Chile Rellenos Redux

I did not get a good photo of this, frankly, because we ate it too quickly. You are probably thinking of chile rellenos as deep fried chiles oozing with cheese. Well, here is a version that is fresh, flavorfull and un-fried. This is based on the chiles that my dad makes, along with a few twists of my own. These ingredients - chiles and corn, mainly - are in season now, and with the heat, this is a perfect summer patio dish, served with some tacos, enchiladas, or any other Mexican fare you'd like to pair it with. It can even be grilled. The recipe is for 2 people, with 2 chiles each: this is good as a starter or side, and can easily be doubled or tripled for more people, or as the main attraction.

4 anaheim chiles, nice and long, and as straight as you can find
2 ears of corn
1/2 cup plain yogurt or sour cream
3/4 cup shredded jack cheese (I used this amazing chile jack goat cheese produced locally. I have also used chevre and white cheddar with good results)
juice of 1 lime
salt and pepper to taste

1. First you will need to char the chiles. This can be done on the highest rack under a broiler, or on the grill. Just wash the chiles and place directly on the rack of the oven, or on the grill, and cook until black and the skin begins to pull away from the surface. As one side begins to blacken, do a quarter turn, allow to char, and continue until the entire chile is nice and black. Then, pick them up with some tongs and place in a plastic bag - I usually use an old grocery bag (I know, bad me, having plastic grocery bags about). Tie off the end of the bag and let them steam for about 5-10 minutes. Then, pull them out and peel the skin off under a stream of cool water at the sink. The charred skin should pull right off. Place the chiles on a paper towell to completely cool.

2. To prepare the filling: cut the corn kernels off the cob, and place in a medium bowl. Add the yogurt, cheese, lime juice, and salt and peppr, and taste for seasoning. The mixture should be mostly cheese and corn, held together with the yogurt.

3. Using a paring knife, make a long slit down the center of the front of each of the chiles. Then, over the sink, pull out the seeds and the connecting strings, using some water to flush them out. You may find that your chiles want to fall apart. Just try your best to keep them whole, if they split, this is fine, the filling will hold them together. Again, dry the chiles on some paper towells. Place the chiles in a medium glass baking dish (depending on how many you are making), and pull open the sides, so that they are laying flat. Scoop about 1/4 cup of filling into each, and continue to add filling until they are nice and full, and you can pull the sides of the chile up and over, but not together. The chiles should have a large opening with filling bursting out, and the side flaps sort of gently tucking over.

4. Bake the chiles in a 425 oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the cheese is completely melted, and the tops begin to brown. Then, place them under the broiler for 1-2 minutes to give the tops a nice rich, brown crust.

Enjoy!

Blueberry Crisp

So, have you heard that blueberries are a super-food? Hoorah! What a good excuse to make this super-simple and luxurious dessert, using the plentiful (and cheap!) summer blueberries. I saw a 2 lb. container of blueberries for $5, and immediately thought of this crisp. It basically takes the crisp topping I use for apple crisp, and substitutes almonds for the walnuts, giving a more delicate flavor and crisper texture that complements the cooked blueberries. Of course, good vanilla ice cream can top it, and melt all about when it comes out of the oven. As it sits in the fridge, the blueberries start to create their own syrup, so it gets even better. Enjoy!

Topping
6 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/4 salt
5 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter
3/4 cup slivered, blanched almonds

Filling
2 pounds blueberries
2-3 tablespoons granulated sugar

1. For the topping: Place the flour, sugars, spices and salt in a food processor and puse briefly to combine. Add the butter and pulse 10 times, about 4 seconds for each pulse. The mixture will first look like dry sand, with large lumps of butter, then like coarse cornmeal. Add the butter, then process again, for four or five 1-second pulses. The topping should look like slightly clumpy wet sand. Be sure not to overmix, or the topping will become too homogenous. Refrigerate the topping for at least 15 minutes, or up to 2 days.

2. Adjust an oven rack for the middle position, and heat to 375.

3. Wash the blueberries and strain until dry (or pat very lightly with a towell), and then mix to taste with sugar. Pour the blueberries into an un-buttered 9 in. pie pan or 8 in. square glass baking dish. Crumble the chilled topping evenly over the top, and bake in the 375 oven for 40 minutes. Eat warm, straight from the oven with ice cream, room temperature, or chilled.