Our New ‘Vintage’ Pepper Salt Is Made Mostly of Biodynamically Grown Peppers

It’s One of Our Tastiest Powders

Happily, our Pepper Salt is back in stock.  Pepper Salt is actually the second vegetable powder I ever made (the first was Tree Collard Powder).  It was in the early days of the Napa garden, and our friend John, who started the Napa garden, was in the process of harvesting his collection of peppers at the end of summer.  I took a few of each type of pepper, carefully dried them and ground them, and mixed the powder with a little sea salt.  I remember the first person I tried it on was a friend who has run a natural-foods catering business for years.  Her comment was, “if you can recreate this formula and get it to chefs, you can have a business based just on Pepper Salt!”  It truly is the tastiest, most versatile powder we make (tied — maybe — with Leek Powder and Leek Salt).  The key to flavor is the combination of the peppers.  

This year our Pepper Salt is a mixture of two kinds of organically grown bell peppers along with five varieties of biodynamically grown peppers: tam jalapeño, Anaheim chili, habanero, scotch bonnets and carmen.  The trick is to come up with a blend that marries just the right amount of sweetness, heat and that distinctive pepper essence.  We think we did pretty well this year, and we hope you try and enjoy our 2019 vintage Pepper Salt, as we slowly narrow in on the perfect pepper blend.

I use Pepper Salt on eggs, mashed potatoes, in soups, stews and any dish that could use the distinctive sweetness and heat of peppers.  And, even though this is one food I would probably eat even if it wasn’t “good for me,” I will close with a saying that comes from Mexico and was told to me by our first garden helper, Jose: “If you take care of the chilis, the chilis will take care of you.”

In health,

Tom Cowan, M.D.