CHILE FARMING IS A FAMILY AFFAIR - Morrow Farms located about 20 miles west of the Chile Capital of the World, Hatch, produces green chile, jalapenos, onions and pecans packaged under the Las Uvas Produce label. Chileheads from across the United States and Canada are already placing orders for the season's first juicy harvest.
"But the first bite of pepper, once endured, rewards the venturesome with an unmistakable sensation of pleasure, and it's this craving that sends the smitten back for yet another bite - and to be bitten again." - Amal Naj, Peppers [Vintage Press, 1992]
Chile. The bushy green plants are popping up seemingly everywhere. Soon, harvest will be upon us and a sweet, smoky aroma will sweep the valley. This is one of my most beloved times of year...the confident expectation of a fat and juicy burger anointed with a fresh slab of roasted Sandia, or perhaps a heap of golden toasted tortilla triangles slathered with gooey cheese and thick sliced, fiery jalapenos.
I even experience an anticipatory chile heat thrill as Bobbie Morrow and I pulled up to the jalapeno pepper province that lies in the Las Uvas valley about 20 miles west of Hatch on Hwy 26. The sea of once barren land is now green with new-sprung vegetation whose backdrop is the boundless Mimbres Mountain range. The word, 'uvas', explains Bobbie, is Spanish for grape. "When the Spaniards first arrived in the Rio Grande area (in the 1600s), they grew grapes. The valley," she continued, "is an old caldera volcanic sink. Rock and ash make it a very fertile area on which to farm."
For a decade now, Bobbie and husband Joe and sons John and Harvey have tilled more than 900 acres of this land. Chile is their number one crop but they also grow jalapenos, sweet onions, and pecans, all of which are packaged under the Las Uvas Produce label. "We grow four varieties of chile," says Joe. "Mild, medium, hot, and Big Jim." The mild variety, Morrow literature informs, is thick-skinned, so it's a breeze to roast, peel and stuff. It's recommended for chile cheechakos - beginners who are "not used to spicy chile." Medium, on the other hand, has "just enough heat to tantalize your taste buds." Chile chefs often use this "all purpose" fruit to prepare rellenos and salsas.
Although the hot variety bears thinner armor that makes roasting and peeling less convenient, it is the pod of choice for New Mex chileheads seeking an impassioned bite back. And unlike its cousins, the Big Jim's temperament is unpredictable. "Their variability of heat is impossible to control. It can range from mild to lava hot! And, unfortunately, the only way to tell how hot it is, is to bite into one."
We often associate the jalapeno with pure heat attractive only to jaded, machismo chileheads. But not so, according to Joe. There's also a gentle type. Vegetable breeder Ben Villalon introduced the "TAM" variety in the 1980s. One-third as hot as the standard jalapeno, "it became an immediate hit with growers and consumers, who usually ate them with nachos," write DeWitt and Bosland in A Brief History of Pepper Growing [Ten Speed Press, 1993].
Las Uvas Produce is prospering, thanks, in part, to their new marketing director, Sandra Holmes, who took over the Morrow's formerly languid mail order business just a few months ago. Her marketing campaign has included mass mailings, developing a web site (http:/www.zianet.com/freshgreenchile), and print ads. "After our ad appeared in New Mexico Magazine, the phone started ringing. We're getting calls from Illinois, Ohio, and Canada. Our waiting list grows daily for the initial August crop." A recent order - 40,000 pounds of green chile - from a Dallas man, "who supplies restaurants and farmers markets was pretty exciting," said Sandra, who collects chile recipes. Be sure you're armed with Sandra's favorites (shared below) when your first batch of chile rolls from the roaster.
Note: Las Uvas offers free FED-X shipping, ground and 3-day shipping rates and volume discounts, and commercial accounts. For more information, visit the Las Uvas web site or call 1-800-204-6623 or email bobbiem@zianet.com or write Las Uvas Produce at PO Box 1131, Hatch, NM 87937.
Green Chile Dip
8 ounces sour cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
4 ounces chopped green chile
Mix all ingredients. Serve with tortilla chips. Optional: Spread green chile dip on four tortillas, roll and slice. These are good dipped in salsa and make great appetizers.
Sour Cream Enchiladas
1 chicken*
8 ounces sour cream
Flour or corn tortillas
Salt, pepper, garlic powder
1 can cream chicken soup
1 can cream mushroom soup
4-6 ounces chopped green chiles
Grated cheese
Cook, de-bone, and cut up chicken. Discard most of the skin. In a mixing bowl, stir together all ingredients, except cheese and tortillas. Fill each tortilla with a spoonful of chicken mixture. Roll up tortillas and place in a lightly greased 13" x 9" baking dish. Pour remaining mixture on the top of the enchiladas, spreading to cover. Top with grated cheese. Bake at 300-degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until warm.
*Ground beef or pork may be used instead of chicken.
Grilled Cheese and Chile Sandwich
Prepare your favorite grilled cheese sandwich, but add a strip or two of green chiles before grilling. This is spicy change of pace!
