New Mexico Green Chile
As we travel around the country, we enjoy learning about the places we visit; their history, their food, and what makes each place unique. So in today’s deep dive into healthy RV living, we’re looking at the New Mexico green chile and how we can cook with it. The green chile is an important plant that’s been grown in New Mexico for over 100 years and is steep in tradition.
History of the New Mexico Hatch Green Chile
New Mexico chile is often referred to as hatch green chile due to the region where it’s grown and its color. The chile plant itself actually ripens into a red color but is named due to its primary color during growth (green). Only those chiles grown in Hatch Valley, New Mexico are referred to as hatch chiles.
This famous state vegetable is an important crop to New Mexico’s culture and economy, as the hatch green chile is sold worldwide. New Mexico accounts for 77% of the United States’ chile pepper growth, and in 2019 produced $50 million in sales for the state.
Furthermore, the New Mexico hatch green chile is the most sought-after chile pepper in the world. They say the growing conditions are unlike anywhere else on earth, from the flood-plain soil and mountain stream irrigation to the fluctuating temperatures, thus making it difficult to replicate.
Where to Buy Green chile
Wherever you are in the world, you can buy the iconic New Mexican green chile. Thanks to providers like the Hatch Chile Store, you can buy online (with free shipping) and direct from the farmers in Hatch Valley (in-season, pre-order now to ship July/August). https://www.hatch-green-chile.com/
But if you find yourself visiting or passing through New Mexico, you won’t be able to miss the green chiles for sale and in all of the local cooking. The state question is: “red or green?” and the only appropriate answer is “Christmas” (both). So if you want to live like a local when you’re in New Mexico, order your hamburger “Christmas-style.”
If you’re lucky enough to visit Santa Fe you have to stop at the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market. Out of season, you’ll find them dried and canned, but in season you’ll find them fresh and being roasted on-site. Plan your visit for late summer if you want to score some fresh local green chiles.
RV Friendly Recipes
Due to the short harvest season, you may not find fresh green chile year-round. Instead, you may only have access to dried New Mexico chiles, or New Mexico chile powder. That’s okay! These recipes will all be amazing whether using fresh or dried green chiles.
Below are some simple RV cooking recipes for making use of your New Mexican green chiles. We like green chiles as an easy way to spice up any healthy RV meal.
For a healthy twist on any enchilada dish, make sure your chicken is skinless. Choosing reduced-fat versions for your cheese and yogurt also helps bring calories down. We like this recipe because it uses minimal dishes and is easy enough for a beginner cook. Plus, it packs 29 grams of protein per serving!
Your slow cooker does all the work for this recipe because you deserve a night off. We love that the green chile is the star of this dish and you can freeze it to have leftovers. Cook once, eat twice is a good policy to follow in RV life. It helps you food prep and keep the dishes from piling up.
These savory burgers feature red chile powder inside of the burger and green chiles piled on top. Choose your desired way to serve it to make it custom to your nutrition goals.
Which Recipe Will You Try?
We hope you’ve enjoyed learning more about the New Mexico hatch green chile. Maybe we’ve inspired you to try one of the healthy RV meals we linked above? Always remember that spice is your friend. Spice will bring loads of flavor to any dish, without the extra fat or calories. Good luck cooking with your green chiles!
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