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w squared wrote:I'm new to Texas, so this is my first exposure to Hatch Chiles. I picked up a couple pounds of roasted chiles from Central Market this afternoon, chopped them up, and froze some for making green chile sauce later. I also picked up some fresh chiles - not sure what I will do with them yet. Any suggestions?

I spread a bit of the finely shopped roasted/peeled/seeded chiles on some foccacia, topped with some queso fresco, and broiled it for dinner this evening - after that I'm not at all sure that I picked up enough!

Hence me buying 50 pounds and wondering if I had enough :) The can be quite addictive.

[quote="RoyGBivI finished reading that and realized I was smiling ear to ear... Thanks for sharing. [/quote]

No prob, but those peanuts did get used in grandmothers peanut brittle. All 200 pounds of peanuts she had granddad get :) Ok not 200 every year. I ate a few pounds of them after she roasted them in the oven. Front porch with best friend talking about what great things we would do for year after year. I did the Army thingy and he said anything but a maize farmer. He is still farming maize and loves it. :P)

Interesting to see how I am starting to think like my grandparents. But for different reasons. Both raised in depression and went big on getting what was on hand at the time and as much as they could so it was around for when there was nothing else. I stock up on these because I do not like what is around when they are not :) We have so much around she never had.

We are so spoiled now days it is not even funny on what is out there to be had. What I can not get now days is Kansas Sand Hill Red Plum Jelly grandmother made, the peanut brittle she made. Angel's food cake with the egg white frosting. They are gone forever. And she made TONS of it all. What was in season she canned, jellied, pickled. Never thought nothing of it then and got to where I wanted some of the new stuff that was out there. Spoiled. But Hatch Chilies are still here and I will hoard the hell out of them. It reminds me of what she did with them. I do hear Central Market is doing a Hatch peanut brittle. So I got a mission for tomorrow :) As good as my grandmothers, nope, better nope, good idea YEP Different can be better and not be the same.

I got a friend that lives in NM that I have bring them in for me. Usually a tad cheaper then HEB and better shape. But at .79 a pound right now at HEB they are a deal. I got mine for about .43 a pound, but he has connections and travels to Austin a lot so I catch a break.

Me I just roast over hot coals if I got a lot and lots of time. If not, I will just toss on top of a gas burner on stove and keep flipping till skin is blackened. Brown paper bag works, as does a trash bag if you have a lot. Roast them, put in bag and let steam till cool. Then easy to peal skin right off. No burnt fingers and no fighting to pull the skin off. If a little bit sticks on them it is ok.

I have loved this time of year since I was a kid living in West Texas. seems there was also something in season and we had guys come into town with them. Was always something you could buy off a truck. Watermelons ( real ones with seeds ), cantaloupe, tomatoes, sweet potatoes ( like I said I hate ), peanuts, onions, all kinds of citrus near winter. Usually just a day or 2 out from being picked. Not like the wonder apples they can store now days for a year. But Hatch chilies were my fav.

Also meant school was about to start, but also meant I had something different then meat loaf and pot roast and tuna casserole to eat :) We had TACOS AND ENCHALADS. Man I do love this time of year.

It is that time of year again. Got my first 50 pounds in today and will fire roast the little green yummy bad boys up this weekend over mesquite. Anyone else a fan? I always think I buy enough and then run just a tad short.