With roasting green chile scenting the air almost anywhere  you go here in the Rio Grande Valley, it is inspiring to want to cook with them.  A week from this Thursday, on September 7, at 5 PM, I am offering a new class, " Enchiladas and More", where we will be making yummy Open Face Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas and much more.  To help get everyone in the spirit of fall commencing--I am offering the class at last year's price of just $95.00 until Sunday, September 3. 

Green chiles are very perishable and require parching--though most people locally call it roasting, which is not quite right as roasting is when you cook a food completely.  With green chiles, you want to just parch the tough, outer skin of the chile; while not cooking the inside.  Cooking the inside, creates a flabby thin flesh and concentrates the oils inherent in the flesh, making the chiles hotter.Parching is best done over or under intense heat such as a broiler or on top of a grate of an outdoor grill.  Then to preserve the flesh, the chiles need to be chilled in cold or iced water.Chilling creates a nice, thick flesh.

As I have mentioned before, the thick flesh can be preserved by freezing the individual  unpeeled chiles on cookie sheets.  When they have frozen solid, place them in heavy weight plastic freezer bags where you will have access to as many chiles as you wish, whenever you wish.  You won't have to thaw a big "lump" of frozen chiles ever again.

Green chiles are very healthy, possessing as much Vitamin C as an orange or strawberries.  An amazing fact that never seizes to amaze me is that when the chiles ripen in the fall, the Vitamin C pretty much goes "bye-bye" and the prominent Vitamin in red chiles is Vitamin A, the Vitamin you need to see well in the dark--a convenient fact, for in the winter we have shorter days, thus increasing night vision is important.

By the way, just for the record, the same plant that produces green chiles in the summer is the same plant that produces red chiles in the fall.

If you can not make the September 7 class, ouir next day class is niot until September 28 when we feature the popular "Take a Tortilla and..."class.  We will have a weekend class September 22 -24, where you can take just one or two of the sessions if you can not make the entire weekend.  We are presenting private classes the rest of the time.   And, w have a week long class set for October 23 - 27.

Just for fun--try this Green Chile Coconut Cream Pie.

GREEN CHILE COCONUT CREAM PIE 

I  first tasted this yummy pie at a local barbeque restaurant years ago. I decided to experiment and came up with this version which is wonderful after a spicy meal I think you’ll like it. 

Yield: 1 9 inch pie 

1, 9 inch pie pastry

¾ cup sugar

1/3 cup flour

¾ teaspoon salt

2 ¼ cups milk, warmed

3 egg yolks, well beaten

1 ½ Tablespoons sweet unsalted butter

¾ teaspoon Mexican vanilla

1 cup dry shredded or flaked coconut

¼ cup or 2 mild, green chiles, parched, peeled and chopped (1/2 4 oz. can) 

1. Make a 9 inch pie pastry and bake it, prickling the bottom of the crust several times with a fork. 

Bake in a hot oven, 450F for 10 minutes or until light golden. 

2. Prepare the filling by mixing the dry ingredients, then add the warm milk slowly, while stirring to prevent lumps. Cook over low heat or in a double boiler until thickened. Allow to cool slightly, then carefully stir in the egg yolks and butter. Cook until thickened over low heat and stir in the coconut and the green chile. Taste and adjust flavor. Make meringue.

Meringue:

Yield: enough for 1, 9 inch pie 

3 egg whites

Dash salt

¼ cup sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla

1/3 cup toasted coconut* 

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Beat egg whites with the salt, then add the sugar gradually using the medium speed of the mixer. Switch to high and beat until stiff, but not dry. Add vanilla. Spread over pie, making peaks of the meringue. Sprinkle with the toasted coconut. Bake until delicately browned, about 10 minutes.