Greetings Foodies! Welcome to this edition of Geek Eats! Today’s blog is going to be a bit spicy because it’s Hatch Chile season! That’s right; I’m going to be discussing the glorious Hatch chile. For a basic definition, Hatch chiles are grown in the Hatch Valley, an area stretching north and south along the Rio Grande from Arrey, New Mexico, in the north to Tonuco Mountain to the south of Hatch, New Mexico. The soil and growing conditions in this area create a unique environment which contributes to the flavor of chiles.
So what’s so great about these chiles you ask? How about everything? They are packed full of flavor in addition to their heat. I used to be afraid of spicy food and these were no exception. However, over the past year or so I’ve developed a love for all things spicy. Therefore, it only made sense that when the Mister and I saw the Hatch chile display at our local Whole Foods I jumped at the chance to test my cooking skills with them. Speaking of our Whole Foods, even they are on the Hatch chile bandwagon. We saw Hatch Pesto Corn (which we bought and were disappointed that there was minimal spiciness), cupcakes, chocolate ganache tarts and even Hatch Upside Down Cake!
On my quest for the perfect Hatch chile recipe I scoured Pinterest high and low. There were many recipes for salsa and stuffed chiles but I wanted something a bit more unique. Then I found them, the recipes that would change my life! Okay, maybe that is a bit dramatic but they were darn good. They were a recipe for Hatch Chile Apple Pie and a recipe for Hatch Chile Fried Chicken (click the name to be linked to the recipe). As if I didn’t have enough of a challenge on my hands, I converted the recipes to gluten free and lower sugar so friends and family who watch those things could try them too (I will discuss this process in a future Geek Eats segment).
Surprisingly, both recipes turned out really well and my only complaint was that the Hatch flavor didn’t come out as strongly in the chicken. The pie however, was blow your socks off good! The heat of the Hatch chiles came through but not the pepper flavor so it tasted like an extra spicy apple pie. See the gallery below for the pictures of this delicious meal!
If you have the opportunity to get a hold of some Hatch chiles and love spicy food I strongly suggest giving them a shot. Stay tuned for the next Geek Eats in which I will discuss my favorite day of the week, Taco Tuesday! Until next time!
Enjoy What You Eat!
DC
