The very best complements for chile laden  and most any spicy dishes are cumin and Mexican Oregano.  This week, I am placing both on a half price sale.  With the unsettled political climate in the MIddle East where cumin is mostly grown, the price has almost doubled with the recent fighting.  

Cumin is an ancient herb and at times has been used as a means of exchange.  It pre-dates black pepper as a table condiment.  Only one country in the world still uses it as a table condiment.  That is Morocco.

And our Mexican Oregano, which is the best with spicy, chile laden dishes is  not at all related to Mediterranean Oregano, which is part of the mint family.

Mexican Oregano is a part of the verbena family and is an ancient herb that grows wild in the Rocky Mountain areas down into Mexico.

As with pure chiles, these two herbs keep best stored in glass and refrigerated or frozen.  They will keep forever that way and keep their aromatic flavor.

Take advantage of our half price deal this week.

Next week, we have our second Green Chile Fiesta cooking class on Thursday night where we make the very best green Chile dishes and Perfect Margaritas to go with them.  Sign up now to be sure and get in the class.

Here's a main dish salad to enjoy-- 

GRILLED VEGETABLE SALAD
Warm Herb Oil Dressing

The fresh orange juice lacing the dressing makes it a particularly nice main dish or accent for any poultry or pork main dish. Heating herbs in oil intensifies their flavor.

Yield: 4 servings

1 red bell pepper, rinsed and left whole
1 green bell pepper, rinsed and left whole
1 small zucchini, cut lengthwise into ½ inch-thick slices
1 small yellow summer squash, cut lengthwise into ½ inch-thick slices
1 small eggplant, cut lengthwise into ½ inch-thick slices
1 Vidalia or other sweet onion, cut crosswise into ½ inch-thick slices

WARM HERB OIL DRESSING

2 Tablespoons good-quality olive oil, preferably Spanish
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
3 Tablespoons freshly squeezed orange-juice
1 Tablespoon white wine vinegar
¼ teaspoon salt

1. Preheat grill to medium-high or 400F (205C) if not already hot. Place bell peppers on grill rack. Arrange remaining vegetables on separate skewers for ease in turning. Lightly brush with oil and place on grill rack. Grill bell peppers until evenly blackened and blistered, turning often. Grill remaining vegetables 5 to 7 minutes or until charred on edges and grill marks are apparent.

2. Place grilled bell peppers in ice water to cool. Drain and peel, then cut into about ¾ inch squares. Place squash, eggplant and onion on a cutting board and slice into matchsticks. Prepare dressing. To serve, place vegetables in a large bowl and toss with dressing

WARM HERB OIL DRESSING

1. In a small pan that will not get blackened by the grill, heat oil with cumin and coriander about 1 minute, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and stir in remaining ingredients.

See the entire archive of Southwest Recipes