I wish you could smell this. Smokey, pungent, and intoxicating, nothing beats the aroma of roasted green chiles in September in New Mexico. I've got a green-chile buzz just typing the words.
When I moved here 16 years ago, I didn't know green chile existed. Had I known, I would have relocated a whole lot sooner. Putting up a sack of green chile in the fall has become a tradition.
I peel and remove the seeds, then place the green chile filets in baggies to store in the freezer.
I count the baggies and divide by 52 so that I'll know exactly how much green chile I can consume each week without running out before next year's harvest.
Everything goes better with green chile – eggs, burgers, steak, chicken...margaritas. I'll even grab a forkful and eat it plain as a snack. Come September, there's only one other green thing that makes me smile as much as chile.
The boys have their stash and I have mine. We're as ready for winter as we'll ever be.
The green chile look yummy, but how do you roast them? They look huge too, and sound like they go perfectly with just about everything.
ReplyDeleteGlad everyone is ready for winter!
What is your process for roasting them?
ReplyDeleteI hate to say it, but I would be more inclined to eat the hay...can't take the heat...WHEW!!!
ReplyDeleteok, Ms. Carson, I don't mind you living the life of my dreams, so much, because you share through pictures and little stories. I have to draw the line here, though. Pictures of roasted green chile just don't cut it!
ReplyDeleteyummmmm, yummmm, yum! I'm salivating right here sitting at my desk in Charlotte, NC.
ReplyDeleteYou all have your fix for the coming year and it's perfectly legal. Nothing could be better.
ReplyDeletePat and Leah, I apologize for my negligence - I didn't have any pictures of the roasting "experience" (for that is what it truly is and as much a part of the tradition as eating it) so I just skipped over that. My bad. I will try to make up for the error of my ways in a future post.
ReplyDeleteI've been thinking of you lately b/c out of the blue, here in my little county far from New Mexico, there is suddenly a green chile craze going on.
ReplyDeleteOur local Greek take-out is putting the local crop of green chiles to good use - in cheeseburgers, beef stew, everything! (she's Greek but her daily menu is made up of what the local farmers bring her and what she finds at the farmers' market... so I hope she too is putting up some of the green chile bounty b/c we've all gone New Mexico here!)
I'm the only one in my family who'll eat anything spicy :( - that sure looks good!
ReplyDeleteWhen we lived in New Hampshire we had fresh green chiles shipped to us from Hatch, NM. It's a lot cheaper to get our chile fix now that we're back in New Mexico!
ReplyDeleteI kept looking for the Smell-O-Vision button on the computer while looking at your yummy photos.
don't know about the chili's - have heard N. Mexico's are the best (they look great), but I do love the feeling and aroma of my loft being filled to the rafters with hay.
ReplyDeleteOoh, I am so jealous. That's one of the things I miss most about living in New Mexico. Mmmm.
ReplyDeletelord, we have a lot of peppers this year. can you describe the roasting process? was it done outside?
ReplyDeleteCarson - one question. Why are they in the trash bag?
ReplyDeleteYes! Please share how you roast them. I've read some on the internet, but I'd rather us a recipe coming from a chili connoisseur such as yourself ;~)
ReplyDeleteThe mystique of chile roasting in NM is deserving of its own photo essay...I'll be back with pictures at the end of the week or so...promise.
ReplyDeleteI lived in Albuquerque for a few years and lived across the street from this tiny market. They used to set up a chili roasting extravaganza every year for days on end. It was a lot of fun to witness, even if I don't actually like the chilis lol
ReplyDeleteI can almost smell them. Yum...
ReplyDeleteOh MY! I too discovered chilis, real chilis when we first visited NM in 2001 and bought our ranch. But you, young lady, will have the delightful job of teaching me how to "make" them...OK? It can be a Labor Day present to me or somethin'.
ReplyDeleteDo they freeze? How do you keep them.
The hay looks yummy too....a rancher's version of canning, huh?
Oh YEAH. That made my mouth water. I love a green chile cheeseburger! MMMM. And green chiles really do make everything better.
ReplyDeleteAnd that barn full of hay -- let's just say I have hay envy.
Ten years ago last March when I was on a very short vacation trip to your fair state, the legislature was establishing the state question...
ReplyDeleteRed or green?
Love the chili pictures and the hay. Good year for you all.
I'll be right over to have a taste! Looks yummy.
ReplyDeleteSuch bounty!
Carolynn
Jealous. Jealous. Jealous. For Christmas one year my sister sent me a couple pounds of roasted green chiles and...Gawd, there's just nothing better. I live in the Midwest and sushi has wasabi on the side and for some reason, Mexican food is not spicy, just salty and cheesy. I will never understand why some people can't take the heat. I guess hot and spicy is hell to some people but for me it's pure heaven.
ReplyDeleteI'd never heard of I roasted green chilies until I was out to NM for the Big Balloon festival back in the early 90's. My friend took us to this small diner type place and man, we had the best ever Green Chili stew. Try to find anything like it up here... you never will. Enjoy! I'm drooling just a bit... :-) Love and Light, Nina P
ReplyDeleteI come from Eastern Europe and the peppers are a staple of the local cuisine. Every autumn almost anyone who has a pulse and can walk participates is roasting the peppers and preparing a delicacy that we eat throughout the year - it is called "Ajvar" and you can find the process of preparing it here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ajvar
ReplyDeleteIt is basically made as a spread that we eat on breads or with feta cheese and olives.
Ognen