Purple Stuffed Bell Peppers

Ingredients:
4 – 6 purple peppers (or other color), halved lengthwise as on the poles, seeds and membranes removed
2 cloves garlic, minced finely
2 C fresh corn kernels (from 3 large ears of corn)
1 C cooked faro
1/3 C grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 C minced green onion
1 tsp fresh thyme
¼ tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground pepper

Instructions: 
In a large pot, heat a few inches of water to boiling.  Submerge the prepared peppers and blanch in the boiling water for about 10 minutes.  Remove with a tongs and set upside down on a towel to drain while you prepare the filling.              Heat the oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly grease an oven proof dish or pan.
Warm the butter in a skillet on medium heat.  Add the minced garlic and saute briefly.  Add the corn kernels and saute another minute, until almost warmed through and coated with butter.  Set aside to cool.
In a medium bowl, thoroughly mix the cooked corn, faro, ricotta, 1/3 C of the Parmesan, gren onions, thyme, salt and pepper.  Taste and adjust seasonings to your taste.  
Stuff the peppers and arrange them in the prepared pan. 
Add ¼ C water to the bottom of the pan and cover tightly with foil.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the peppers are cooked and just beginning to slump. 
Remove the pan and sprinkle the remaining Parmesan cheese on top of the peppers.  
Broil until the cheese melts and becomes golden brown. 

Variations:  You can use another color pepper, although purple peppers are very mild.  For added protein you might also add to the filling cooked and salted ground meat.  For a vegan version, substitute crumbled firm tofu for the ricotta and vegan parmesan or mozzarella for the Parmesan.  If you don’t have fresh thyme, use about 1/3 tsp of dried thyme or another fresh herb you enjoy.  Personally, I like a bit more herbs and spices than called for in the recipe.  If you don't want to buy faro in bulk, try it out with smaller packages found in the rice aisle of your grocery store.  For the recipe above we used a Cheesy Faro mix by Allessi.

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Story:
My daughter planted a variety of peppers in her first garden this year.  They are bountiful and beautiful!  The purple ones, are gorgeous as pictured above by East of Eden Cooking from whom this recipe and the photos come.  She and her husband treated us with this meal recently and it was delicious!  They've already canned hot sauce of varying heat levels and frozen green peppers for future use.  She caught the garden and kitchen bug!  I am grateful and know she will be and do much more than she received from her family.

So many Sisters talk about the values and lifestyles of their parents.  Studying, music, hard work as a family, faith, service and generosity are "caught" more than they are "taught".  Elder Sisters tell stories of the family's love for books and art and their service to others.  A life of dedication to one's one calling allows others to listen to their own.   Seeing adults with strong convictions gives confidence to young people that empowers them to dare to live out their own values and dreams.  From whom did I receive my basic posture towards life?  Are their inherited biases I need to unlearn?  We ask how our own faith in God's goodness and our choices leave a legacy for others to "catch".