A peck of pickled peppers.

We can all use a little boost sometimes -- and so can our food. These peppers make everything better, from salads to pizzas to toast. The piparras are a traditional long green pepper from the Basque country of Spain. They've got a mild, slightly pickled flavor and make a wonderful accompaniment to smoked fish -- we also like them on their own drizzled with olive oil and a bit of salt.

The piquillo peppers are hand-picked in the Ribera del Ebro region of northern Spain. Piquillo means "little beak" in Spanish, in reference to the pepper's pointed shape. They're traditionally picked and produced almost entirely by hand, using no chemicals in the washing, roasting, and peeling process. They're slow roasted over open wood fires, giving them a complex, rich, and spicy-sweet flavor.