Fall-spiration

We writers love to make up words…

Those who know me well probably can’t believe I would ever deem such a practice acceptable.  While I am a stickler for spelling and grammar, faux words can have their place too, especially when used in a creative capacity. 

 

 

With that said,  I am sharing a little Fall-spiration with you.
 

  

 

 

 

 

Yes.  Yes.  I know that it’s not quite fall yet, and my BFF will probably give it to me for starting this…

 

 

 

But it sure feels like fall to me.

 

 

 

Evenings are chilly.

 

 

 

Crickets are chirping.

 

 

 

 

Tailgating is upon us.

 

 

 

And… apples, pumpkins and mums are making their way into our farm stands and markets.

 

 

 

 

So, for those who are dreaming about the up-and-coming change of seasons, this one’s for you.

 

 

Have a great week!

The Silver Coin Margarita

Nothing is more refreshing and pairs better with green chile dishes than icy, cold margaritas.  I hope you have enjoyed reading my recent posts about New Mexico Hatch Green Chiles.  Our little chile stash is almost depleted, but rest assured.  Every delicious, roasted ounce was put to very good use.

 

 

Now for that Silver Coin Margarita I mentioned last week. 

Also known as a coin-style margarita or a silver margarita, the cocktail traditionally includes silver tequila and Cointreau.  But this version adds brandy which gives it even more dimension.

 

 

 

I came up with this recipe one summer shortly after my Uncle visited from Philly.  

 

He brought Silver Patrón Tequila, among other goodies from Philadelphia that you can’t get in the Midwest, and showed us how to make “a really good margarita”. 

Really good.

I had to adapt my Uncle’s recipe a bit, as his version was a little strong for me, and I added the margarita mix for some sweetness. 

  

 

 

The Silver Coin Margarita – makes 1 large or 2 small
1 ½ ounces Silver Patrón Tequila
¾ ounce Cointreau orange liqueur
¾ ounce brandy
Juice from half a lime
½ cup non-alcoholic margarita mix (I use Mr. & Mrs. T)
Ice

Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice.  Add all ingredients and shake until shaker is icy cold.  Pour over ice into a salt-lined margarita glass.
 

Enjoy and have a great week!

Mouthwatering Green Chile Cheeseburgers

Our celebration of the chile harvest continues - all the way across the country in O-H-I-O. 

 

I am tickled that we scored some authentic New Mexico Hatch green chile peppers last weekend right around the corner at our local grocery store - fresh and steamy right out of the roaster. 

 

 

 

 

We’re not letting a bit of this precious stash go unused though, so tonight we’re grilling up some legendary Green Chile Cheeseburgers.

 

 

Now, we Midwesterners are no strangers to grilling cheeseburgers.  In fact, we’re quite good at it.  But the Green Chile Cheeseburger is a unique treat that is rare in this part of the country. 

 

 

What could be better for an end-of-summer, football-season-kickoff evening than a juicy, mouthwatering Green Chile Cheeseburger? 



Pair that with an icy, cold Margarita and you’ve got a winning team.
 

Green Chile Cheeseburgers from New Mexico Magazine

(For the full article and recipe)
Serves 6

2 ¼ to 2 ½ pounds freshly ground beef chuck
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 burger-size slices of cheese (I prefer Monterey Jack)
1 ½ to 2 cups roasted New Mexico green chile, mild to hot,
fresh or thawed frozen, chopped, warmed
6 buns
Toppings of your choice


Combine beef, salt and pepper and form into six patties.   Grill until desired doneness. 


Here’s the fun part… it’s up to you to decide whether you want the chile under or over the cheese (my husband says under - I say over).  Keep your toppings limited as the green chile is the MVP!


Next up – stop back on Thursday for my version of the refreshing Silver Coin Margarita!

New Mexico Hatch Chile con Queso

It’s Hatch green chile harvest time in New Mexico, and we’re celebrating here in the Midwest. 

As I shared in my Monday post, my husband and I happened to stumble across authentic Hatch green chiles during a promotional event at our local grocery store.  


Volunteers were roasting the chiles onsite, and their aroma was so addicting that we decided we needed a couple of pounds to take home. 
 

After prepping our roasted peppers – peeling, seeding and chopping, we were ready to put them to good use. 

As I promised (or teased...), here is a recipe for Chile con Queso that I adapted from this New Mexico Hatch Chile app.  

 

Hatch Chile con Queso
2 cups grated cheese (we used a Mexican blend which included:
Chihuahua, Asadero, Monterrey Jack and cheddar)
½ cup sour cream
1 tomato, seeded and chopped
2 Hatch green chiles, roasted, peeled, seeded and chopped
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

In a medium saucepan, combine cheeses and sour cream over low heat until cheese is melted.  Stir continuously to prevent scorching.  Stir in the tomatoes, chiles and garlic powder. 

Tip:  we needed to stir the mixture for quite a while to bind the cheese and sour cream.  It was worth the wait though.   

You can use the queso as a dip with tortilla chips or spoon into warmed flour tortillas, roll and enjoy! 

 
 

Next up on Monday….
Green Chile Cheeseburgers and a refreshing Silver Coin Margarita. 

Have a great day!

Down the Hatch

It all started with a bag of these...  I didn't believe it when I saw it.  "You are teasing me again," (emphasis on again) I said to my husband when he brought home a steaming, hot bag of New Mexico Hatch green chile peppers from our local grocery store.  He said, "Yeah, they are roasting them in front of the store."

Freshly roasted New Mexico Hatch green chiles


 

Stop it.  Here?  In Ohio?

 

Chiles on display

 

I had to see it for myself. 


What I found was a pretty display and half a dozen volunteers roasting chile peppers and enthusiastically sharing samples and ideas on how to use these bright green beauties with a very curious lunch crowd. 

 

The aroma of the roasting chiles is addicting.

 

The world-famous Hatch chile is only grown in Hatch, a small town in southern New Mexico, which lies along the Rio Grande.  The soil and its proximity to water make the perfect combo for growing chiles.  And right now is harvest time, an annual event that is celebrated all over New Mexico.  


The chiles are somewhat easy to find in canned versions in grocery stores; however, the packaging must include that they are from New Mexico to be authentic. 


Fresh chile peppers are quite spicy, but once roasted some of their heat goes away and you are left with a more mild but seriously bold flavor.

 

Roasted chile peppers

 

Now what do I do with all these chile peppers I purchased?

 

 

Lucky for me, I found a recipe app for Hatch green chiles. 

 

 

Yes.... there's an app for that.

 

 

The chiles start out a beautiful bright green color.

 

 

In honor of the chile harvest, I'm going to put some of these recipes to good use. 

 

 

Check my upcoming posts for some amazing ways to use these wonderful bold and flavorful peppers - hint, hint... Chile con Queso, Green Chile Cheeseburgers and more. 

 

 

Plus, my version of the famous Silver Coin Margarita to wash it all down the hatch!

 

 

Hot and steamy chile peppers

And that is a little slice of Cowgirl right from my own neighborhood.

Have a great week!