Hatch Chile Potato Salad

Hatch Chile Potato Salad by Yvette Marquez-Sharpnack

Recipe excerpt from:
Muy Bueno: Fiestas – 100+ Delicious Mexican Recipes for Celebrating

by Yvette Marquez-Sharpnack

This potato salad is the perfect culinary marriage of me and my hubby. He is of German descent, and this red potato salad has a tangy mustard and vinegar dressing that is reminiscent of a traditional German potato salad. But it also has creamy mayo and roasted green chile in honor of my Mexican heritage.

Makes 4 Servings

  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper
  • 1 lb (450 g) small red potatoes (about 10 potatoes), quartered
  • ¼ small red onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 fresh Hatch or Anaheim chiles, roasted, peeled, seeded, and chopped (page 15)
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
  • 3 green onions, white and tender green parts, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Bring a pot of salted water to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. Add the potatoes and cook until fork-tender but not falling apart, 15–18 minutes.

While the potatoes are cooking, in a bowl large enough to hold the finished salad, combine the red onion, chiles, mustard, oil, vinegar, mayonnaise, and sesame seeds and mix well to make a dressing.

Season with ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper.
 
When the potatoes are ready, drain well and toss with the dressing, coating evenly. Add the green onions and cilantro (if using), season with salt and pepper, and toss to mix evenly.
Let cool to room temperature and serve right away, or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
 
Cook’s Note: For a milder version, use 1–2 poblano chiles for the Hatch or Anaheim chiles.

Pav Bjaji

Recipe excerpt from:
The Vegetarian Reset: 75 Low-Carb, Plant-Forward Recipes from Around the World
by Vasudha Viswanath

Serves: 3

Originally from the streets of Mumbai, pav bhaji is a crowd-pleaser that consists of a one-pot spicy vegetable mash (bhaji) served with soft dinner rolls (pav), garnished with a squeeze of lemon, chopped onions, cilantro, and often, dollops of butter! In my version, yellow moong dal works wonderfully as a substitute for starchy potato, lending the bhaji a nutty but creamy flavor. Served with toasted zucchini bread, this makes a hearty and delicious meal with no compromises! I often serve the bhaji over bread like a sloppy joe, so you get it all in one dreamy bite.

To Veganize: Sub any neutral-flavored oil for the butter and use Vegan Zucchini Bread

Bhaji

  • 1 Tbsp butter
  • 1 cup / 150g diced red onion
  • 1 medium plum or Roma tomato (4 oz/110g), diced
  • 1 Tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 tsp ground coriander seed
  • 2 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1⁄4 tsp cayenne
  • 2 cups / 200g roughly chopped cauliflower
  • 3⁄4 cup / 120g frozen green peas
  • 1 small red bell pepper / capsicum (4 oz/110g), diced
  • 1⁄4 cup / 30g yellow moong dal (or split red lentils), soaked for 30 minutes and rinsed
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2⁄3 cup / 160ml water, plus more as needed
  • 1 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 6 slices Zucchini Bread (approximately 2 oz/55g each; page 14)
  • 2 tsp butter
  • 2 Tbsp chopped cilantro / fresh coriander, for garnish
  • 4 lemon wedges, for garnish

Step 1: Heat the butter in a large saucepan (for which you have a lid) over medium-high heat. Set aside 2 tablespoons of the diced onion for garnish and add the rest to the pan. Cook, stirring often, until the onions are lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, coriander, paprika, cumin, and cayenne. Mix well and cook until well incorporated and the tomatoes break down and start oozing, 3–4 minutes. Add a tablespoon of water to deglaze the pan if necessary.

Step 2: Add the cauliflower, peas, bell pepper, moong dal, salt, and water, and mix. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer, covered, adding more water if needed, until the lentils are done, 20–30 minutes.

Step 3: Mash the vegetables and lentils together using a potato masher or pulse a few times with an immersion blender (the bhaji should still have some texture). Add the lemon juice and mix.

Step 4: Toast the bread in a skillet at medium heat using 1/2 teaspoon butter per slice. Serve the bread with bhaji. Garnish with cilantro and serve with the reserved chopped onion and lemon wedges.

Zucchini And Corn Pancakes with Cilantro Crema

Zucchini And Corn Pancakes by Jonathan Bardzik

Recipe excerpt from:
Simple Summer: a recipe for joy and connection (Second Edition)
by Jonathan Bardzik

Serves 6

Zucchini and corn pancakes – think latkes – are sweet and savory, crisp on the outside and creamy inside with the corn kernels popping as you bite into them. The refreshing cilantro crema perfectly balances the warm, summery flavors of the pancakes.

Ingredients:

  • 4 cups grated zucchini, about 2 medium
  • 2 ears corn, kernels removed
  • 1 egg, lightly whisked
  • 2 tbs fresh basil, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
  • 1/4 tsp Spanish paprika*
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 cup corn starch
  • 3-4 tbs olive oil
  • Cream

*Spanish paprika has a wonderful smoky flavor. You can substitute Hungarian paprika.

Cilantro Crema:

  • 1 cup créme fraîche
  • 2 tbs cream or buttermilk
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Directions:

Prepare zucchini: Place grated zucchini in colander, sprinkle with 1 tsp salt and leave for 15-20 minutes to drain. Wrap zucchini in a tea towel and squeeze out as much water as you can.

Make pancake batter: Place zucchini in large bowl with corn, egg, basil, garlic, parmesan, paprika, pepper and potato starch. Mix. If the batter is too dry, add a tablespoon or two of cream.

Make crema: place crème fraîche, cream, garlic and cilantro in a food processor. Process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

Cook pancakes: Cook over medium-low heat in 1/4 cup pancakes, turning once. The low heat allows the outsides to get crispy and brown, while the centers remain creamy.

Serve pancakes with cilantro crema and, if desired, a drizzle of honey over the top.

TIP: When first mixing the batter leave it a little dry. The zucchini will release some water while you make the crema.

TIP: The batter will seem a bit loose with the corn falling away. Never fear, just shape them into a pancake in the skillet and they will hold together with the right delicate texture when cooked

Hatch Clam Chowder

Melissa's Hatch Chile Clam Chowder

Recipe excerpt from:
Melissa’s Hatch Pepper Cookbook
by Tom Fraker
Melissa’s World Variety Produce

To Steam the Clams:

  • 1/4 cup Water
  • 1/2 cup Chicken Broth
  • 6 cloves Melissa’s Peeled Garlic – crushed
  • 2 pounds Fresh Clams – cleaned (See Instructions below)

Using a large skillet with a lid, bring the water, chicken broth, and garlic to a boil. Add the clams into the skillet and place the lid on top. Cook for 5-10 minutes. Watch closely. Once all the clams have opened, remove from heat immediately. Do not overcook – your clams will be rubbery. Reserve some of the liquid for use in the chowder, and scoop the meat out of the shells.

For the Chowder:

Prepare a hot grill. Melt 4 tablespoons of butter, brush onto the corn and season with the pepper. Grill until completely slightly charred. 

Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until crisp. Add the onion and the next 3 ingredients. Cook until the onions are translucent. Stir in remaining butter. Add the flour and stir to combine. Slowly whisk in the milk and cream. Add the bay leaves and potatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer about 15 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender. Remove the bay leaves and stir in the corn and the clams (chopped, if desired). Simmer until heated through. Adjust the seasonings and garnish with the cilantro and salsa. If you want more clam flavor, add some of the reserved steaming liquid. Makes about 12 servings. 

Note: Cleaning Clams
In a large bowl, combine 4 cups of cold water with 1/3 cup of salt. Place all clams that passed your inspection into the bowl. Refrigerate for 20 minutes. Transfer clams into a new clean bowl with a new salt and water mixture. Refrigerate for another 20 minutes. This process draws the dirt out of the clams. If any clams float to the top during this process instead of settling at the bottom, discard them.

Remove clams from the water, but do not pour into a strainer. Pouring everything into a strainer can put dirt back into the clams. Use your hands or a slotted spoon.

Finally, brush the outsides of the shell with a vegetable brush to remove any remaining dirt from the outside of the shell.
 

Grilled Salsa Salad

Melissa's Grilled Salsa Saladby Chef Tom Fraker
Melissa’s World Variety Produce

Sweet and savory, this delicious salad is perfect for those summer months when the grill is always fired up.

6 large Roma tomatoes, halved lengthwise and seeded

limes, halved
garlic cloves, peeled
2 large avocados, halved lengthwise and pitted
1 large mango, halved lengthwise and seeded (do not peel)
sweet onion, thickly sliced
Extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
15 dried tepin chile peppers, ground
Salt
1 head butter lettuce

Melissa's Great Pepper CookbookPreheat grill to medium heat. Brush tomato and next 5 ingredients (through onion) with oil. Place fruits and vegetables on grill rack; grill, rotating halfway through grilling to achieve even grill marks, about 3 to 5 minutes. Set limes aside.

Peel and finely dice remaining grilled fruits and vegetables. In a bowl, combine fruits and vegetables, cilantro , and chile; toss together. Squeeze in lime juice; sprinkle with salt to taste. Serve with butter lettuce leaves.

Recipe from The Great Pepper Cookbook

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