Originating in Japan, the Shishito pepper is believed to have gotten its name from its tip end which, to some, resembles the head of a lion--or in Japanese, shishi. Shishito peppers are petite and relatively mild in flavor, with one out of every ten peppers offering a random spicy kick. They have long been a popular snack food item in Japan and in recent years have become more mainstream in the United States. Their peppery taste takes on a richer flavor profile--and becomes slightly smoky--when cooked. Most commonly, they are prepared blistered in oil, finished with sea salt and served, stem on, as finger food. Once blistered, they can be chopped and utilized atop pizzas, pasta, omelets and salads, or served with dipping sauce. In Japanese cuisine, the petite Shishito peppers are often prepared yakitori-style on a skewer.
Chester, NY
Sun Sprout Farm is located on New York’s famous black dirt in Chester, NY. The land is being leased from the Chester Agricultural Center as part of an innovative farmland preservation project that provides long term, stable leases for high quality farmland.
Sun Sprout Farm is co-owned by Simon Ziegler and Madeleine Banulski who met in 2006 as volunteers at Camphill Village Kimberton Hills in Kimberton, PA, a living community that includes adults with developmental disabilities. Simon worked on the bio-dynamic dairy farm and Madeleine worked in the CSA garden, apple orchard and village cafe. After their two-year service, Simon returned to Germany in 2008 to study and obtain his bachelor’s degree in Organic Agriculture Science in Witzenhausen, Germany while Madeleine started going to nursing school in Philadelphia, PA. Simon came back to farm during his summer breaks every year, and worked on Riverbank Farm in Roxbury, CT with Madeleine as well as various CSA and community gardens in Philadelphia. Simon moved permanently from Germany to the US in 2011 and worked for six years as the field manager at Riverbank Farm, a fifteen-acre organic vegetable farm in Roxbury, CT.
They always dreamed of starting their own farm together. They have been in love with the Hudson Valley for a long time, and after several years of looking for the right place, found our destination in Chester, NY. Madeleine is a nurse and works on the farm part time while continuing her nursing career.