It’s Hatch chile  season…and always time for tequila!

I made this festive salsa to take to a “Hatch Chile and Tequila Potluck” last night. It’s light and refreshing, quite versatile and  easy to make!  Instead of using serranos and jalapeños found in most salsas, I added bite-sized  strips (rajas) of fire-roasted Hatch chiles.  Forgoing the  traditional salsa flavorings of pungent cilantro and oregano, I substituted  sweet marjoram and basil  from the  garden.   These herbs compliment  summer’s freshest, sweetest corn– I simply cut  the kernels right off the cob, without even cooking them.

We mounded this colorful salsa upon tostada chips and added a big spoonful to the delicious chilled gazpacho that another guest brought. I like to eat this salsa by the bowlful or add a spoonful to a quesadilla made with melted Hatch chile and Monterey Jack cheese. For a more substantial meal, add shredded chicken, grilled shrimp, or leftover steak to this salsa and eat it as a salad, or use the medley as a condiment for roasted meats. It’s delicious stuffed into an avocado half, too!

I also brought to the fiesta a bottle of tequila and my homemade Sangrita—the quintessential spicy, fruity and piquant non-alcoholic chaser always served with shots of tequila in Jalisco, Mexico’s tequila heartland state.  I promise to post my sangrita recipe soon because everyone loves it!  And what’s a fiesta without tequila?

Hatch Chile and Sweet Corn Salsa

6 (or more!) roasted, peeled, seeded “hot” Hatch chiles,  cut into bite-sized raja strips

½ large red onion, chopped

1 bunch green onions, chopped, with some green tops

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 pint organic cherry tomatoes, sliced, lightly salted and drained in a colander

4 ears very sweet fresh corn, kernels cut off the cob

2 Tablespoons fresh marjoram, chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried)

2-3 Tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

2-3 Tablespoons avocado oil (or slightly less olive oil)

2 Tablespoons rice wine or white balsamic vinegar

Juice of 2 Mexican limes

salt and pepper to taste

pinch of cayenne

Mix It Up!

Mound ingredients in a large bowl, then toss gently with the oil and vinegar, lime juice, salt, pepper and cayenne. Chill for several hours or overnight, occasionally tossing lightly.  Adjust flavors to taste.  Makes a big bowlful to serve a crowd!

 

¡Viva Nuevo Mexico!