Nursery in Lafayette
 
From MJWC members or online at www.moragajuniors.org 
 
All proceeds to benefit Farm 2 Kids, a program by the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano.  For more information, www.foodbankccs.org