Ah, That's the Way, Uh-huh, Uh-huh

Stuffed Peppers with ground turkey

Served over barley cooked in garlicky stock and a light cucumber salad

I love stuffed peppers a hundred ways and I filled these with black beans, corn, ground turkey, tomato, cilantro and cheese and topped with Panko crumbs.  I lightly salt and pepper the insides of the peppers before stuffing, as well as add a painting of olive oil on the insides and that allows their true essence to shine through after roasting. I don't want a sauce to mask any of these textures.  The cheesy bite with the crunchy bits of Panko underneath and then slightly charred pieces of ground turkey when it hits the juicy tomatoes, that's what life is all about right there.  It's a celebration of mouth feels.

You can add the grain to the stuffing but this time I kept it out and served them on the bed of barley, which I prefer when there is time to cook them separately.   Cutting the peppers in half allows them to cook through faster and without needing a water bath.  This gives them a roasted flavor rather than a boiled one and locks in the juicy smoke flavor. 

Our neighbors have a newborn baby girl and we snuck little knit Jordan's on their shoe rack in the morning and then texted them to tell her to stop leaving her kicks in the hallway. 

Hillarious and adorable!

Another adorable thing is this thinly sliced cucumber salad with Vidalia onions, fresh dill, a touch of sugar, rice wine vinegar, olive oil and salt and pepper. Let it set out for a good 1/2 an hour.  Simple, elegant and refreshing.