In the Kitchen with CCE: Raspberry and goat cheese stuffed peppers

TOWN OF DICKINSON, N.Y. (WIVT/WBGH) — This month’s In the Kitchen with Cornell Cooperative Extension features a sweet summer berry combined with savory elements.

Nutrition Educator, Kathleen Cook is preparing Raspberry and goat cheese stuffed peppers. She says throughout the entire summer, it’s raspberry season, and not just the wild ones you see growing on your bushes at home.

In the Kitchen with CCE: Raspberry and goat cheese stuffed peppers
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In a controlled growing environment, raspberries grow much larger than they do in the wild, and their growing season runs through the summer and into the fall. Cook first cuts the peppers in half, before preparing the filling of quinoa and goat cheese that goes inside.

“The peppers are considered savory, also the grain, the quinoa is considered more savory. But then you start adding that sweetness of the raspberries in there and they can be both sweet and tart. So, you put those in and then you have the kind of sweetness from the cheese even, and its just this really nice flavor,” Cook said.

Cook says raspberries are filled with healthy nutrients, including fiber, vitamin c, antioxidants and more. She says make sure to use your raspberries within a few days of picking them, because they will get mushy and go bad. She also says not to wash them up until the moment you plan to eat them.

“Because they are very delicate, and really, that berry is almost 85 percent water. So, they can get mushy quickly if you’re not careful. And so, if you wash them beforehand, that’s what’s going to happen, you’re going to have slimy berries. And so, definitely don’t do that, just put them in the refrigerator, and right before you’re going to eat them, wash them,” Cook added.

After filling your peppers, Cook says to bake them in a 375 degree oven for about 25 to 30 minutes. She says the yellow and red peppers will have a sweeter flavor than the green color.

You can purchase all of the ingredients for this dish and others at the Broome County Regional Farmers Market on Front Street in the Town of Dickinson.