Nobska Farms at Falmouth Farmers' Market

Nobska Farms did a demonstration at the Falmouth Farmers' Market on Thursday, August 22 at 1:30pm. The session included a discussion of chili peppers and their many dimensions including growing them, using them in recipes, their history, and, of course their flavor and heat.

We had samples of our chilies from the super mild to the super hot to taste (and experience!). We also had samples of our chili products including our Rooster's Rocket Fuel hot sauce, Ghost Chocolate, and Ghost Pepper Jelly.

Many folks came to enjoy the company of other chili enthusiasts, trade information and tips, and enjoy the bounty of the harvest. Products from Nobska Farms were for sale as well as an invitation to visit the farm for a tour and purchase products there.

Also at the Farmers' Market that day, Da Silva Farms was selling chickens for the first time. As a teaser for how chilies might be used to prepare chicken dishes, we prepared some guidelines for a chili dry-rub to use on chicken. The basis for our dry rubs is salt and (black) pepper with a ratio of about two parts salt to one part pepper. For the chili component, we add about one teaspoon of powdered Bhut Jolokia or Trinidad Scorpion to about 1 qt of rub. This produces a bit of heat in the vicinity of the rub but not so much as to be confrontational for the more sensitive palates. We suggest that you start with that amount and then taste test the rub alone to check for heat level. If needed, add more chili to the point that you think it is right for your recipe.

In addition to the salt, pepper, and chili, we add brown sugar, garlic powder, and other herbs and spices. These are flavor enhancers that you can experiment with to tailor to your likes. There are lots of recipes on the Internet for dry rubs. Explore these and think about adding the powdered chilies to bring up the heat. Again, use about 1 tsp (super hot) chili powder per qt of dry rub as a starter proportion. Here are a few specific recipes to give you places to start your experimentation.

• From Old World Garden Farms, Baked Chicken Wing Recipe With Chipotle Dry Rub: This recipe uses less salt and a lot more chili pepper powder, but of much milder chilies.
• From BBQ About.com, Magic Dust: This recipe uses the 2:1 ratio of salt to pepper, but, again, a lot of chili pepper powder. They say "To make it a little more hot and spicy, increase the mustard powder and black pepper..." We suggest you use spicier chilies in the first place.
• From Smitten Kitchen, Slow-and-Low Oven Dry Rub Chicken: As with the previous recipe, this one also follows the basic 2:1 salt to pepper ratio and uses the rub to make bbq in the oven. Good if you don't have bbq setup outdoors.

We talked about recipes like these at the Farmers' Market so folks could try making their own dry rub at home.