Hatch chilies from New Mexico are a big deal with foodies everywhere. They are only grown in New Mexico, and the harvest season is pretty short. I was amazed when I walked into my local supermarket here in East Tennessee, and immediately saw a large display of fresh Hatch chilies.
Here they are, waiting for me to begin the roasting process; with a little work, roasting turns them into delicious, mild peppers that are wonderful.
Roasting them at home isn’t as fun as watching how they are roasted in the Southwest. When I lived in Tucson, people waited all year for the supermarkets to receive Hatch chilies. In the store’s parking lot, they’d roll out a giant metal contraption; it had a huge metal drum on top and a ferocious propane-fired flame source on the bottom of the frame.
All-day, they’d shovel chilies into the drum, lighting the burner and turning the drum. Pretty soon, they would have a big pile of fresh roasted chilies, ready to take home to peel and save. It was community involvement at its best.
Here in Tennessee, I have to scale the process down, using a convection oven. With luck, I’ll have some success and will have one of the genuinely great cooking condiments on hand. I may even go back for a couple more bags before they disappear.
This is one small pleasure that the pandemic can’t stop.
Are we there yet? 