Hatch Chiles Are Here Through August!

So, what is a Hatch chile? A Hatch chile is a meaty green chile pepper, with a grassy, herbal flavor. Some varieties are smoke out of your ears spicy, but most pack just enough heat to make them enjoyable in a meal, without overpowering your tastebuds. Depending on your own level of spice tolerance, of course. When roasted, hatch chiles take on a buttery flavor with a sweet heat.

Hatch chiles are grown in the Hatch Valley in New Mexico, they must be grown in this region along the fertile Rio Grande to be called Hatch chiles. They come in a number of varieties, from Numex Big Jim, featured in the “Guiness Book of World Records” as the largest green chile, to the Sandia variety, which is a bit smaller with a medium heat offering.

Hatch chiles come in a range of heat levels. Hotter varieties can reach up to 8,000 Scoville Units, which is around that of a spicier jalapeño. Milder varieties reach up to 2,500 Scoville Units, which is similar to a spicier Anaheim pepper.

Try these out the next time you’re making salsa, enchiladas, and more, you can even add them to your next cheeseburger! Check out more recipes below!

Hatch Chile & Cheese Cornbread Waffles

  • 2 cup whole milk
  • 1 envelope (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1-1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1-1/2 cup cornmeal
  • 2 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), melted
  • 2 Hatch or poblano chile peppers, finely chopped
  • 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • Nonstick cooking spray
  • 1 cup maple syrup

Hatch Chile & Smoked Salmon Avocado Toast

  • 2 Hatch or poblano chile peppers, stemmed
  • 4 slices grains & seeds bread
  • Olive oil nonstick cooking spray
  • 2 avocados, peeled and pitted
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper plus additional for serving
  • 1 package (3 ounces) thinly sliced smoked salmon
  • 1/4 cup thinly sliced cucumber
  • 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
  • 2 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
  • 2 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon

Grilled Sirloin Steaks with Hatch Chile-Tomato Escabeche

  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
  • 1/3 cup thinly sliced Hatch or poblano chile peppers
  • 2 tablespoon fresh lime juice
  • 2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 2 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 1-1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
  • 4 boneless top sirloin steaks (about 6 ounces each)
  • 2 teaspoon salt free garlic and herb seasoning
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro for garnish

More info: https://www.holajalapeno.com/hatch-chiles/

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10 Heatseeking Ways to Use Hot Sauce

January 22nd is one of our favorite days of the year: National Hot Sauce Day! In celebration, we’re letting you in on ten of the best, most unique ways to enjoy hot sauce. Hot sauce is extremely versatile and there are endless ways to add some spice to what you eat.

Make it a goal to try all ten of these at least once in 2020!

  1. Stir it into Soup: It’s wintertime and temperatures here in the Northeast are currently freezing. Foods to warm up with are a necessity. Stir some hot sauce into your soup for a kick of heat and flavor and make your winter blues disappear! This works best with chili, tortilla soup, black bean soup, or any Mexican or Asian-style soup.

  1. Make Mexican Hot Chocolate: Hot chocolate is another popular way to warm up during the winter. Turn it into Mexican Hot Chocolate by simply adding a dash of hot sauce! Cayenne pepper hot sauce is the way to go here as it mixes well with the chocolate taste and creates a delicious blend.
  1. Heat Up Hollandaise: We love a breakfast with hollandaise sauce. Mix in some hot sauce to give your Eggs Benedict that extra boost!
  1. Create Salad Dressing: There are a few creative ways to incorporate hot sauce in salad dressing. Our favorites are either whisking some sauce into vinaigrette or mixing it with ketchup and mayo for yummy Thousand Island dressing.
  1. Boost a Burger: Hot sauce fits very well on this American classic. Simply mix some Sriracha into your ketchup and your burger is brought to a whole new level!
Peppers on display at Market 32
  1. Get Brining: Brining is fantastic for adding flavor to meats. Spice up your chicken or turkey with a mixture of a gallon of water, a ½ cup of kosher salt, and 4.5 tablespoons of Tabasco Sauce. Let it sit for 8 hours before throwing it in the oven. The result will be an intense, well-rounded flavor.
 
  1. Add a Dash to Ribs: The smoky aroma of good, tender ribs is excellent for mixing with hot sauce. The heat and smokiness come together as one for an intensely-flavored rack of ribs.
 
  1. Serve a Spicy Bloody Mary: We recommend using Sriracha for the best drinkability and enjoyment out of your enhanced Bloody Mary. It brings a strong pepper flavor, and hits with the perfect amount of spice.
 
  1. Make Popcorn Pop: Add a few drops in melted butter and douse onto your popcorn. It makes a great snack for movie night!
 
  1. Whip Up Some Homemade Wing Sauce: Experiment with your favorite sauce and create your own homemade wing sauce. Exploring different varieties and combinations to see what you like best is always fun. We recommend giving PICS Hot Sauce a try!
PICS Hot Sauce with chicken wings

 

There are tons of ways to spice up your dishes with hot sauce: These are just some heat-seeking suggestions. Get adventurous and try some new things out for yourself, starting with the options on this list. Visit your local store to pick up a bottle of PICS Hot Sauce to get you started!

 

Happy Hot Saucin’!

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Written By: Ellie Wilson, MS, RD  Senior Nutritionist, Price Chopper Supermarkets “Cool as a cucumber” – you can be all that enjoying the farm- fresh cucumbers in the stores right now from farmers like Walter Czajkowski and Mary McNamara at Plainville Farm in Plainville, CT. Cucumbers have a clean, mild flavor and they can star or be a supporting player in salads, salsas, and pickles. Have you ever made your own pickles? It is so easy – try Mary’s easy bread and butter pickle recipe. Everything you need, including the mason jars, are in your store. Sterilize 3 jars by covering them in boiling water for 10 minutes. Allow to cool. Pack cucumbers and onions in layers a wide mouth mason jar. Mix remaining ingredients and pour over the vegetables. Store in the refrigerator. For the first 2 days shake jar to mix well. Enjoy! Those same cucumbers are great in a cucumber and onion salad – just slice cucumbers and onions thinly (try sweet onions for this salad!). Add Ken’s Light Italian dressing and serve. Couldn’t be easier! kens-logo-presentation Summer is also grilling time, so putting together a quick and easy grilled meal for friends and family is fun and fresh! Peppers are also coming in – our friends at Blackhorse farms have beautiful peppers in the stores, and they can be enjoyed in this super summer recipe from Eating Well. The shrimp is on sale, and all of the ingredients are waiting for you. https://www.pricechopper.com/recipes/9816/Grilled-Shrimp-Cocktail-with-Yellow-Gazpacho-Salsa Delicious, and my favorite part – it is all really good and good for you. Enjoy!