Just for variety, I planted a New Mexican chili pepper plant in w/ the bells this year. I forget the exact variety – they are shaped like poblanos but not as dark green and not as hot.

I cut two of them and did my own version of chili rellenos (had no recipe to follow so I'm not claiming authenticity).

Fry up 2 strips (cut each in half) of thick, organic bacon in a small anodized saucepan. Cut off stem ends of peppers and remove seeds and pith. Roll bacon up in 3 pieces of provolone cheese for each pepper, lightly sprinkled w/ cumin, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Stuff one cheese/bacon roll-up into each pepper. You can cap each open end with the cut-off stems, but I used thinly sliced cross-sections of a broccoli stem to plug, just to keep the cheese from leaking out when you batter fry them.

Beat 1 egg and add enough flour and a bit of salt to make a smooth batter. Add peanut oil to bacon drippings in saucepan at least 1" deep. Batter-coat pepper and fry in hot oil until batter is golden brown – flip and fry other side. Drain on paper towels. If your pan is small like mine you can fry them one at a time – keep one in 300° toaster oven to warm while other pepper is frying.

(Note: I did not blanch or roast the peppers to take off the outside skin – consequently, the batter did not stick too well. I suggest you might want to add that as a step for a better coating).

Serve topped w/ pre-made salsa of cherry tomatoes cut in quarters, minced sweet onion, minced cilantro, salt and 1 to 2 tsp of pineapple juice.

well my mouth is drooling!

I admit - it was far from "health food." (Fried & stuffed w/ cheese and bacon) We don't eat this way all the time, but we sure do enjoy it when we do.

Also grew pablanos and made chili rellenos for the first time. The recipe I found used a beer batter [dip in flour then in the batter]. I froze the leftovers as single peppers then packaged. Thawed and reheated, they make a delicious sandwich filling on a crusty roll!