Green Chile season

With September's chill in the air comes the harvest of my favorite pepper, green chiles! In the Southwest, there are festivals and cookoffs that center around these babies, which range from mild to screaming hot. Trust me when I say, if you are lucky enough to pick up a fresh bushel from the scraggly looking guy outside Walmart, the farmers market or along the side of the road who roasts them on the spot, do yourself a favor and nab them. Chile peeling is good medicine best shared with friends and family. After transfering the chiles into a brown paper bag that is sealed for about 10 minutes to loosen their skins, put them, a dozen at a time, in a bowl of water. Sitting around a table, peel off the charred skin, remove most of the seeds (they make it hot) and put five or six into a plastic bag, occasionally slipping a rogue one inside a hot, homemade tortilla to munch if you can. Freeze most of the bags immediately, holding back some of the fresh, steamy peppers for green chile cheeseburgers and cheesy green chile casserole. If you can't get fresh, get the frozen kind in a plastic tub, Bueno is good.

I was first introduced to cheesy green chile casserole at a work potluck. As soon as I tasted the hot, cheesy, melty spiciness, I cornered the guy who brought it until he told me his wife's recipe. It's deceptively easy. It is slightly different everytime depending on the mood of the chiles and what cheese you choose. But it is ALWAYS good. You can't screw it up - in short, it's the perfect recipe for featuring fresh green chile. Enjoy!

First make some rice - brown, basmati, long or short grain - whatever. I usually throw 2 cups in a rice cooker with 4 cups of water or chicken broth and a chile (if I have fresh) and go from there. After the rice is cooked, stir in the rest of the ingredients and spread the mixture into a 9 x 13 pan. That simple.

Cheesy Green Chile Casserole
4 cups cooked rice
1 1/2 cups sour cream
2 cups shredded cheese, I like a mixture of colby and pepper jack
1 can cream of celery soup
1 1/2 cups chopped, fresh green chile
A dash of salt
1 cup of sharp cheddar, for topping

Mix and pour into pan. Top with sharp cheddar cheese, about a cup and bake at 350 until the cheese bubbles around the edges and is melted through, about 40 minutes, but check after 30. This casserole is even better the next day, but serve it hot for the full effect. It's a perfect side dish, especially with a green chile cheeseburger, tacos or chicken.