Sweet and Spicy: Growing Peppers and Making Strawberry Salsa Verde
Emily Hoover
Health Educator
Will Florence, RD
Health Educator
The Poe Center’s health educators partnered with Southeast Raleigh High School’s Botanical Bulldogs Gardening Club to build an on-site school garden. With support from the City of Raleigh Impact Partner Grant and in collaboration with EatWell Exchange, the Poe Center and the Botanical Bulldogs have been growing peppers as part of a student-run garden-to-business initiative to create hot sauce. Bringing our expert knowledge into the classroom, kitchen and garden, the Poe Center educators and Southeast Raleigh High School staff worked with the students to learn about the importance of school gardens and how to plant and harvest produce. The students chose to learn how to grow peppers so they could make sweet and spicy sauces. Watch for a behind the scenes look and join us as we prepare a strawberry salsa verde made with fresh ingredients from their garden.
Planting seasons may vary depending on your planting zone. Because the Poe Center is located in central North Carolina, we plant in Zone 8a. To find your planting zone, go to https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/
Strawberry Salsa Verde
Recipe: Chef Jason Johnson
Equipment: blender or food processor, roasting pan, knife, cutting board
Ingredients
3 medium tomatillos, roasted
½ cup strawberries, chopped
½ cup yellow or white onion, chopped
1 serrano or jalapeño pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 Tablespoon olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice
¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 teaspoon sea salt, plus more for sprinkling
Instructions:
- Roast tomatillos at 425°F for 20 minutes.
- Put tomatillos, garlic, onion, and jalapeño pepper in the blender and pulse until the salsa reaches a thick texture.
- Add strawberries, lime juice, cilantro, and sea salt to the blender. Pulse until combined.
- Serve with low-salt tortilla chips and enjoy.
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