Photo Credit: Bon Appetit / Isa Zapata / Spencer Richards
In the midst of three power outages, two small fires, and uncharacteristically wet and cold July weather, seeing our Piment d’Ville called out as Highly Recommended by Bon Appétit was an incredible win to start off the month of July!
Kyle Beechey had some really lovely words to say about our Piment d’Ville, even just the headline of “Piment d’Ville Chile Powder is Smoky, Savory, and - Most Important - Super Fresh” makes me blush.
Photo Credit: Bon Appetit / Isa Zapata / Spencer Richards
"As a chef, Scommegna was tired of the price of importing Espelette from France and noticed that the climate of her Mendocino home was similar to that of the Basque region. In 2019, Scommengna had the opportunity to take over her family farm, and she learned to cultivate her beloved chile. The brand’s short supply chain—the peppers are grown, ground, and packaged all on-site—means the chile powder is ultra fresh, and each Boonville jar is dated with the harvest year. The chile, like wine, tastes different depending on the weather; hot summers yield a spicier crop."
She continues, "I can best describe its flavor as a mild, smoky, savory jolt with a heat that creeps up on you gently. In my kitchen, I use it like Maldon. It’s a finishing chile, and I sprinkle it over just about everything: scrambled eggs (or Just Eggs in my vegan case); toast with creamy toppings like avocado, ricotta, chèvre; vegetables, especially roots like carrots, Tokyo turnips and sweet potatoes. Any of those roasted with a dollop of yogurt and a sprinkle of Piment d’Ville are in constant rotation."
What we do here on the farm is not normal. Yes, there are other farms in the U.S. who grow chiles and even a few other farms out there that are creating different kinds of dried herbs, chiles, and spices. But few of these folks are growing, processing, packaging these spices and marketing it under their own brand, too. This morning, as I drank coffee waiting for the impending heatwave (a complete 180 from this time last week), I was thinking about how different we are from other farms and other food companies out there. We fit in this weird middle ground of being a farm that doesn’t sell fresh produce and being a food company that does more than buy ingredients to make a product. Sometimes I have a hard time succinctly explaining what makes our chiles special and I’m grateful to people like Kyle Beechey for sharing our story.
What We're Cooking.
- Grilled chicken seasoned with a LOT of Smoky Piment d’Ville, garlic, and herbs on top of garden cucumbers, tomatoes, and grilled romaine tossed in a simple basil mayo.
- Warm bread with mayo, sliced tomato, flaky salt, and Piment d’Ville.
- Juicy peaches and plums right over the sink.
- Grilled corn with chile lime honey butter with whatever chile powder you are feeling
- An overabundance of onions in the garden calls for a caramelized onion dip.
- Our friends over at The Foodocracy posted this recipe for a Frozen Spicy Salted Nut Butter Rice Cake that I want to make as soon as I go to the store and grab rice cakes. Basically, slather your fave nut butter on a rice cake, cover in melted chocolate, and top with flaky salt and Piment d’Ville and pop it in the freezer for 10 minutes. It’s so easy and I can't wait to make it.
