The Spouse Briefs: Green chiles abundant in New Mexico

My first experience with the Hatch green chile occurred a few years ago at an upscale Texas grocery store called Central Market. Once a year they had a festival at the store featuring these spicy and tasty chiles. Now I personally am not one for hot peppers but I do like the flavor of mild or even medium. They offered samples of different recipes from steaks smothered in green chile cream cheese sauces, to delectable chile encrusted catfish and even fried green chile chips. I was in heaven, but it only lasted so long.

During our first week in Clovis we stopped by Taco Box and there on the menu was a green chile cheeseburger. I soon discovered that around these parts you could get green chile on just about anything. Not only could you order food with green chile, but you could buy your own at the grocery store and get them fire roasted.

During the late summer, innocently going to buy a pair of shoes at a shoe store next to the grocery store, we were put in direct contact with the amazing scent wafting off of those fire roasted chiles. My husband couldn't resist. He bought a 25 lb bag, waited in line with many sweet little ladies and had his chiles roasted. While in line, he got lots of advice about what to do with his hoard and how to freeze them. He was like a kid in a candy store when he came home. Gleefully, he spent the next few hours preparing his peppers for the freezer. It didn't take much to imagine what was going through his mind, dreams of enchiladas, chile rellenos, pepper relish and homemade green chile cheeseburgers to name a few.

At times, I could have sworn I saw tears of joy in his eyes as he worked. We all learned some lessons in the art of pepper prep and handling after this first foray.

Number one, wash your hands more thoroughly than normal after handling peppers or else parts of your body that usually don't come into contact with peppers will feel the burn. Whatever you do don't scratch around your eyes! Number two, freeze them individually, because putting them all in one bag makes it hard to use just enough for a recipe. And finally, be on the lookout during the summer because the Hatch green chiles will be coming to a store near you. This is most decidedly a unique part of New Mexico I am glad our family didn't miss.

Rebecca Adling started life as an Air Force brat and is now enjoying life as a mother raising her own life as a mother raising her own pile of adorable Air Force brats.