New Mexico Hatch Chile Pork Chili

New Mexico Hatch Green Chile Pork Chili

It's New Mexico Hatch Green Chile season! Whoo hoo! Hatch Green Chiles are grown in a certain part of New Mexico and they get trucked into California and other states only in August/September. They are great tasting chiles.

I've been to a Hatch Chile roasting in 2010 - see this post. It's a good time and the smell is freaking amazing. Recently, Frieda's Produce sent me a few fresh samples. (Frieda's sell produce to many stores - I'm sure you've purchased something from them in the past).

Hatch Green Chiles can be roasted then frozen to enjoy all year long. You can use them in salsas, chilis, egg dishes and so much more. Frieda's has some recipes here.

There is one more weekend of Hatch Chile Roasting! It is much easier to have them roasted for you in the parking lot. Then you can bring them home and repackage into small freezer bags so you can enjoy them all year. Find a roasting event in California, Texas and some midwest/northeast states here.

If you don't have a roasting event near you, find Hatch Chiles in your local grocery store (I've seen them at Ralphs, Sprouts and Whole Foods in Los Angeles) and roast them yourself at home. You can do this in the oven, but I prefer the gas stove method. Roast until charred, then...

...place the charred chiles in a plastic bag to sweat it out for 15-20 minutes. Then you can easily scrap off the skin. If you wish, you can also remove the seeds because that is where a lot of the heat is located.

Hatch chiles are produced in Mild, Medium and Hot varieties. I usually get the medium and that's plenty spicy for me...I also remove the seeds.

I made a Pork Chile recipe that's based on a dish my Auntie Joy brings each year to our annual Mochi Day.

It's really simply! Brown some pork (I found this package of "Lean Pork Stew Meat" at Sprouts for less than $3.00, but my cousin suggests using a fattier meat such as pork butt or shoulder) and add chopped tomatillos, tomatoes and Hatch Chiles. Cook until softened and enjoy! 

Serve anyway you want...
With tortillas (I love a rolled up corn tortilla)
In a tortilla (dude, it makes a great burrito filling)
Over rice (dude, I'm Asian and this works for all types of food)
With tortilla chips (yes, deep fried anything goes with chili, right?)

Recipe:
New Mexico Hatch Green Chile Pork Chili

Thanks Auntie Joy for the inspiration for this recipe

1/2 pound pork, cut into small pieces (suggestion: pork butt or shoulder)

1 pound tomatillos (about 10 pieces), chopped

1 large or 2 small tomatoes, chopped

2-3 Hatch New Mexico Chiles, charred with skin removed (optional: keep or remove seeds)

Olive oil

Salt & pepper

In a medium pot, heat olive oil and brown pork pieces over high heat.

Toss the tomatillos, tomatoes and chiles into the pot. Lower heat to a simmer.

Simmer for 45-60 minutes, until everything has broken down and it's a hot mess of yumminess.
Enjoy!

Note #1: Freezes very well.
Note #2: Do not add any liquid. The tomatillos and tomatoes express enough liquid for the dish.

What if you don't have Hatch Chiles at your disposal? You can use those canned green chiles but it won't be nearly as delicious. Really. Go out and get the Hatch Chiles, roast & freeze 'em!

Disclosure: Frieda's Produce sent me Hatch New Mexico Chiles to sample (less than 2 pounds). I was not compensated and opinions are my own.

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Furikake Tomatoes

Tomatoes sprinkled with the Japanese Rice Seasoning, Furikake

My parents are growing a bunch of lovely tomatoes - both red and yellow. I try to check in with them once a week (pay their bills, eat something, and then my mom hands me either toilet paper or paper towels - yes, I think my mom worries I can't shop for basic necessities or something :)

In the summer, I make sure I check on them more often...and pick up some great fresh tomatoes!

The other day, I cut some tomatoes and reached for the salt grinder. Next to the pepper, I saw the bottle of Furikake. I thought, "Hum...let's try that instead!"

OMG. So good!

Furikake is a Japanese rice seasoning. The basic furikake has small pieces of nori (dried seaweed), sesame seeds, and a bit of sugar and salt. It's great on rice (kids really like it too). And on tomatoes? Awesome! 

You can find furikake in Japanese or Asian grocery stores. It's pretty cheap - usually $3 to $4 per bottle. My favorite is the JFC brand "Nori Komi Furikake" with ingredients sesame seeds, salt, sugar and seaweed (available online on Amazon but it's pricey). Read the ingredients as there are all different types. Some have bonito flakes (fish), salmon, shiso or wasabi flavor.

Furikake Tomatoes
1. Slice tomatoes
2. Optional: Drizzle with olive oil, soy sauce and/or balsamic vinegar to taste (I don't add any oil or additional flavors, but it's up to you!)
3. Sprinkle with Furikake

You can read more about Furikake on this Wikipedia entry. Also, you can make this yummy Furikake Chex Mix!

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Torrance Farmer's Market - Thao's Produce - Eggplants

Thao's Farm - Torrance Farmer's Market

I frequently shop at the Torrance Farmer's Market. It's the third largest Farmer's Market in Los Angeles, and I could post thousands of photos of the produce, flowers, prepared food (pupusas, kettle corn, crepes, bacon wrapped hot dogs, filled malasadas, BBQ, corn on a cob...) and all the items I carry to my car every week. My instagram account @foodlibrarian is filled with them!

Maybe later this summer I'll do a longer post talking about my favorite vendors. Today, I want to highlight just one vegetable: eggplant.

At Thao's stand, you get your choice. Serious.

I love this Fresno farm. It grows a bunch of Asian favorites: bok choy, Chinese string beans, lemon grass, bitter melon, and so many greens that I don't know what they are! You can pick up cooking tips from customers and vendors alike while shopping there. They grow the English Peas I used to make my Peas & Rice, and they grow leeks, peanuts, jujubes, potatoes, cucumbers (at least three types) and onions.

Look how many eggplant varieties they offer! It reflects the great diversity of California. I'm so lucky to live here. :)


Chinese Eggplant


Italian Eggplant


Filipino Eggplant


Indian Eggplant


Japanese Eggplant


American Eggplant

How do you cook your eggplant? I'll take the longer (Japanese, Chinese) eggplant and slice them lengthwise. I'll cook them with a little olive oil in my cast iron pan. Then, when they are almost done, I'll spread the cut tops with a miso paste that has been diluted with a bit of water. Easy and delicious. Sometimes, I'll serve with a bit of soy sauce, but the miso paste is usually salty enough.

You might be interested in this brochure produced by the Torrance Farmer's Market - Your guide to Asian Produce.


I couldn't resist sharing some of the photos from this past Saturday. The tomatoes are from Thao's Farm and the rest are other vendors. Oh, the glory of summer fruits and vegetables!

Torrance Farmer's Market
Every Tuesday and Saturday, Rain or Shine, All-Year
Wilson Park, 2200 Crenshaw Blvd. (between Carson & Sepulveda)

Hint: I park in the Korean Church parking lot across the street from Wilson Park on Saturdays (they are cool with it) as parking in Wilson Park's lot can get very congested.

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English Peas and Rice

English Peas and Rice

This blog started as a way for me to document my attempts at baking. Back in 2007 (can't believe the blog is that old), I was trying to go from cake-box baking to baking from scratch. Only my closest friends read this blog. Then, somehow, a few more people started reading it. I've been lucky to meet  people via the blog that I now consider some of my best friends. It's been an interesting journey. Sometimes, I go back and read  earlier posts...especially the ones where I'm traveling, eating out and visiting friends. This blog truly is an open online diary so I won't forget special people, places and times.

This post is simply about documenting the taste of English peas in summer. It's not about the recipe (toss in peas in rice), but about the fun of grabbing all the little peas...and eating half of them raw because they are fresh and delicious.

Ahhh. So pretty. I want to remember this.

If everyone had fresh peas, there might be peas on earth.

I bought these at the farmers market. They also have a big container of shelled peas. That seems like it takes away a bit of the fun so I always buy them whole.

Premium brown rice (purchased at the Japanese grocery store - Nijiya and Mitsuwa have great selections of premium California rice) and the Zojirushi rice cooker (pricey but it's just lovely to have perfectly cooked rice available for hours).

I just threw a handful of peas into the rice cooker and pressed start. They come out mushy (very English :)

Along with stone fruits, English peas are edible summer. Hope your summer is off to a great start! - mary

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Potatoes Anna - Everyday Food

Potatoes Anna

Need something pretty and easy to bring to a holiday gathering? This is the ticket.

I found this classic French dish in Everyday Food's Fresh Flavor Fast book. There are only two main ingredients: potatoes and melted butter. You probably have the fixings for this in your kitchen right now.

Mandolin the potatoes (the recipe calls for six potatoes, but I made mine with four potatoes so it was shorter than it is should be). I use this Japanese mandoline that is pretty inexpensive (from a Japanese store - it's more expensive on Amazon), and it works great. The lady on the box cover looks so happy to slice vegetables too... ;)

Using melted butter, butter the cast iron pan, and layer potatoes in a pretty pattern. Season with salt and pepper and brush with more butter. Top with another layer of potatoes. Cook the dish on the stove for 2-4 minutes...to get the butter to crisp the bottom layer of potatoes - since the dish is inverted, this will be the top later.

** Update: A librarian came up to me at a meeting and said she made this dish! Love when that happens! However, I wanted to update you...we both though you could easily trim some of the butter on this dish. I thought it was really buttery, but I'm not one to eat much butter on my potatoes. She also thought it was too buttery...and her husband thought it was perfect! So, if you want a less buttery dish, you can cut some of the butter...but if you are serving it to people who like the buttery flavor, then don't mess with it.

It's baked for about an hour in a hot oven until the potatoes are cooked through. When it comes out of the oven, the tops of the potatoes might be browned. Carefully flip it out onto a platter and enjoy the compliments from everyone! 

According to Everyday Food, you can bake this ahead up to eight hours (let it cool, cover and refrigerate and then reheat at 350 degrees before serving).

Recipe:
Potatoes Anna from Martha Stewart

6 medium russet potatoes (2 3/4 pounds total), peeled
6 tablespoons butter, melted
Coarse salt and ground pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Slice potatoes as thinly as possible, 1/4 inch thick or thinner. Do not place sliced potatoes in water; the starch is needed to bind the layers.

Brush bottom of a 10-inch cast-iron skillet with 1 1/2 tablespoons butter. Starting in center of pan, arrange potato slices, slightly overlapping, in circular pattern. Brush with another 1 1/2 tablespoons butter; season  with salt and pepper. Repeat for two more layers (I only had two layers total because I used four potatoes)

Place over high heat on the stove until butter in pan sizzles, 2 to 4 minutes.

Transfer to oven; bake until potatoes are fork-tender, about 1 hour. Remove from oven. Run a small spatula around edges of potatoes; slide large spatula underneath potatoes to loosen. Carefully invert onto a plate, and cut into wedges.

   

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Roasted Romanesco Broccoli / Cauliflower

Roasted Romanesco Broccoli/Cauliflower, Potatoes and Carrots

In the last post, I mentioned my Tanaka Farms CSA. Today, I tweeted a photo of this green vegetable found in my CSA box with the questions: what is this vegetable and what should I make w it? 

My twitter friends came to the rescue! Thanks dessertbycandy, misschiffonade, valgriswold, justjenndesigns, janeofmanytrades, michele_james, robinreads, bluechefk for the help!!

Some sources call it the Romanesco Broccoli and some call it Cauliflower. I'm going with awesome looking veggie!

My twitter friends suggested some delicious recipes and I'm saving them for later! Today, I simply roasted it (like I would a cauliflower) with Tanaka Farms carrots and potatoes I picked up at the Farmer's Market.


I love the wonderful design and color of the Romanesco. If you haven't picked one up, please do so.

Recipe:

Roasted Romanesco Broccoli/Cauliflower, Potatoes and Carrots

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. I used the "Convection Roast" setting on my oven...it is wonderful for roasted veggies. Cut veggies to size and toss with olive oil. Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper. Place potatoes & carrots on a sheet pan and roast for 7-10 minutes. Then add the Romanesco and cook until done (depending on your oven), turning the veggies once or twice. (I started the root vegetables earlier because they usually take longer to roast than the rest of the veggies, but it depends on your preference and size of your veggies.) Next time, I'd like to throw in a handful of pine nuts at the end too. Enjoy!

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Tanaka Farms CSA (Los Angeles)

Late last year, I signed up for the Tanaka Farms CSA box (Community Supported Agriculture). Tanaka Farms is located in Irvine (Orange County), California and is one of the few farms left in Los Angeles & Orange Counties. My friends and I went on their Strawberry Farm tour, and it is a delight to be able to purchase local produce!

The most convenient aspect of this CSA is that you can pick it up at Whole Foods! And they have hours for working people (some pick-ups are until 9 pm). This shows Whole Food's commitment to local farmers, and it gets people in the store! In addition to picking up the box, I must get some Cranberry Tuna from the deli and am always picking up a few more items. By the way, have you tried the Whole Food's Cranberry Tuna? It is such crack. Sometimes, I eat some in my car, in the parking lot. Total crack.

I get the "small" box for $20 plus $3 delivery. It's awesome! You can check out Farmer Tanaka's blog to see what might be appearing in the box.

Although I'm crazy lucky to have year-round Farmer's Markets available, I often load up on tons of fruit (and kettle corn) and neglect some veggies. The CSA makes sure I fit in some fresh, fresh, fresh veggies. I can't wait to open the box and see what I got this week! It's like a little birthday gift.

Sometimes I share the box with my parents... I leave a bag of produce on their door on the way to work. A nice surprise for them too!

I started in the Winter so we've been getting lots of greens such as swiss chard, bok choy, broccoli, green beans, lettuce, spinach, kale, Romanesco, and Tanaka Farms delicious carrots. Oh, those carrots are so tasty.

Last week, I squealed in Whole Foods! I opened the CSA box (you pick it up from the produce guy) and there was a box prettier than any Tiffany box. Tanaka Farms Strawberries. These are sooooo delicious! As we head toward spring and summer, I can't wait for more strawberries and sweet corn!

Tanaka Farms doesn't have an orchard so they supplement the box with organic oranges and apples from Cuyama Orchards in Ventura County.

If you are interested in a Tanaka Farm's CSA, they are multiple pick up locations in LA & OC. The small box is $20 and the large box is $30 (plus $3 delivery unless you pick it up at the farm in Irvine). You can get weekly or bi-weekly delivery (I get bi-weekly).

Tanaka Farms Swiss Chard Saute

Here is how I enjoyed my first CSA box: Sauteed swiss chard in olive oil. A bit of zest and juice from a Meyer lemon. Enjoy!

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Pancetta Green Beans - French Fridays with Dorie

Pancetta Green Beans

This week, the French Fridays with Dorie group made Pancetta Green Beans from Dorie Greenspan's cookbook Around my French Table.

I work on Saturday this week, so I have Friday off. I explored a Friday farmer's market in a neighboring city and picked up some green beans. I'm lucky to live in Los Angeles where there is a farmer's market someplace in the area everyday of the year.

 

The beans are blanched for a few minutes, then set in an ice bath to stop the cooking. Since I was only making a small side dish, I went to Whole Foods and bought...$.65 worth of pancetta! (One very thin slice, please). Remember, I'm the lady at the seafood stand buying $.50 worth of shrimp for dinner. You cook up the pancetta, add back in the green beans and enjoy!

My dad has a Meyer lemon tree. Thus, everything has lemon on it lately (in fact, next week is "Lemon Week" on the blog!) I threw some zest on the green beans and it brightened the flavor of this lovely side dish. The pancetta is so warm, salty and satisfying. I need to raid my piggy bank to buy $.65 more! :)

Be sure to check out my fellow French Fridays with Dorie members and see their creations!

Please note: French Fridays with Dorie will not be posting recipes. Please support Dorie and purchase the book or find it at your library.

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Paris Mushroom Soup - French Fridays with Dorie

Paris Mushroom Soup

This week's recipe selection for French Fridays with Dorie is Paris Mushroom Soup. Doesn't that just sound 100 times better than Plain Mushroom Soup or Las Vegas Mushroom Soup?! We are cooking and baking our way through Dorie Greenspan's new book: Around my French Table

Unlike baking, you can really change things up in cooking. I like that. Perhaps I should try this cooking thing a bit more. :)

I used olive oil instead of butter, shallots instead of onion, skipped the garlic (because I forgot), passed on the wine and parsley. I also completely missed the salad portion because I didn't have the herbs. But if I make it again, I will definitely get all the herbs. Or maybe grow a herb garden. Yeah, right. After a quick whiz in the food processor, I placed a little dollop of sour cream top.

Check out what other French Fridays with Dorie members made here! Yes, this is called French Fridays and I'm posting on Saturday. But at least I got one in!

Please note: French Fridays with Dorie will not be posting recipes. Please support the awesome Dorie Greenspan and purchase the book:

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Buttermilk Butternut Squash Bundt with Spiced Vanilla Icing - Day #26 of I Like Big Bundts

Buttermilk Butternut Squash Bundt with Spiced Vanilla Icing

Happy Veteran's Day! Thank you for your service!

It is Day #26 of I Like Big Bundts. The Food Librarian presents 30 Bundts in 30 Days leading up to November 15th National Bundt Day. By the way, 11/15 is Katrina's of Baking and Boys' birthday too. Let's all make a Bundt in honor of her birthday!

Tracey of Tracey's Culinary Adventures suggested trying this Bundt, and I remember Mary Ann of Meet Me in the Kitchen made this Bundt last year for National Bundt Day. Do you follow their blogs? They are fantastic and always making something so yummy.

Since it includes shredded butternut squash, it falls into the veggie category. Just kidding. Sorta. I did roast the remaining squash while the Bundt was baking.

 

My little adventure was featured in this week's American Library Association's e-Newsletter ALA Direct! I hope there are several libraries across the land that have Bundts on National Bundt Day! :) (Scroll to the bottom, second to last entry, or just search for "bundt") As my friend says, I wonder if this is the first time Sir Mix-a-Lot appeared in the newsletter...

 

Don't forget to enter my Amazon $39 11/12 giveaway for my 39 11/12th birthday. I will also donate to two charities in your name. I'm less than one month away from my 40th birthday so please help me celebrate! :) The giveaway ends Sunday, November 14th.

If you make a Bundt for National Bundt Day, I'll send you a JustJennDesign's I Like Big Bundts button! (head over to JustJenn's site for her free shipping week!) They are small and stylin'.

You will need to email me: (1) Link to your blog post (I will use one photo from your post for the round-up) or (2) One JPG photo if you don't have a blog, (3) Your name (that you want published on the blog) and title of your Bundt (4) Mailing address for the button (including your full name for mailing). I'm going to do a round up after National Bundt Day (Nov 15th) so this stuff is due by Monday, November 22nd. Please don't rummage through your archives for an old Bundt, you need to bake something fresh for National Bundt Day to qualify for the button (doesn't have to be a new recipe, just something made this month please :) Your family, friends and co-workers will thank you! :)

I've been getting comments and tweets that some of you are making a Bundt! Whoo hoo! I hope I need to double my order of pins! :)

 

Need Bundt recipe ideas?
I Like Big Bundts 2009 (30 different recipes listed here!)
I Like Big Bundts 2010

Come on back tomorrow as we head toward National Bundt Day! - mary the food librarian

Recipe:
Buttermilk Butternut Squash Bundt with Spiced Vanilla Icing from Fine Cooking

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