You may be saying “What’s the Big Deal” about three red peppers…..so here it is.

Remember (or go look) that last fall, the first four red peppers I got for a dollar weighed in at about one pound, total for the four.  And the second batch of FIVE red peppers for $1.00 weighed about 3.25 pounds.

Well, the pepper you see on the far right in both photographs weighed one full pound all by itself!
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These were the biggest peppers, with the thickest walls, that I’ve ever seen.  The three of them weighed 2.75 pounds….just three peppers.  I wonder if I can grow a pepper weighing a pound….if so, you’ll see it here!

It actually worked so well, that I’m going to make another 6-pound batch of MEYER LEMON MARMALADE and eliminate the slicing of the rind, which was the only really burdensome part of that recipe.  I don’t think I’ll mind the marmalade with little tidbits of lemon rind, rather than big old slices…...

OK….after grinding the peppers, the rest proceeded pretty much as the marmalade did.  Here’s the finished product:
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The bottles are recipe #2, while the plate shows you what recipe #1 produced.  #2 uses red AND green peppers, and I threw in the remainder of a yellow one, so it may be prettier.  Here are the recipes (I don’t know that I have a preference, but #2 didn’t set up nearly as nicely as #1…and I boiled it until the temp was 225, too!  Maybe when it’s completely cool.):
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http://allrecipes.com/recipe/jalapeno-pepper-jelly-2/detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=pepper%20jelly&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=%2f404.aspx

JALAPENO PEPPER JELLY

Prep Time: 10 Min Cook Time: 15 Min Ready In: 25 Min       Original Recipe Yield 6 (1/2 pint) jars

Ingredients
    3 green bell peppers, seeded and finely chopped
    2 (4 ounce) cans diced jalapenos, drained
          (I used 4 ounces fresh jalapenos)
    1 1/2 cups distilled white vinegar
    6 1/2 cups white sugar
    1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional - didn’t use)
    1 (6 fluid ounce) container liquid fruit pectin
    5 drops green food coloring (optional - didn’t use)

Directions

1. Combine the bell peppers, chile peppers, vinegar, sugar, and cayenne pepper in a large pot. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently. When the mixture comes to a rolling boil that cannot be stirred down, stir in the pectin. Cook for 5 more minutes at a boil, then remove from the heat. Stir in the green food coloring, if desired.

2. Ladle jelly into hot sterile jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Process jars in a boiling water bath for 5 to 10 minutes to ensure a good seal.
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http://allrecipes.com/recipe/hot-pepper-jelly/detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=pepper%20jelly&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=%2f404.aspx

HOT PEPPER JELLY

Prep Time: 30 Min Cook Time: 15 Min Ready In: 1 Hr 45 Min   Original Recipe Yield 6 (8 ounce) jars

Ingredients
    2 1/2 cups finely chopped red bell peppers
    1 1/4 cups finely chopped green bell peppers
    1/4 cup finely chopped jalapeno peppers
    1 cup apple cider vinegar
    1 (1.75 ounce) package powdered pectin
          (whisk into vinegar, then add to peppers)
    5 cups white sugar

Directions

1. Sterilize 6 (8 ounce) canning jars and lids according to manufacturer’s instructions. Heat water in a hot water canner.
2. Place red bell peppers, green bell peppers, and jalapeno peppers in a large saucepan over high heat. Mix in vinegar and fruit pectin. Stirring constantly, bring mixture to a full rolling boil. Quickly stir in sugar. Return to full rolling boil, and boil exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, and skim off any foam.
3. Quickly ladle jelly into sterile jars, filling to within 1/4 inch of the tops. Cover with flat lids, and screw on bands tightly.
4. Place jars in rack, and slowly lower jars into canner. The water should cover the jars completely, and should be hot but not boiling. Bring water to a boil, and process for 5 minutes.

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This was pretty quick and easy with Meyer lemons - Eureka might be tougher.  Step 3:
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was the only truly arduous part of the process….slicing up all the lemon peels.  I cut each half into two quarters, stacked them up and sliced.  There were LOTS of peelings (I doubled the recipe, so used 6 pounds of lemons), and slicing them up went on and on.  Finally, Step 4:
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“Blanching” the peel - put it in cold water, bring to boil for a minute, drain and rinse well.  Did this twice, and the third time the peelings were drained, but NOT rinsed.  Then I put the lemon juice and sugar into the pot and brought it to a boil to get the sugar to dissolve.  The peelings were added at this point, and the pot simmered for half an hour.  I “cheated” and used a thermometer to be sure the temperature got to 225 degrees, which took another five minutes or so.  Then, Step 5:
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I steamed the empty jars, filled them with hot marmalade, added the lids and processed them for 15 minutes.  The last step was:
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removing the sealed jars from the canner to cool.  The marmalade was bright, sweet and tart, with a faint bitterness in the background.  REALLY good!  Here’s the recipe:

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/meyer-lemon-marmalade

Meyer Lemon Marmalade

ACTIVE: 1 HR          
TOTAL TIME: 2 HRS        
SERVINGS: 5 1/2 pint jars

Ingredients

1. 12 medium organic Meyer lemons (3 pounds)
2. 3 cups sugar
1. Rinse the lemons and pat dry.
2. Halve the lemons crosswise and juice them,
      reserving the juice.
3. Using a spoon, scrape the pulp and seeds
      from the halves.
4. Using a sharp knife, slice the peels 1/8 inch thick.

5. In a large, heavy saucepan, cover the strips with
    8 cups of cold water and bring to a boil; boil for 1 minute.
6. Drain the strips and rinse under cold running water.
7. Blanch two more times; the final time, drain the strips
    but do not rinse them.

8. Return the strips to the saucepan. Add the reserved
    juice and the sugar.
9. Simmer over moderate heat, stirring to dissolve the
    sugar, then skimming any foam, until the marmalade
    sets, about 30 minutes (or 225 on thermometer).

10.  Spoon the marmalade into 5 hot 1/2-pint canning jars,
    leaving 1/4 inch of space at the top, and close with the
    lids and rings.
11.  To process, boil the jars for 15 minutes in water to
    cover.
12.  Let stand at room temperature for 2 days before
    serving.

The processed marmalade can be stored in a cool, dark
    place for up to 1 year.  Refrigerate after opening.

Heat in Dutch oven over medium heat:
      2 Tbs olive oil - or a bit more…..

Add and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent
            – about 5 minutes:
      1 Cup coarsely chopped onions - I used less….between
            1/4 and 1/2 Cup

Add and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until onion is
            golden and pepper softens – about 5 minutes:
      1 Red Bell Pepper, seeded, deribbed, and finely chopped
      3 cloves garlic, minced - I used more…probably 5 or 6
            average-sized ones.

Add, then increase heat and boil:
      5 cups of stock (vegetable, chicken, whatever strikes
            your fancy)
      1 can (15-oz) diced tomatoes, with juice

Stir in, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer about
          10 minutes – until spinach is wilted and
          ourzo is tender:
      6 Cups (about 6 oz) stemmed and coarsely shredded
          fresh spinach (to make this recipe really quick
          and simple, use bagged spinach that’s already
          washed and stemmed)
      ¼ Cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley - I only had
          regular parsley, and I probably used 1/2 Cup
      ½ Cup ourzo or riso pasta

Stir in:
      ¼ Cup fresh lemon juice

Season to taste with salt (if you used Low-Sodium
      broth and tomatoes) and freshly ground pepper

I REALLY like this soup—see if you agree.

P.S. Please don’t laugh at my photograph—you can see fabulous PHOTOS of food preparation ELSEWHERE.

Here’s how one looked served up:
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And here is the recipe—it’s pretty simple…the only “hard” thing is cutting the butter into the flour mixture.  That’s a bit of a pain.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/blueberry-dumpling-dessert/detail.aspx

Blueberry Dumpling Dessert
“Dumplings flavored with lemon zest are poached in a simmering blueberry sauce in this warm dessert.”

Prep Time:  15 Min   Cook Time: 20 Min   Ready In: 35 Min Servings  6

Ingredients

Blueberry Sauce:

    3 Cups fresh or frozen blueberries, thawed
    1 Cup water
    1/2 Cup sugar
    1½ tsp fresh lemon juice - I squeezed a whole lemon
      and put in the juice…MORE than called for
    ¼ tsp ground cinnamon

Dumplings:

    1 Cup Pillsbury BEST® All Purpose Flour
    1/4 Cup sugar
    1 tsp baking powder
    1/4 tsp salt
    1/4 tsp grated lemon peel - I used Spice Islands
          and couldn’t taste it. 
      Best find a lemon with a non-bitter peel and
          use fresh zest - and MORE
    1/4 Cup Crisco® All-Vegetable Shortening
          (butter is always better)
    1/3 Cup milk

Cream, ice cream or whipped cream (optional)

Directions

1. Combine 3 Cups blueberries, 1 Cup water, 1/2 cup sugar,
      juice of one lemon and 1/4 tsp cinnamon in large
      saucepan.

  Bring to a boil. Cover. Reduce heat to low.
  Simmer 5 minutes.

2. Combine flour, 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder, salt and
          lemon peel in medium bowl.
      Cut in shortening using pastry blender or 2 knives
          until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
      Stir in milk just until flour is moistened.

3. Drop 6 heaping tablespoonfuls of dough into simmering
          blueberry mixture.
      Cover pan tightly. Simmer 15 minutes without lifting
          cover.

4. Spoon dumplings into 6 individual serving dishes.
      Spoon hot fruit over dumpling.
      Serve with cream, whipped cream or ice cream,
          if desired.

When I do it again, I’ll use the larger kettle for the syrup. 
It will be shallow, but big enough for smaller dumplings -
maybe 8 or 10.  That way, I can make them a little flatter
so less is under the surface.  The top part of the dumplings
were nice and “dry”, while the bottom part were a little bit soggy.

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You can see that the bins are hung from “I-Beams” manufactured by sandwiching a 2x2 between two 1x4s.  The I-Beams are screwed to the ceiling joists through the top 1x4.  Two eight-foot long I-Beams will hold four of these bins between them.  I got the bins at Wal Mart for about $5.00 each.  The distance between the I-Beams is determined by which bin you choose.

Looking from below at the other end of the system, you can see the labels on each bin:
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A close-up view shows how I pasted a label on the bin, then taped over it with packaging tape:
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All my incandescent light bulbs are up there, plus the foam seed starters, and other things that are kind of bulky but have relatively little weight.  The heaviest bin probably weighs 10 pounds.

I recommend this system - give it a try!

GINGERBREAD PUDDING CAKE

Ingredients
     Nonstick cooking spray
    1  14.5-ounce package  gingerbread mix (I’ve made this twice, both times with Trader Joe’s mix - so I recommend THAT one)
    ½ Cup milk
    ½ Cup raisins
    2¼ Cups water
    ¾ Cup packed brown sugar
    ¾ Cup butter (Yep—three-quarters of a Cup)

    Vanilla ice cream (optional - says who?)

Directions
1. Lightly coat the inside of a 3½- or 4-quart slow cooker with cooking spray; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, combine gingerbread mix and milk until mix is moistened. Stir in raisins (batter will be thick - believe me, it’s THICK…and sticky).
3. Spread gingerbread batter evenly in the bottom of the prepared slo-cooker.

4. In a medium saucepan, combine the water, brown sugar, and butter. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Boil gently, uncovered, for 2 minutes.
5. Carefully pour sugar mixture over batter.

6. Cover the slo-cooker and cook on high-heat setting (do not use low-heat setting) for 2 hours (center may appear moist but will set up as it stands).
7. Remove liner from cooker, if possible, or turn off cooker.
8. Let cake stand, uncovered, for 45 minutes to cool slightly before serving.        

9. To serve, spoon warm cake into dessert dishes. If desired (If desired?), serve with vanilla ice cream.

This is really (REALLY) good….especially if you like your cake with some real body.  If you’re more of an angel-food cake fan, you may not agree with me.
Best warm.
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Now for the blueberry crumb cake—Winco was selling 18 ounces of blueberries from Chile for $3.49 on Friday.  Cheap enough to freeze!  Anyhow:

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/07/blueberry-crumb-cake/

REE’S BLUEBERRY CRUMB CAKE

Prep Time: 10 Minutes  |  Cook Time: 45 Minutes  |  Difficulty: Easy  |  Servings: 16 (unless you like it as well as I do…..)

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and Grease a 9 x 13 inch baking pan..

Combine, Stir and set aside:
    2 cups All-purpose Flour
    2¼ tsp Baking Powder
    ½ tsp Salt

Cream together:
        1/2 stick plus 1 tablespoon butter
      ½ tsp cinnamon
          3/4 Cup sugar.
   
Add: 1 whole egg and mix until combined.    

Add: ½ tsp Vanilla Extract and mix.    

Add: Flour mixture and ¾ Cup whole milk alternately until totally incorporated. Do not overbeat.      

Stir in:  2 cups fresh Blueberries until evenly distributed (easier said than done - the dough is pretty stiff)

Pour(?) batter into greased pan (more like spooning and spreading, the two times I’ve made this)

In a separate bowl, combine and cut together using two knives or a pastry cutter (this takes time—keep at it until all that large lumps are gone):
    ¾ stick Butter (this time, it’s three-quarters of a *stick* )
    ½ cup Sugar
    ½ tsp Cinnamon
    ½ cup Flour
    ¼ tsp Salt

Sprinkle over the top of the cake.

Bake cake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until golden brown.        

Sprinkle with sugar (I haven’t done this either time).              

Cut into squares and serve with softened butter
            (I’ve never felt the need of more butter, although I’m sure it would be great!  I don’t see it in Ree’s photo, either.)

Maybe this is a needless warning, but the two of these are NOT a great combination. 

The blueberry cake is fairly subtle - not highly flavored.  The same cannot be said for the pudding cake…and that’s a classic example of an understatement! 

I thought that the pudding cake made the blueberry cake seem second-rate…..or at least, it paled in comparison.  And served by itself, maybe with a hot drink, the blueberry cake is REALLY good.

Of course, maybe that’s just me.

Ingredients
2 whole Granny Smith Apples (other varieties possible - Try Rome, or Cox’s Orange Pippin if you can find them.)
1 can (16 Oz.) Refrigerated Biscuit Dough
½  stick Butter
6 Tbs (1/4 cup + 2 Tbs) Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla
Cinnamon, To Taste
8 or 10 ounces of apple juice and 4 or 2 ounces of maple syrup
      You can experiment with the exact mixture, as well as total amount.                                           
      (some folks like to use a can of Mountain Dew – I’ve tried that, and it’s good, but no better, IMO)

Preparation Instructions
Peel and core apples. Cut each apple into 8 slices.
Put two slices together top to bottom, and roll them in the dough for one biscuit. 
        (you have to flatten and stretch the dough a bit to make it fit around the apple slices - pinch the edges together)
Place in a greased 8 x 12 casserole dish.

Melt the butter in a small pan or a metal measuring cup, then add sugar and barely stir.    
Add vanilla, stir, and spoon equal amounts onto the top of each dumpling.
   
Now pour the juice/syrup mixture around the edges of the pan.        

Sprinkle with cinnamon and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

Serve with cream or ½&½ ; spoon some of the sweet sauces from the pan over the top.

WARNING: Prepare this dish at your own risk. It is very hard to stop eating once you start, especially with ice cream.

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We’ve turned 180 degrees to look west from the entrance - and there’s Joshua!  You can see the piano Papa gave Mom when she turned 21, and the mirror we put in the frame Mom Selby bought and stored in her garage forever…..  Beyond the closet are the doors to the kitchen (left) and garage (right) with the laundry room at the far end.
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East wall of living room from entry…can you tell we love books?  Thor’s wing chair (we’re perfectly happy storing it, sweet son!) and the (slip-covered - thanks, Loretta) living room furniture we bought in 1988 for the house we built at The Homestead.  Also a lovely gas fireplace that operates on a thermostat, thank you very much.
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We’ve moved across the room now - on the wall at left are three of my Grandfather Viktor’s B&W prints of California in the ‘30s and ‘40s.  The red/black blanket is the one we bought for the (night) train ride from the coast in Peru to Lake Titicaca at 12,000 feet elevation.
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We’re standing in front of the fireplace and looking more or less west - the entry is to the right.  This wall has a couple of “vintage” paintings that I got as a pre-teen, plus two from Papa and Nenek that Cairns painted in Penang.  The rest are paintings, lithographs and photographs done by people that we have known - even if for a short time.  You can also see Papa’s surgery chair - the one he used for decades in his Ukiah office for tonsillectomies and other minor surgeries, plus splinter removal, ophthamological procedures, etc.  And on the cedar chest (not visible) I gave Gail for her 21st birthday is the water buffalo that sat on Mom’s piano for so many years at Papa’s house. 

Notice also that you can see the wall we added after we moved in.  If you look at the granite counter with its pretty wooden supports, it’s a dead giveaway as to where the wall ended earlier!    That’s the kitchen back there, with the “dining room” to the left (which is south).
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Turning somewhat to the left, you can see the dining room table and cabinet - the table was Gail’s Mom’s and the cabinet is one that got abandoned in Uncle Dean’s Moving and Storage in St. Helena.  Aunt Jean used it for a few years and then gave it to us when she had her cabinetry built in.  A friend in Tennessee (thanks, Steve) who is a pretty serious “antiquer” looked at it and says that it was likely “home-made” from wood salvaged from packing crates and other such sources.  We love it.  The high chairs were bought at Southeast Salvage in Chattanooga after we saw similar ones in a catalog for $350. These were made in Indonesia from a model taken over there to the factory, and reimported in pieces to be sold for less than $100.00 each.  We’ll move up closer, now:
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Much the same, but the dining chair on the left is one of two that I still have from Papa and Nenek’s house on Standley Street in Ukiah - they had a number of them, all covered in a funny brown (early form of) naugahyde back in the ‘50s.  You can also see a new piece of furniture on the left - we got it at Cost Plus World Market right here in Chico.  The door leads to the western bedrooms and bath, plus a lovely linen closet.
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We’re looking north - the front door is to the right down the hall that you can see under the clock - you’d pass the piano to get there.  That door is to the garage, and to the left is the laundry room.  Here you can see the utensil rack and the pottery canisters that we got for our wedding - Gail will remember who gave each of them to us.  Also the spice rack that was (I think) the first object that I made for her….in Fort Collins while I was in graduate school, using turnings and dowel from Tolliver’s Hardware Store.  Apparently gone now (see Steve’s comment on Dec. 1, 2010).....

Grandmom’s gifts of Danish Christmas plates are over the door of our wonderful pantry.  There is more stuff on top of the cabinets, but you can’t really see them….....who was that cheering?  Shame on you!
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Now we’re looking at the new wall, with the matching cabinet made and hung by the cabinetmaker who did the original work.  They put in a second electrical outlet on that wall, as well.  Very nice, now.
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We’re looking west now, at the gas range - the grids are flat and continuous across all four burners, so it’s perfect for canning.
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Pantry door - beside which you see a bit of “bean art” that I think was made by one of the kids in grade school.  Next, we look inside:
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VERY efficient, with half-shelves, baskets, drawer sets, etc.  We can live a month on this, I think.  On the lower right is Nenek’s (1950 model) Kitchenaid mixer….which once required a new cord, but that’s been it…still working perfectly.
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Here’s the only part of my office Gail wants me to show you….I’m sorting boxes of books from the garage because she won’t let me put in any new bookshelves.  We have to rid ourselves of LOTS of books…which is most likely a good thing, even if a bit painful.  It’s taking longer than either of us likes, but I’m making progress.  I have photos and pictures on all four walls, and still use Papa’s elephant leg wastebasket, the 5-gallon water bottle penny collector, bird paintings and drawings by Glen Wahlman, Uncle Don’s Highway 50 sign, etc.  Fun place for sightseeing!!
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Here’s your guestroom, should you favor us with a visit.  Maitland’s painting on the far wall, Gail’s childhood maple bedstead, one of Papa’s old chairs, and one of Mom Selby’s bathroom mirrors.  Above the chair is Grandaddy Joe’s marriage certificate, believe it or not!!
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Guest bathroom, with wedding photographs and memorabilia.  Nice tile counter and floor; shower/bath to the left.  The window faces west, and looks out on our neighbor’s house and backyard - thus the translucent glass.
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We’ve left the western bedroom “wing”, headed north through the kitchen and then turned west to the laundry room - isn’t it GREAT?!  Our house in Bend didn’t have a laundry sink, and we’re VERY glad to have one, again…..  You can see the “South American bag” hanger on the right…lots of different styles and materials.
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Now we’ve moved over to the northeast corner of the house and Gail’s office.  Colorful South American textiles on two walls, homemade desk, lamp that Mom got us in Mendocino, and Victor’s futon.  Plus the wastebasket - which we bought the second year we were married and used upside-down as a stool in our “single-car-garage-sized” apartment in Angwin. 
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This is the “powder room” bath….again, beautiful tile throughout.  And lots of S. American memorabilia plus a lovely saints set that Cindy gave us once upon a time…...
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This is the master bedroom, with (against the east wall) our Eastlake Victorian bedstead we bought the year we got back from Bolivia and have slept in ever since - if you look carefully, you can see that I’ve modified it to take a king-sized mattress, which would probably bemuse the maker!  On the far wall are Papa’s British Medical and Surgical licenses, that made him legal when he went out to Penang in 1921 or so…plus I’m using Papa’s medicine cabinet for my bedside table.  This is a lovely room - out of sight are my Grandmom’s secretary and an ancient rocking chair from Gail’s family, both to the right.  Finally:
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the Master Bath.  Windows are south and east above the whirlpool tub.  The wonderful tile double-shower (door) can be seen in the mirror behind the orchid.  Also the enormous cabinet - this house has oodles of storage.

And that’s that…I’m not allowed to show the garage, yet - have to clear the books, sell what we can and donate the rest.  Then get the gardening stuff put away, and generally have it ready for the car.  This will occur during 2012, for sure! 

Hope you’ve enjoyed the online tour—now come and stay a day or more with us.

Next day, I was back at FoodMaxx to pick up bananas or something, and there was the same display of peppers beside the entrance….only this time, the price was FIVE peppers for one dollar…..

What’s a guy to do?  I got a plastic bag and picked out five of the biggest and freshest peppers I could find, figuring that I could chop and freeze them, at the worst.  Actually, I’m going to go online and see if I can find a recipe for soup made of red peppers….

Anyhow, when I saw the produce guy, I asked him about the pricing, and he said they had four bins of peppers in back, and would continue to drop the price until they sold them all.  I asked him if there were still peppers on Sunday would FoodMaxx pay me to take them away, and he smiled…..

So, when I got home, I put the five peppers alongside the four peppers from the day before, and here’s the photo of the nine peppers:
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That’s not an illusion—they really ARE that large.  In fact, the four peppers weighed about 1 pound…..while the five peppers weigh about 3.25 pounds!!

I’ve used two of them making spicy garlic eggplant (thanks to Candy and Victor for the eggplant), and I’m posting our favorite of the two recipes below.  Gail is going to stuff and bake the remaining three giant peppers…..and this afternoon, Ben and Brenna brought us a couple of cups of chopped green and red peppers that were left over from a taco bar at their house!!

We’re inundated with peppers at the moment - not a bad place to be!  Herewith, the recipe:
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Spicy Eggplant – modified from Yan Can Cook http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/spicy-eggplant-recipe2/index.html 
I like more sauce, so what’s here is double the original amount - just right.

Ingredients

Sauce:    
¼ cup chicken broth
2 Tbs hoisin sauce
2 Tbs Low sodium soy sauce
1 Tbs + 1 tsp rice vinegar
2 tsp dark brown sugar
¼ Cup plum sauce
2 tsp chili garlic sauce (more if you like a kick)
½ tsp ground black pepper

4 Chinese eggplants (about 1 pound), stems removed
Vegetable oil (I use toasted sesame)
1 Tbs minced garlic
2 Tbs minced ginger
2-4 green onions, cut into 2-inch lengths
¼ #  chicken apple sausage, chopped small (optional)
1-2 Cups thinly sliced red, green, orange peppers
½ Cup chopped cilantro leaves and/or sliced green onions
1 tsp corn starch stirred into 2Tbs water

Directions

Sauce: Combine sauce ingredients in a small bowl; mix well.

With a vegetable peeler, remove 1-inch strips of the eggplant skin, leaving a 1-inch strip of skin in between. Cut the eggplant into fourths lengthwise, then cut each section crosswise into 3-inch pieces. (Or just cut in one-inch cubes)

Place wok (or pan) over high heat until hot. Add 1 tablespoon oil and swirl to coat the sides. Add the garlic, ginger, dried chiles and green onion; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add a bit of oil, then ground meat and cook, breaking up pieces with back of a spoon, until brown and crumbly.

Add oil if needed, then eggplant and sauté five minutes, stirring. 

Add sauce - simmer 12 min.

Add sliced peppers, simmer another 3 minutes. 

Stir cornstarch mixture, pour into pot, stir and heat until thickened. 

Stir in chopped cilantro and/or green onions.

Serve.