ALONG COMES MARY

Did you know it’s hatch pepper season? These irresistible spicy hots are native to New Mexico and available just six weeks out of the year. I was first introduced to hatch peppers during my adventures with the 2019 IFWTWA Conference. On my ten-day venture, I fell in love with the “Land of Enchantment” and toured Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and Taos. Although I didn’t get a chance to explore Hatch, where the peppers originated, there was an abundance of them at each of my stops. Any opportunity I had to enjoy red or green hatch peppers, I did. By the time I headed home I’d also learned it’s easy to enjoy them both on your plate; just say “Christmas” when ordering and voila! 

Since I’ve been longing to return to New Mexico, Melissa’s Produce once again came to my rescue. Melissa’s is easily the leader in distributing hatch peppers when in season, and I was thrilled when their Hatch Pepper Gift Tray arrived at my doorstep. 

The Hatch Pepper Cookbook

Hatch pepper salsa? Hatch pepper POPCORN?! Bring it on. Despite most immediately associate “hot and spicy” when thinking of hatch peppers, they’re quite versatile. One flip through Melissa’s Hatch Pepper Cookbook, and you’ll be surprised at the endless options. As soon as we received our gift tray, which includes the cookbook, Mike whipped up a hatch pepper cornbread to go with his turkey chili. Next up, I loved the keto-style shrimp scampi with “Zoodle” pasta. Now? Dessert, of course. 

Had I not devoured the red and green hatch pepper pecans, we were going to make brownies. Yes, chocolate and hatch peppers are a thing and work together expertly. Instead, I cruised to Melissa’s website and was intrigued at the thought of Hatch Pepper S’mores. We had everything in the cupboard, and I decided to give it a whirl. 

Hatch Pepper S’mores

Ingredients

• 5 Graham Crackers, halved then quartered (*I used Schar Gluten-free Honeygrams)
• 10 Marshmallows
• 1/2 cup Chocolate Chips 
• 1/2 teaspoon New Mexico Hatch Chile Pepper Powder (peppers dried and ground)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
2. On a baking sheet, place half of the cracker quarters. Top each cracker with a marshmallow and place it in the oven. Bake until the marshmallow begins to melt, about 5 minutes.
3. Remove the crackers from the oven and immediately top them with the remaining cracker quarters, pressing down slightly.
4. Melt the chocolate in the microwave and mix in the chile powder. Dip each cookie in the chocolate, coating all sides, and place on parchment paper to dry.

Roast Your Own this Season

Take advantage of hatch pepper season before it’s too late. I’ll be using my powders sparingly as they can go on everything. It’s a great way to add some heat to your ground meats. Along with dipping on chips, the salsa has also been perfect on eggs and nachos. 

While it can seem intimidating, it’s rewarding to buy a batch fresh and roast yourself. That’s what Mike did when he made cornbread. My pal, Stacey, just posted this extensive guide with tips and tricks for roasting to perfection. If you’re in a time crunch, several grocery stores have taken the prep out and have them roasted and ready to go. Melissa’s has you covered and you can find the store listings HERE. 

Once again, Melissa’s Produce has introduced me to so many great recipes. I’ll definitely be marking hatch season on my calendar for years to come! xo