Rainbow Pepper Medley

March 2026. I am 67, and spring in Memphis is arriving with its usual lack of subtlety — everything blooming at once, the dogwoods and azaleas competing for attention, the air warm enough to sit on the porch again.

Charlie and David in Nashville, their family a bridge between two cultures that share one language: love expressed through food and patience.

Comfort food: a big pot of greens with smoked turkey neck, simmered until the pot liquor was dark as memory and twice as nourishing. The kitchen smelled like Mama's kitchen, and the smelling was the remembering, and the remembering was the love.

Rosetta said goodnight. I said goodnight. The house settled into the darkness that Orange Mound has known for a hundred years, the particular darkness of a Black neighborhood that has survived everything and still makes beauty in the morning. Tomorrow there will be coffee and smoke and family. There is always coffee and smoke and family. That is enough.

That night, after the greens and the pot liquor and the long sitting with Rosetta, I kept thinking about color — the dogwoods out front, the azaleas pushing through, the whole yard insisting on being seen. The next morning I wanted something at the table that carried that same brightness, something that didn’t ask much of you but gave a lot back. This Rainbow Pepper Medley is that kind of dish: simple enough to make while the coffee’s still brewing, vivid enough to feel like it belongs to a morning worth waking up for.

Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 15 min | Total Time: 25 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 large red bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
1 large yellow bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
1 large orange bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
1 large green bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

Instructions

Slice and prep. Wash and dry all four bell peppers. Remove seeds and cores, then slice each into 1/4-inch strips. Thinly slice the onion and mince the garlic. Set everything aside in separate small piles so you’re ready to move quickly once the pan is hot.
Heat the oil. Place a large skillet or cast-iron pan over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and let it shimmer — about 1 to 2 minutes. You want the pan hot enough that the peppers sear rather than steam.
Cook the onion. Add the sliced onion to the hot pan. Stir frequently and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until it begins to soften and take on a little color at the edges.
Add the peppers. Add all four colors of pepper strips to the pan. Spread them out as much as possible and let them cook undisturbed for 2 minutes to develop some char, then toss and continue cooking for another 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the peppers are tender but still hold a slight bite.
Season and finish. Push the vegetables to the sides of the pan and add the garlic to the center. Cook the garlic for 30 seconds until fragrant, then stir it into the peppers. Add the smoked paprika, red pepper flakes if using, salt, and black pepper. Toss everything together to coat evenly.
Brighten and serve. Remove the pan from heat. Drizzle the red wine vinegar over the top and toss once more — this lifts all the flavors. Transfer to a serving dish and scatter the fresh parsley over the top. Serve warm as a side, over rice, or alongside eggs for breakfast.

Nutrition (per serving)

Rainbow Pepper Medley — The Colors That Bloom When Family Gathers