Red, Yellow, Orange and Green

The fruit of my labors have paid off today. The tilling, the weeding, the watering; all worth it. I had a delicious dinner of Chicken with a roasted Poblano Cream Sauce made with a Poblano straight from my garden ( recipe in my now favorite Martha Stewart cook book) , roasted yellow and green squash with onions, all from my garden and fresh peaches right from my tree. Boy how good food tastes when picked and eaten fresh. Delicious. I have been patiently watching my tomatoes turn from green to red, tomorrow is the big day, I just know it. I have the dinner all planned around those 5 tomatoes that should be just perfect for picking. I just love the summer garden.

I have planted an extra amount of pepper plants this summer. I had never been a huge bell pepper person but then I realized that I just had never really eaten them in the right venue. First off, they are simply beautiful. They are a perfect shade of each color; red, yellow, orange and green. If you haven't noticed, the real foods with the most vibrant colors are the healthiest for us.Peppers are perfectly crisp. They are absolutely nutrient rich. Check these stats out: Red Bells are higher in Vitamin C than oranges and loaded with Beta Carotene. They are rich in lycopene and beta-cryptoxathin which help prevent and fight cancer. All the bells contain high amounts of A and C and fiber. They also contain some Vitamin K which is great for bone health.

I have been adding these little gems to many different recipes lately. At first the munchkins would pick them out and question my reasoning for putting these veggies in their dinner. Now, they are used to seeing them in various dishes and have no qualms about digesting them. I can now say that I am a pepper lover. You can use them in so many dishes; salads, pizza's , omelets, salsa, etc. Try them out. If you need a recipe to experiment on, try out this lovely little pizza we made last week. They were all sure it sounded gross but ALL ate and loved it. Sorry , my daughter deleted the photo so just try to imagine it. Of course, this one will make it in my recipe collection.

Spanish Omelet Pizza

1/2 lb red potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes, about 1 cup

3/4 C chopped bell peppers, various colors

1 T olive oil

1/4 C. chopped onion

1 tsp chopped canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

4 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/8 t. freshly ground black pepper

salt to taste

1 large ball of whole wheat pizza dough (I bought mine from Fresh & Easy)

6 oz. Monterey Jack cheese

2 T. chopped cilantro

In a small pan, boil the cubed potatoes until barely tender. Drain. In a small omelet pan or skillet over medium-high heat, saute the bell peppers and onion in olive oil for 3 minutes. Add the reserved potatoes and cook for 2 minutes. Add the chipotle peppers and stir to combine. Add the eggs and stir and cook until the eggs are no longer runny. Salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and let cool about 10 minutes. Spread on rolled out pizza crust. Top with grated cheese. Bake in 500 degree oven for about 10 minutes or until bubbly and golden. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro when done.

**Recipe adapted from The Ultimate Pizza book