Friday Dinner 8/19/16

[GotGarlic]

I went to a neighborhood party tonight. I took a platter of Italian salad on a stick with basil vinaigrette and a pitcher of citrus sangria. DH went golfing and out to dinner afterward.

 

[blissful]

GotGarlic, thank you.!

 

[Kayelle]

Hatch Chili experts, do you peel (blacken then put in a bowl w/plastic over, then peel) a Hatch Chili pepper before making a bacon wrapped cheese filled concoction?

Tomorrow I'm going to a small city's once a month week-end market where they sell everything and gardeners/farmers bring in tons of produce to sell as well. If I found Hatch Chili's how would I know that--I know they are only grown in 'The Hatch', but, if they are grown locally, how would I identify them. They won't be official 'hatch chilis', I get that part. If I can't find them, what is a close second choice? A medium banana pepper? A pablano? Anyone have a hint?

Bliss, GG is correct about Hatch chili's being Anaheim peppers. I roasted the last batch whole under the broiler, (steamed them in a plastic bag) then skinned and seeded them......don't do it without gloves like I did! Yes, I know better but was out of gloves. Sigh.
My hands were so raw and painful only aloe with lidocaine helped.
I have more to process, and I'll be wearing gloves to seed and devein them before roasting and skinning.

 

[CraigC]

Hatch Chili experts, do you peel (blacken then put in a bowl w/plastic over, then peel) a Hatch Chili pepper before making a bacon wrapped cheese filled concoction?

I started using the hand held, propane torch I have for starting coals. It blackens the skins, but doesn't really soften the fresh chilis. Once they have rested in plastic bags, I simply rinse off the skin. I haven't punctured the flesh, no juices have been lost and I notice no difference in taste between chilis done this way and those where the chilis were roasted much longer. I use the same method on sweet/bell peppers, when I don't want the skins in the dish.

 

[Rocklobster]

Had burgers with a very drunk friend for dinner last night. He called two days ago and was in town visiting his parents..his mom is pretty bad and may not have much time left. When we spoke two days ago I invited him over for dinner and by the time he got here he was half in the bag and still going strong...by the time he left he was a mess....it was funny, and sad....

 

[Steve Kroll]

Hatch Chili experts, do you peel (blacken then put in a bowl w/plastic over, then peel) a Hatch Chili pepper before making a bacon wrapped cheese filled concoction?

I just roast them under the broiler until they start to blacken. I like this method because you can do a whole pan of them at once. Turn each pepper a few times to hit every side, then remove and tent with foil. The tenting creates steam, which helps soften the skins and makes them easier to remove. Don't worry about getting every bit of skin off. Just do your best and try not to damage the pepper too much in the process.

And when it comes right down to it, you don't HAVE to peel them at all, if you don't want. Just like tomatoes, the skins are edible. It just makes them a little nicer because the skin can be somewhat tough and cellophane-like. If you don't want to bother, I've also seen recipes (like this one) that call for blanching the peppers in boiling water for a few minutes to soften them before stuffing. I could see where that would work well, too.

 

[blissful]

Thank you all for the pepper help! I peel peppers over the gas flame on the stove, most of my practice has been on pimento peppers, I peel and dice and freeze. I'm going to research getting the right seeds to grow them next year. It looks like a person could pick the right level of heat for personal taste by picking the right seeds.
GG--those salads on a stick look OH SO GOOD.

 

[GotGarlic]

Thank you all for the pepper help! I peel peppers over the gas flame on the stove, most of my practice has been on pimento peppers, I peel and dice and freeze. I'm going to research getting the right seeds to grow them next year. It looks like a person could pick the right level of heat for personal taste by picking the right seeds.
GG--those salads on a stick look OH SO GOOD.

Thank you!

I've been growing hot peppers for many years. You can get a general idea of how hot different varieties are, but the heat level varies from plant to plant and even different fruits on the same plant, depending on the amount of water and heat they get. The more stressed they are, the hotter they get.

 

[Cheryl J]

Great looking dinner pics, Joey, CG, and GG!

CG...I meant to add that I looked at the link you posted for the Florida Seasoned Pepper. That does sound delish.

 

[Greg Who Cooks]

In Santa Fe they have cylindrical wire cages about the size of an oil drum, with a door, and propane cylinders supplying heat from below. A motor turns the drum as they roast. I would buy my fresh Hatch chilis at a place called something like Poppytrail or whatever, then take them out to the parking lot to have them roasted. The roasting blackens and loosens the skins without significantly cooking the insides. You peel the skins when you get home.

You have a glorious dinner, refrigerate part of what's left, freeze the rest. Steve, you made Hatch poppers! It's so similar to Rhee Drummond's poppers! Main diff she uses Jalapeno, BBQ sauce, and no pre-roasting. Must have been delicious!

Kay I'm an old guy. I'd probably get on 126 and forget where I'm going.

I suggest that Hatch chilis are similar to Anaheims but a different cultivar. True Hatch chilis have to be grown in Hatch. Considering the 6 day round trip I'd accept almost-Hatch.

 

[GotGarlic]

In Santa Fe they have cylindrical wire cages about the size of an oil drum, with a door, and propane cylinders supplying heat from below. A motor turns the drum as they roast. I would buy my fresh Hatch chilis at a place called something like Poppytrail or whatever, then take them out to the parking lot to have them roasted. The roasting blackens and loosens the skins without significantly cooking the insides. You peel the skins when you get home.

They do that at the Whole Foods in Virginia Beach with Hatch chiles flown in. Not worth it to me, since I grow Anaheims. Or Portsmouths, I suppose

I suggest that Hatch chilis are similar to Anaheims but a different cultivar. True Hatch chilis have to be grown in Hatch. Considering the 6 day round trip I'd accept almost-Hatch.

They are the same variety of chile pepper grown in different places. If that's what you mean by cultivar, then yes.

 

[Greg Who Cooks]

I've got Anaheim chilis in my local supermarkets and they look nothing like the Hatch chilis I bought in Santa Fe. (Other than the resemblance all chilis have.)

 

[GotGarlic]

I've got Anaheim chilis in my local supermarkets and they look nothing like the Hatch chilis I bought in Santa Fe. (Other than the resemblance all chilis have.)

Really? Because the Hatch chiles on The Hatch Chile Store website look exactly like the Anaheim chiles I just harvested from my garden.

 

[blissful]

GG, nice harvest (I saw on the harvest thread), nice nice nice! We went to the market where there are produce sellers. Only three farms were selling produce. I had a choice of poblanos, hot banana peppers, half sharp banana peppers, green or red bell, jalapeno peppers, so my son and I bought the half sharp banana peppers, and the poblanos peppers. Not an annaheim pepper to be found! We made the cheese filled, bacon wrapped peppers. Peeled the half sharps and didn't peel the poblanos. We liked them both. Both were medium hot, poblanos had more green pepper flavor, they were very good. If I lived near you GG, I'd buy some annaheims from you!

 

[GotGarlic]

Thank you! Sorry you couldn't find Anaheims Maybe next time. Your poppers sound great