Green Chiles

Green chiles are one of the healthiest and tastiest foods of summer and right now they are at its peak right now in farmers’ markets throughout the Southwest. Although not as present as in New Mexico, there are a few streets and farmers' markets in Denver where you can find people roasting green chile over large propane fires. The smell is unmistakable – similar to a bell peppers roasting in your oven, but green chiles have a smokier, more intoxicating smell. Like the first tinges of red and orange to leaves to leaves in New England, once you smell green chiles roasting you know that fall can only be a few weeks away.

And, yes it is “chile” with an "e" rather than an "i". The "i" at the end changes the meaning of the word from a type of pepper to a dish typically made with beans and beef. In New Mexico people enjoy slathering chile on everything from eggs to beans to pork. Green chile is the freshly picked and roasted version, whereas red chile is a powder made out of green chiles that have been left on the vine to redden and then dried and ground into a powder. Red chile is suitable for using as a spice or creating a succulent, spicy sauce by simply adding a little water and flour.

The health benefits of green chile abound. Ounce for ounce green chile has more vitamin C than citrus fruits. In addition, some nutritionists claim that the capsaicin (the substance that makes chiles hot) present in the chiles helps boost your metabolism and at the same time curb your appetite. And one thing that nearly all nutritionists agree on is that capsaicin triggers the body to release endorphins, creating a natural opiate making the human body feel calm and satiated.

I've created this recipe which incorporates another traditional New Mexican dish: calabacitas. This is a summertime favorite in New Mexico combining garden-fresh zucchini, corn and chile peppers. It's usually served as a side dish, but I added a little extra water to draw it out as a sauce for pasta and topped it with cheese. This is a perfect height-of-summer pasta dish, which takes full advantage of quintessential farmers’ market veggies like: corn, zucchini, onions, chiles and garlic.

Calabacitas Pasta Sauce

1 lb. pasta

4-6 ears of corn, kernels shaved off (about 2 cups)

2 tablespoons butter

1 medium onion, sliced

4 cloves garlic, minced

4-5 small to medium zucchini, diced

4 New Mexico chile peppers roasted, peeled, seeded and diced

½ cup pasta-water (water used to boil pasta)

Salt and Pepper

½ cup grated cheddar cheese

1. After all of your vegetables are prepped and ready to go, cook pasta in pot of rapidly boiling salted water until al dente (about 8-10 minutes). Drain and transfer to heated pasta bowl. (Don’t forget to save ½ cup of the cooking water).

2. Heat butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté until soft, about 2 minutes. Add zucchini; sauté until soft, about 2 minutes. Add corn and chiles, sauté until corn is cooked, about 2-3 minutes. Add pasta water, salt and pepper. If it needs more liquid, add a few tablespoons more water.

3. Serve sauce over pasta and top with grated cheddar cheese.

Serves 4-6