WHAT TO EAT RIGHT NOW Season’s Eatings
(Page 2 of 4)
September/October 2003
By Susan Belsinger
CHILE CON QUESO
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SERVES 4 TO 6
From humble peasant origins, this spicy roasted chile and onion sauté is a far cry from the processed cheese dips served in most restaurants—more chile and less queso. Poblano chiles are traditional, but try Anaheims, Hungarians (also called sweet banana peppers), or whatever is fresh from your garden or market.
8 to 10 large poblano chiles
1 large yellow onion
8 to 12 cloves garlic
2 to 3 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
11/2 to 2 cups grated sharp white cheddar cheese
12 whole-wheat flour tortillas, warmed
Roast, peel, and seed chiles, then cut lengthwise into 1/2- to 3/4-inch strips. Top, tail, and peel the onion, halve it lengthwise, and slice 1/2-inch thick. Peel the garlic and cut into thin slivers.
Heat oil in large sauté pan. Add onions and sauté over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chiles and stir; cover and cook for 5 minutes more. Add garlic, stir, reduce heat to medium low, cover, and cook another 5 minutes. Stir, season with salt and pepper.
Sprinkle cheese over contents of pan, cover, and let sit for 5 minutes until melted. Serve hot with whole-wheat tortillas cut into quarters, which you may use to scoop up the chile con queso.
SALAD OF GARDEN GREENS WITH PEACHES AND PEPITAS
This lovely, refreshing salad plays well with the spiciness of chile con queso and calabacitas. Spinach and sweet butter and leaf lettuces go especially well with the peaches, but a few handfuls of pungent or bitter greens such as arugula, watercress, radicchio, frisee, mizuna, tatsoi, or any of the chicories are good additions. The peach vinegar is easy to prepare and great to have on hand for all kinds of salads.
SERVES 8
10 to 12 cups salad greens
1 small red onion, halved lengthwise and sliced crosswise into thin slices
2 or 3 ripe peaches or nectarines
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup peach vinegar (see recipe below) or 3 to 4 tablespoons raspberry vinegar
Salt and freshly ground pepper
About 1/4 cup pepitas (toasted, salted pumpkin seeds)
First, prepare the peach vinegar and set aside.
Wash, pick over, and dry salad greens. Soak onion slices in ice water for about 20 to 30 minutes to sweeten the onion’s flavor. Slice peaches and drizzle them with peach vinegar or lemon juice to prevent darkening.