September 14, 2015

Green Chile & Sweet Corn Mac

American, Corn, Entrées, Fall, Green Chile, Pasta 1 Comment

I’ve found, in my eleven years living outside of Colorado, that many people don’t imagine Colorado as a place where much food can grow. People always sound surprised when I tell them that the hardiness zone for growing fruits and vegetables in Denver is approximately the same as that of Columbus, Ohio. And while it may be impossible to grow prolific gardens in the high mountain towns, there are many areas of the state known specifically for their produce.

In fact, many of the most anticipated foods of the summer are identified by the town in which they are grown. I’ve already mentioned Palisade peaches, and that area is also a significant producer of apples, plums, and cherries. Rocky Ford melons are some of the sweetest I’ve ever tasted. Olathe sweet corn is grown so prolifically that it appears in heaping mounds at even the most basic grocery stores, not just at boutique food shops and farmers markets. And, though it’s a town in New Mexico, we always look forward to the arrival each fall of Hatch green chiles.

Green chile is a bit of a sport in the Southwest. Most natives will argue that there is NOTHING that can’t be improved by these versatile foods, whether you like your chiles mild (like me) or screamin’ hot. The smell of roasting chiles tumbling around in giant metal barrels outside every grocery store still elicits strong memories of back-to-school evening errands with my parents and anticipation for the imminent changing leaves. Interestingly, I did not like green chiles at all as a kid. It’s only now, as an adult and returning Colorado resident, that I finally appreciate the obsession.

And so, I’m on a quest to learn how to cook with green chile beyond simply sprinkling it on my eggs, my pizza, my fajitas… though those are all excellent decisions. And this quest starts with something I’m supremely comfortable with: mac and cheese! For a Colorado-autumn twist on my go-to recipe, I paired my green chile with sweet corn, another fall favorite of mine.

I adapted this recipe from my go-to Classic Stovetop Mac & Cheese. It’s quick, not too fussy, and delightfully creamy. For this version, the cheeses are white cheddar and monterey jack as opposed to sharp orange cheddar. I also have become a major fan of orecchiette pasta (it means little ears!) for my mac.

As I said above, I’m a little cautious with my green chile (even a medium can leave my lips tingling if I eat too much) so I used mild, but if you like your spice, feel free to kick it up with a medium chile or two. The mild cheeses keep the chile in check, and the sweet corn compliments it nicely.

Let’s hear it for green chile!

 

Green Chile & Sweet Corn Mac

Serves 3-4

3-4 roasted green chiles (choose your temp!)
2 ears sweet corn, cut from the cobs
2 T unsalted butter
1/2 small white onion, about 1 cup diced
2 T all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 c milk
2 1/2 oz white cheddar cheese, grated
2 1/2 oz monterey jack cheese, grated
8 oz pasta

Remove skins and seeds from green chiles. Chop the chiles and the onion and set aside. Heat a large frying pan over fairly high heat. Also, bring a pot of salted water to a boil.

Once the frying pan is hot, add the corn and toss quickly for 3-4 minutes until the corn is lightly charred. Remove corn from the pan and set aside. If your water is boiling, add the pasta and cook to al denté.

Melt butter in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Once melted, add onions and sauté 4-5 minutes. Add flour and salt to the onions and mix well, allowing the roux to cook for about 3 minutes. Slowly drizzle in the milk, stirring the entire time, and continue stirring until mixture has thickened to a gravy-like consistency. Turn off heat and add cheeses and mix until cheese is smoothly melted.

Drain pasta and return to pot. Stir in cheese mixture, all but 1/2 c of corn, and green chiles. Once pasta is on plates, sprinkle remaining corn on top as a garnish.