CHECKOUT By Laurin Stamm

Stuffed bell peppers are a favorite food of mine, and this year our garden is full of deep green peppers. They are great for seasoning meats and vegetables, but the way we like them best is stuffed. I hope you will enjoy today’s recipe from many years ago.

From The Kitchen of The Cypress House, Sept. 25, 1979

When bell peppers get plentiful – as they are now – it’s time to serve them stuffed. Filled with a ham or shrimp or ground beef mixture, there is nothing more tasty than bell peppers.

Mrs. Stamm Sr. passed this recipe on to us many years ago.

I think it’s my favorite, but Louis Theobald has one using shrimp that is also delicious.

Stuffed Bell Peppers, Creole

12 peppers for stuffing1/2 bell pepper, chopped2 onions, chopped2 cloves garlic, chopped1/2 cup oleo (or butter)1 1/2 cups ground ham1 cup water1 cup tomato juice1 can tomatoes2 eggs, well beaten2 cups cracker crumbsSalt and pepper, to taste2 or 3 drops Tabasco1 teaspoon sugarSeasoned breadcrumbs

Cut peppers in half; remove seeds and inside sections. Parboil 5 minutes in water with a little sugar added. Drain.

Saute chopped bell peppers onions and garlic in oleo until tender. Add ham, the 1 cup water, tomato juice, tomatoes, and cook until some of the liquid is absorbed.

Add cracker crumbs and beaten eggs. Add seasonings. Stuff peppers with the mixture lightly. Top with breadcrumbs and a pat of butter or oleo. Bake the peppers in a 350* oven for about 20 minutes, or until piping hot.

P.S. Betty Jean Whitaker tells me that this month’s “Southern Living” is full of good zucchini and other squash recipes. We’re going to try some.

In early December of 1977, food editor Laurin Stamm began a weekly recipe column titled “From the Kitchen of The Cypress House.” The column ran continuously through November of 2000, featuring one or two recipes each week, and totaling more than 1,150 recipes over the 23 years.

Checkout, a current weekly column that features various food stories, events and recipes, today begins to look back at some of the most popular recipes from The Kitchen of the Cypress House, and perhaps a newly discovered one every now and then.