Friday, Aug. 22, 2008

'Hatch' Your Next Meal Plan

Online Exclusive

By Kathleen Bynum

Living Editor

Hat•ch•if •ied:

/Hat-ch-if-ied/ verb. The addition of Hatch, N.M. green chiles to improve, add heat and flavor to otherwise bland food.

That’s right, Foodies, it’s Hatch chile time, so you can be sure many local specialty stores, as well as restaurants, are ready to enjoy the heat and will “hatchify” many items.

The pepper season runs from late August and sometimes lasts through early November. Because the season is so short, many fans of this Anaheim varietal pepper choose to freeze them so they can enjoy the flavor year-round.

Each year, Central Market sends a delegation of employees out to Hatch, N.M. – the place the peppers received their name – for the harvest.

“We have an excellent crop of peppers this year,” said Joe Sandro, Central Market business development manager for produce. “They are big and beautiful. Hatch, N.M., had ideal growing conditions this year making the hot peppers extra hot. Some years we see limited crops, but this year we have plenty of supplies and the peppers are rolling in.”

So how do you pick a perfect Hatch?

Lee Crenshaw, director of Perishable Procurement for CM, explains.

“To get your hands on the best Hatch from the patch, keep these simple tips in mind:

►Color: Search for a bright green color (like the sun is still shining on it;

►Feel: Peppers should be firm to the touch and a bit heavy for their size;

►Shape: go for symmetry; and

►Texture: the chile’s skin should be as smooth as a baby’s you-know-what!”

Crenshaw also said, “as they [green chiles] ripen and turn red and are dried, they’re made into those delicious red chile sauces that warm you up in the winter.”

But while it’s still plenty hot, it’s definitely time to enjoy the smoky flavor of some roasted chiles. Not sure how to roast your peppers? You don’t have to … CM employees at each location will be roasting the peppers in a giant mesh-drum outside.

Other stores, including Market Street in Colleyville and local Tom Thumbs and Krogers are stocking Hatch peppers as well. So they shouldn’t be too hard to find.

Ren Knight, CM’s in-store PR coordinator, said the Southlake store will have Hatch chiles throughout its “annual Hatch event,” which runs from Friday, Aug. 22 through Sunday, Aug. 31.

With mild and hot varieties, every palette can enjoy the flavor of Hatch chiles.

And if you don’t feel like cooking, there’s a plethora of items that have been “hatchified” throughout CM, including “meatloaf loaded with smoky Hatch peppers, Hatch Tamale Stuffed Pork Tenderloin or crab cakes with a Hatch kick,” Knight said.

“We’ll be putting Hatch [chiles] in anything and everything we can get away with,” Knight said, “from specials in our Café and Chef’s case, to bakery items – bread, cornbread, tortillas and even brownies!”

And if you feel like dining out, Blue Mesa in Southlake is offering a month of Hatch specials with its annual Hatch Chile Festival, including Hatch chile pozole, Hatch chile rellenos, Steak rellano taco, stacked enchiladas and more. See the Web site for details. www.bluemesagrill.com.

The following are some recipes to try, provided by Central Market’s 2007 First Ever Un-edited and Un-tested Hatch Chile Pepper Recipe Book.

Colt 45 Ceviche

Chris Blasko, Greg Blasko and Mary Blasko

2007 Recipe Contest Winner

Serves: 3-4 hungry fishermen

Ingredients:

1 lb. Mahi Mahi (or Dorado, Ling, Lemonfish, or Cobia)

1/2 lb. large shrimp, boiled, peeled and deveined

15 fresh limes

1 to 2 large onions, chopped

2 large tomatoes

3 large Hatch peppers

2 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped

20 capers (crushed and chopped)

Instructions:

Take your bag of limes, roll them and then slice in half. Squeeze all limes into a nonmetallic container, using a strainer to exclude seeds from entering the savory mix.

Cut the fish and shrimp into 1/2–inch cubes. Place fish and shrimp into the nonmetallic container with the lime juice and put in fridge for 2 hours. Make sure that the lime juice is sufficient to thoroughly submerge fish.

While the fish is marinating chop the remaining ingredients coarsely (but chop the capers and herbs finely)

After the requisite two-hour marinating, remove fish/shrimp container from the fridge and place ALL the ingredients into the container and mix with a large spoon.

Place the now full container back into the fridge, cover and let sit overnight. Stir once.

Pair with tortilla chips.

Interesting story: The majority of this recipe was thought up while fishing offshore in about 2000 feet of water at a fishing spot called ‘Colt 45’ way out in the Texas portion of the Gulf of Mexico.

“Get Out!!!”...There’s chiles in my Dessert! Hatch Chile Fruit Pound Cake with Mango Cream

Laura Winters 2007 Recipe Contest Winner

8 Servings

Ingredients:

¾ cup fresh mango, cubed

¾ cup fresh pineapple, cubed

¾ cup strawberries, sliced

¼ cup roasted Hatch chiles, chopped

1 to 2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced

3 Tbsp. fresh mint, thinly slivered

3 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

2 Tbsp. light brown sugar

8 slices pound cake, ½ -inch thick

3 Tbsp. unsalted butter

Whipped Topping:

1 cup whipping cream

1 tea. vanilla extract

2 tea. powdered sugar

¼ cup mango sorbet

Instructions: Mix all fruit and chiles together carefully. Add jalapeños, mint, lime juice, brown sugar. Set aside. Butter pound cake and place on outdoor grill until lightly toasted. In a martini glass, put grilled cake—top with fruit and chile salsa. Whip cream, add vanilla, powdered sugar and whip to mix. Add mango sorbet, whip just to mix. Top off your chile fruit salsa cakes.

Have an original recipe that you want to share? Entries for Central Market’s “No –Holds Barred Hatch Chile Pepper Recipe Contest,” are due noon Saturday, Aug. 23 at the Information Desk. Recipe finalists for each store location will face off in the “Final Chile Five,” on Aug. 31, and vie for a $500 store gift card, plus a year’s supply of roasted Hatch chiles.