'California
Wonder' is one of many types of mild, blocky chiles usually called bell
peppers. Bells are eaten in the unripe green stage or allowed to ripen
to red, orange or yellow, depending on the cultivar. Ripe peppers have
a very different flavor than green ones. It's like getting two different
vegetables from the same plant! Peppers grown close together may cross-pollinate,
and hot and mild peppers that cross can produce seeds that give rise to
peppers that are intermediate. However, bell peppers can never become
hot just because they are grown next to hot peppers.
Try a fried pepper sandwich: Cut peppers in half and remove stem and seeds.
Fry pepper halves in a little olive oil, and flatten them down as they
soften. (An old wood stove burner top makes a perfect weight.)
Serve on pumpernickel bread with low fat cream cheese.