Katie Herring is sales and marketing manager at Cultivate

SHOPPING at the Cultivate VegVan often means you'll find produce you've never seen before: things like monk's beard, purple kohlrabi and spaghetti squash were all new to me before I joined the team.

I and many of our customers enjoy the thrill of discovering something new each season but this week we have managed to get hold of a vegetable that brings a whole new level of excitement to your dinner plate.

The Oxforshire Chilli Garden, based in Eynsham, has already supplied us with some pretty fiery chillies but now they're upping the game and have supplied us with the pepper version of Russian Roulette – Padrón peppers.

While most of these peppers are mild with a rich, earthy, almost asparagus-like flavour, about one in ten is wickedly hot, so eating a plate can be a bit of a gamble.

Padrón peppers, named after their primary growing region in northwest Spain, are bright green to yellow-green in colour and unfortunately their looks give no indication as to which ones are mild and which ones are hot.

Some people suggest giving a cooked pepper a sniff before eating as you may get a slight whiff of spice.

Your best bet, if you're looking to avoid the spicy ones which can be as hot as a jalapeño pepper, is to approach with caution, eating just the tip first to avoid the seeds which are the main culprits when it comes to that fiery kick.

Essentially Padróns are a finger food and it's best to cook them whole with the stalks left on.

Traditionally they are pan-fried in hot olive oil until blistered then drizzled in olive oil, lemon juice and sea salt.

They pair well with creamy sauces, Manchego cheese, lobster, pork and tomatoes or try them as a lively addition to pizzas, salads and paella.

They’ve become so popular they even have their own festival celebrated in the villages of Herbón and Padrón each year and which attracts pepper fans from across the world. Having tried them myself I can see why, their beautiful flavour is well worth the risk of a spicy surprise.