What is it about Hatch chiles, wonders rworange, that “puts people in a mild panic” when the last bag is opened? Hatch chiles are a variety of chile pepper harvested around the town of Hatch, New Mexico. They’re usually served roasted and are much loved for sure, but are they genuinely addictive? “People get headaches when the last peppers are used … Hatch withdrawal,” claims rworange.
Some might write off the appeal as New Mexican nostalgia—memories of late-summer air filled with the aroma of roasting peppers—but rworange doesn’t think so. “I’ve been to New Mexico twice in my life, both times on the freeway and not during pepper season,” she says. “My roots are in New England and yet this weekend I plan to buy a 25-pound box.” (Luckily, roasted peppers freeze well, so you can buy enough to last you for the whole year during the short Hatch pepper season.)
rworange says it wasn’t love at first taste, but “over time I found myself more enchanted, leading to a passion for the pepper.” There’s something about them that is difficult to describe, an added earthy complexity, she says. “Maybe it’s just like a person who oozes charisma and draws others to them but you can’t really say why that is. They stand out from the crowd and somehow sparkle.”
Board Links: What makes Hatch chiles special? Roast Hatch chiles=human catnip?
I was roaming through blogs when the words “hatch chile” caught my eye. A sigh of wonder and yearning escaped. I’m a native New Mexican living far away from the source but every time I’m back in the area, you can bet I’m eating anything and everything with hatch green chile!
I love Hatch chilies! Our family in CO sends or brings us our care packages every year. Some batches are hot and some not as much. We do freeze them so we have an ongoing supply available. I have found canned Hatch chiles and jalapenos in one of the home shopping stores locally. Our favorite recipe is a chicken enchilada casserole – tortillas, chicken, onions, cream of chicken soup, cheese and Hatch chilies. Just layer the dish and put cheese on top. Bake at 350 for approx 55-60 min. It is a great dish with spanish rice, fruit salad and sun tea!
We’re about a month away from chile roasting season here in Denver. Last year we wimped out and bought a very overpriced and somewhat tasteless batch being sold by the “gourmet grocer” near our home. This year we’re making the trek to the north end of the metro area, maybe Commerce City, to get the real deal. We can make a morning of it and have breakfast at La Casa del Rey, which we remember from a visit when we first moved to Colorado. Hope it’s still as good now!