Hatch Chilies - Yes It's a Southern Thing

It it hatch chili time!  Being a Yankee I of course had no idea what a hatch chili was. Here is a quote from www.melissas.com.

It's no secret why everyone is obsessed with Hatch Chiles. Named after the original growing area in Hatch, New Mexico, authentic Hatch Chiles are truly a Southwestern favorite. No other chile is prized more than this variety which grows in the Hatch Valley, just north of Las Cruces. The valley, which stretches along the Rio Grande’s southern-most bend before crossing into Texas and Mexico, is covered with row after row of these green leafy chile plants for most of the summer. Chefs say that the intense sunlight and cool nights in this valley result in a uniquely flavored chile that's unrivaled by any other. Hatch Chiles have a meaty flesh and mild-medium heat making them ideal for use in Chile Con Queso, Chile Rellenos, and Chile Verde. But it doesn't just stop there. You can also try roasting and using them in salads, soups, stews, dips, and sandwiches. For even more great ideas on how to use this incredible chile, purchase a copy of Melissa's Hatch Chile Cookbook.

 After 25 years in Texas I finally succumbed to the excitement last year and discovered how good they really are.  Central Market, one of our gourmet grocery stores, has a yearly hatch chili festival.  They roll out large grills to their sidewalks and roast them there on the spot.  They come in hot and mild but I am still eating the mild ones.  Half the things in the store are made with hatch chilies.  It's quite the festival.

 

Last year a friend told me how to roast them on the grill then freeze them.  When ready to use you would just wash off the charred bits and chop them for recipes.  I did that and it worked great.  Except when I am in the middle of a recipe and want chilies I am usually too lazy to go through that process.  Plus they are really cold to work with when they are still frozen (I almost never plan ahead).  So this year I bought a container and used a few in a recipe (below) then peeled, removed the seeds and chopped the rest and froze them in ice cube trays.  I now have a bag in the freezer ready to add to a recipe with no fuss.  Yay me!

Now for that recipe.  I started making this soup recipe for pot-luck meals when we lived in New Jersey.  Of course then I used canned green chilies.  What did I know!  I just made a pot last week using fresh hatch chilies and it makes a huge amount.  We had one lunch and I was able to freeze 5 more lunch size containers.  I once calculated the calories and it came to about 770 a serving so it's not something to want to have often.  But it is a real treat when you do need some comfort.

This recipe is really good using the hatch chilies.