The peppers belong to a sprawling clan, having wandered from the Americas to Europe, Asia and beyond. Far too far-flung for a Capsicum Family reunion.
Imagine the scene: The rotund bell peppers _ red, orange, yellow and green _ stuffed and tottering. The fierce habaneros taunting the mild jalapenos. The slim piri piri and the shiny serranos slouched around the campfire, daring each other to jump in. It would be a hot mess.
At end of the evening, everyone _ the wrinkled chipotles and slippery banana peppers _ would gather to watch the little guys play. The shishitos, Japanese cousins to the Spanish padrons, are adorable _ bright, crunchy and mild. (A few _ one in 10, according to pepper pediatricians _ are hot-headed.)
Someone would mash up a romesco of tomatoes and almonds and garlic and let the shishitos go for a dip. It's good, as summer fades, to get the whole family together.
