Smokey Peppers

[caleb]

Salsa season is in full swing here. We've been using sweet onions and garlic from our local farmers market, and they're making the salsa a bit sweet for my taste - not sugary sweet, sweet like a good onion.

I'd like to add a smokey base to the mixture, and I'm thinking about peppers. I don't want anything really hot, just smokey like a good dark roast coffee or peet-heavy scotch. I'm bad with peppers, though. Any recommendations for a pepper that will give me smokey without sending flames out my ears?

[Nierman]

blacken any choice of pepper (poblano, red bell, mild jalapeno) real good on the grill before adding them to the mix. Blacken the tomatoes, too. Great flavor.

[caleb]

Thanks, roasted poblanos sound great.

[WadePatton]

poblano would be my first choice. also try tomatillos to reduce sweetness.

removing seeds and most of the white stuff in any pepper cuts the heat in half if not greater. i often use "gutted" jalapenos in place of sweet peppers. but then i just had some fresh habanero with my salmon for lunch.