Hatch Peppers Are Here!
IT’S THE MOMENT YOU’VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR… HATCH PEPPER ROASTING SEASON!!! Can’t you just smell the smokey aroma of Hatch Peppers wafting through the summer air? Does your mouth water when you imagine biting into a Hatch relleno or a warmed tortilla with a strip of Hatch and melted cheese? If so, you’ll not have to wait much longer because Hatch Peppers are now available through this month and early September at a local grocery retailer near you. You’ve heard farmers, chefs, viticulturists, and others in the food industry say, “It’s all about the terroir (tear-WAH),” and they are RIGHT! The soil, sun, water, and climate, as a whole, affect the overall characteristics of Hatch peppers, just as terroir affects other edibles and wine. Who knew, in 1917, growing chile peppers and vegetables instead of cotton and wheat in the region would evolve into the iconic pepper region it is today, and an association representing multiple generations of Hatch pepper families to ensure the authenticity of their products? No wannabe Hatch here! By 1971, Hatch farmers wanted to draw more attention to their fine peppers and began the annual Hatch Pepper Festival in Hatch, New Mexico. The awareness blossomed, and the festival has been going strong ever since. Fast forward to the current century when Melissa’s and Hatch New Mexico growers collaborated to further awareness of this beloved pepper.
However, many ‘Hatch Heads’ want their fix and can’t get to New Mexico, so Melissa’s is doing what it does best: BRING SPECIALTY PRODUCE TO YOU! Keep an eye open at www.melissas.com from August through mid-September for Hatch roasting announcements from retailers we support throughout the Continental United States. Get a real “Hatch Fix” as many retailers will also offer pecans and almonds from the region as well as authentic sauces, chile powders, various snacks seasoned with the habit-forming pepper, and Melissa’s Hatch cookbooks filled with created and tested recipes from our kitchen featuring Hatch.
Select peppers that are firm with no blemishes, wrinkles, cracks, mold spots, or shriveled stems. Fresh peppers may be stored, unwashed, and wrapped in a paper towel and then kept in a plastic bag for up to ten days. Wash peppers before roasting. Peeling may be done before freezing in recipe portions or after thawing. Freeze peppers in zipper plastic bags with as much air removed as possible, up to one year, if you can keep from eating them that long! See y’all at a roast near you!
Call them what you wish, but to me, they ‘accessorize’ your meals, and all are products with the flavors of Hatch New Mexico. Just like that LBD (Little Black Dress), your dish, table, or party isn’t complete without them:
Hatch Avocado Salsa – a refrigerated salsa perfect for drizzling on tacos, dipping chips, topping
Hatch Pepper Taqueria Salsa – just like the salsa from the local taco guy without leaving your home! It may be a bit too spicy for some with the added de arbol peppers, but once you start nibblin’ with this, you’ll be acclimated in no time!
Red or Green Hatch Hot Sauce – Sun-dried and slow cooked Hatch peppers make this sauce sweet and smokey. Put it on EVERYTHING!
Hatch Pepper Powder, Green (Mild or Hot) – Just the pepper, ma’am, ground for you to add to any base, be it for enchilada sauce, guacamole, tortilla chips, chili, cream cheese bagels, you get the picture.
Hatch Pepper Powder, Red (Mild or Hot) – Peppers left on the vine to ripen and turn red, this powder is a little sweeter version. Yummy in potato salad or sub for paprika in deviled eggs and sammies.
Hatch Pepper Seasoning – A nice blend of seasonings, including Hatch peppers, to amp up anything in the skillet and then some. Chile con queso dip, chile rellenos plate, and a tummy filling chile verde, soups, stews, eggs, dips, to suggest a few.
Hatch is known for more than their peppers. Snacking is quickly becoming the ‘fourth’ meal, so why not justify with some tasty noshes made in Hatch, New Mexico?
Hatch Pecans, Red and Green – Very meaty pecan halves, roasted and dressed in either green or red Hatch pepper powder
Hatch Party Pecan Mix – If you are inclined to share, this ‘wheel’ containing two ports of red Hatch pecans and two ports of green Hatch pecans make a nice hostess gift or addition to an appetizer party.
NEW ITEM!!! Hatch Green Pepper Cashews – New from Melissa’s, the richness of cashews is cut by the flavor of Hatch pepper powder. Why have just cashews? Mix them with Hatch Pecans and Hatch Clean Snax!
NEW ITEM!!! Hatch Snax™ Trail Mix – For those times when you want a variety of flavors, textures, and don’t want to share any…your very own 6 oz container of Hatch peppered almonds, cashews, plantain chips, sunflower seeds, and other crunchy, sweet-salty yummies. Betcha CAN finish the box by yourself!
Hatch Chile Clean Snax® – A favorite among Clean Snax fans, this little nugget of mixed nuts, chia, and flax with a bit of malted rice and honey to bind it is truly habit forming...the heat of hatch lingers on your lips and the sweet of the blend keeps you coming back for more.
Getting kids of any age to snack ‘healthily’ is oftentimes difficult because veggies don’t necessarily look appealing, nor are they sweet, like fruit. However, baby-sized vegetables are cute, milder in flavor, most with edible tender skin and seeds than their adult counterparts, and just the right snack size for dipping and grazing. The best part: many can be given a quick wash and patted dry before placed in the lunch box. No cooking or preparation required! Baby summer squashes are colorful! Some look like green or yellow spaceships (fun for kids), some are tiny green logs with little knobs on the end perfect for grasping to plunge into yogurt dip. Of course, baby carrots are always sweet, crunchy, and colorful, as are Melissa’s Baby Heirloom Tomatoes, which look like little gem orbs. Something adults enjoy are Easter Egg Radishes. Small, round radishes in pastel colors are always a pop of color on any dish or table spread. They are crisp, two-bite radishes with a milder profile… so yummy just as they are, and little to no bitterness!
If you don’t mind a little cooking, you can add more shapes, flavors, textures, and colors. Melissa’s Pee Wee Potatoes are darling. Simply rinse them and steam or boil until just fork tender. No need to pierce each one as you would a full-sized potato, and they cook rather quickly. They look like little marbles and are fun on a dipping skewer with baby heirloom tomatoes and a squash or a piece of mozzarella cheese. French green beans or haricot verts are tender and make good dippers with their slender profile.
Lastly, there are baby vegetables that need some actual preparation but are worth the trouble, usually eliciting an ‘Oh my!’ or ‘So Cool!’ from your little eaters or grownup guests. Baby artichokes are truly immature chokes. Simply remove the first layer of leaves, trim off the tips and stem end, and steam, boil, or grill until tender. My favorite is baby Beets with tops. Did you know beets may be consumed raw? They are sweet, not woody at this infant stage, and don’t stain…as much. Just be certain to give them a good scrub, and save the trimmed tops. The beets may be sliced thin and added as a crunch factor in salads, or cook them until fork tender. The tops should be well-washed, then tossed into a salad or quickly sauteed like chard, kale, or spinach.
All of the above baby veggies are generally available during late summer and into fall as long as Mother Nature isn’t mad at us. Always wash your vegetables in cool running water and pat dry before any preparation. Store unwashed baby veggies in a plastic bag, refrigerated up to four days. Cooked veggies should be refrigerated and consumed within the week. Freezing cooked veggies works best if freezing them in a soup, stew, or dense casserole. Keep in mind, however, squashes naturally contain water, which can make the frozen dish watery upon re-heating. Adjust flavors as needed.
If the image of baby veggies excites you to have some, simply click on this link to order.
Adjusting to the end of summer and returning to school routine can be pretty hectic the first few weeks, but don’t worry: Melissa’s can assist with speeding up meal prep with a full line of assorted pre-cooked beans, legumes, squashes and beets. Just open the package and toss them into salads or soups (with a little Hatch Pepper), make plant-based patties and dips, or, if you have a pinch of time, a quick pickle of baby beets!
All the items are vacuum sealed. Melissa’s offers a few USDA Certified Organic steamed items, too! Look for the following organic steamed items at your local retailer: Steamed and Peeled Baby Beets, Steamed Lentils, Steamed and Peeled Chestnuts.
Available Year Round. Products of France and Italy.
Have you ever had Melissa’s Baby Broccoli? This crucifer is not as bitter as standard broccoli can be, simply because it is a cross of broccoli and Chinese Gai Lan, or Chinese Broccoli. This cross breeding yields a tender, slim stalk and broccoli florets, sometimes with dainty yellow flowers. The flavor is less bitter than standard broccoli and has a mild mustard profile. Don’t let the Asian parentage prevent you from preparing this lovely veggie outside of Chinese Cuisine. In addition to stir-fries, after washing in cool water, Melissa’s Baby Broccoli can be served raw, par-cooked, steamed, or roasted. It pairs well with Melissa’s Hollandaise Sauce or Four Cheese Sauce for a quick mid-week dinner side or addition to a grazing board. Try grilling or roasting for a smokey profile, perfect for the last of summer outdoor cooking, and serve with a drizzle of balsamic syrup or Melissa’s Hot Honey. Steamed ‘en papillote’ (in parchment paper or foil) with a few twists of our Everything Spice Grinder, some shrimp or mild fish on a bed of sliced Dutch Potatoes, and you’ll have a wholesome dinner ready in a flash! Baby Broccoli is available year-round and is a product of USA.
Delicately light green furled leaves with a wide, crunchy spine, napa cabbage may appear boring, but it is your secret weapon in disguise. A member of the crucifer or cabbage family, napa cabbage is subtle yet versatile, like a lady’s LBD (Little Black Dress), and shouldn’t be relegated to fall or winter dishes. Napa cabbage is, after all, available year-round. Many chefs often substitute standard green cabbage with napa cabbage as they can be used interchangeably: raw, steamed, sautéed, or famously pickled and fermented as the main ingredient of Kim Chi. Its flavor is subtly sweet, and its texture is light, so it enhances other ingredients. Melissa’s Napa is of the barrel variety, hefty and cylindrical. And the leaves, when shredded or finely chopped, often dissolve in slow-cooked soups. Cole slaw with apple pears, cranberries, and napa cabbage with a light mayo dressing has such a different flavor and texture than the same side dish with green cabbage. Add fresh segmented oranges, toasted almonds, and a soy-sesame vinaigrette for yet, again, another tasty slaw far from the standard. This leaf can also serve as a wrapping for steaming pieces of fresh fish, or a liner in steam baskets for other dishes and ‘wrapped’ foods.
Select napa cabbage that is heavy for its size with untorn leaves and stems. Avoid bruises, brown or wilted leaves. Refrigerate unwashed in a plastic bag, up to one week. Wash easily before preparation by cutting cabbage in half, then submerging cut half in cool water; drain. Spin dry if necessary. May be cleaned, washed, and spun dry to remove as much water as possible, then wrapped in paper towel and stored in a plastic bag, refrigerated up to two days. Do not freeze. Product of USA.
Are you looking for that little ‘somethin’ to spark up the meal? Add Melissa’s Pickled Peppers to your plate! Available in three different heat levels and flavors, Jalapeño, Yellow, and Habanero, they are certain to please everyone’s need for that spark of heat and tang. Add them, chopped or diced, into pasta or potato salads, slaws, even salsas and nowadays a drink garnish! Crisp, with a bit of sweet flavor from the brine combined with the burst of pickle flavor and heat when you bite into the pepper really completes the experience whether a simple sammie at home, BBQ burgers, meal bowls, summertime chili, tacos or tamales, a cocktail, or just a nice plate of cut veggies.
The peppers may be ordered as a combination of bottles, or all of the same; it’s up to you! Shelf stable, Melissa’s Pickled Peppers are a handy pantry item and also a great ‘add in’ for potlucks instead of another bag of chips. Available year-round, product of USA.
It’s Hatch Pepper time, and that means time to gather ingredients to make your tamale stash! For many ‘tamaleros’ it’s all about the fillings. Whether you’ve made scratch tamales or not, it can be a daunting process just to gather ingredients to make fillings. You’re already tired, and tamales aren’t even made! Enter Melissa’s Tamale Kit, a very easy way to make one dozen tamales without the hassle and anxiety of making bad masa. Simply add the mix with cold water or liquid of choice (I like to add broth for added flavor or juice for sweet tamal), then fill, wrap with the included parchment, and steam the tamales. DONE! Once completely cooled, tamales may be placed in freezer bags with as little air as possible. Don’t’ forget to note the filling!
Melissa’s Tamale Kits are shelf stable and available year-round. If you don’t want to make individual tamales, why not try tamale pie in a 9” round or 8x8 square pan? ¡Buen provecho!
Melissa’s Tamale Kit includes parchment ‘husks’, making the process easier to fill, fold, steam, and unwrap tamales. However, there are some tamaleras who prefer the infused flavor of corn husk in the masa in addition to the aroma while steaming the filled tamales. Melissa’s Corn Husks should be rinsed well and soaked in hot water no more than one to two hours to rehydrate and make them pliable for filling.
Then again, if you are a crafter or your children are assigned a project about pilgrims or Thanksgiving, dried corn husks can be a creative medium! They make beautiful, natural wreaths which can be painted or dyed and decorated for Fall Harvest décor, or woven to make pads for flower pots. Children can learn how to make corn husk dolls as kids did back in early settler days, or follow the Mexican craft of colorful corn husk flowers. Additionally, corn husks are all-natural, so any leftover husks may be added to compost piles or bulk up flower bed soil. The husks will retain water and help reduce water usage.
Shelf stable, this item should be kept in a room temperature pantry and used within one year as this natural product will become brittle as it ages. Product of Mexico
It’s school time which means kids need a healthier snack to keep them fueled between meals for sustainability and success. If they consume nuts, why not tuck a few pieces of Melissa’s Peanut Butter Clean Snax® along with some apple slices into their lunch box? Made of a mixture of peanuts, chia and flax seed as well as honey, rice malt, and a few other cleaner ingredients, this gluten-free-by-ingredient combination is crunchy, crispy, sweet, and satisfying. Take a look at the nutrition facts panel, and you’ll see for eight pieces, the total fat (for being a nut-based snack) and the added sugar are pretty good compared to many other ‘healthier’ snacks. If peanut butter isn’t their fave, why not consider Quinoa Clean Snax® with cashews and almonds or one of the other tasty flavors in our Clean Snax® line? By the way, we are all kids at heart, so if you don’t have little ones that need fuel, here’s an opportunity to fuel yourself: crumble them onto salads, add to quick breads, streusel toppings, cheese boards, or anything that needs a bit of crunch and sweetness.
Available year-round, there are currently ten flavors from which to choose! Product of USA or Mexico.
