Sorghum Pepper Relish
We never had even tasted sorghum until we sat down for breakfast at the Loveless Cafe one morning long ago. There it was on the table, along with honey and the house preserves. It has since become a mainstay in our own cupboard (ordered from www.LovelessCafe.com Tom mused about its importance in southern cooking: "If you look back, there are wives tales and traditions passed through generations that have to do with sorghum. It used to be a staple through the Civil War and into the Depression, but then it fell out of fashion. Now it's come back as a kind of health food. That is because of the hard-to-find nutrients-_B- complex, calcium, iron, and potassium- in sorghum that are found nowhere else. We have customers who request it instead of honey. The belief is that it's less refined than honey, so it has more of the good stuff."
Ingredients
- 1 large red bell pepper
- ¼ cup butter (½ stick)
- ½ cup finely chopped onion
- 1 tsp cracked red pepper
- 2 tbsp mustard seed
- 1 tbsp sorghum syrup
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- tabasco
- salt
Method
- Roast the pepper over an open flame until the skin blisters and burns. Let the pepper cool until you can rub the skin off. Placing it in a plastic bag first works well. Remove the stem and seeds and chop finely.
- Heat the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat and sauté the onions, cracked red pepper, and mustard seed. Add the sorghum and apple cider vinegar and caramelize the mixture. Add the roasted red pepper and the Tabasco and salt to taste and heat through.
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