Pepper roasting at the farmers market

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Yesterday at the Santa Monica farmers market, market manager Laura Avery -- undeterred by the heat and the faint smoke blowing in from the north -- was roasting peppers. ‘Don’t worry, we got it approved by the Fire Department,’ she assured the folks who gathered around the giant roaster as the peppers began to char over the propane-fed flames.

Avery, who picked up the roaster in Santa Fe, New Mexico --where outdoor pepper roasting is a kind of public sport -- has been roasting peppers since the beginning of September at the Saturday Pico market, but this was the first time she’s done it on Wednesday. Today Laura (shown here with Ted Galvan, the Pico market manager) was roasting Tutti Frutti Farms’ organic Anaheims and pasillas. After five minutes of flame, the peppers came out, charred and unbelievably fragrant. Laura’s done roasting at the Pico market, but next Wednesday she’ll have her roaster out again.

Roasted peppers, $5 for a 2-pound bag. Wednesday Santa Monica farmers market, 8:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Arizona Avenue and 2nd Street, Santa Monica.

-- Amy Scattergood