Fresh Hatch Peppers and New Crop Potatoes Are Here
Vegetables, through the decades, have gotten a bad rap and here at Melissa’s we really don’t know why because we find them tasty, and versatile enough to serve raw or cooked. Some veggies can provide a satisfying crunchy nosh or snack when raw, or a comforting smokiness and sweetness when roasted or grilled. Steam or air fry veggies for a quick method that can yield crispness, coaxing sweetness and flavor. All varieties of produce provide some level of fiber and nutrients for that feeling of fullness and fuel for the body.
Some nutrients act as bristle brushes for our digestive system, others to massage and maintain strong gums and teeth. All produce is great for helping to stave off health issues and can help keep a doctor or dietician as well as prescriptions at bay.
Take a gander at this month’s list with a few fun veggie items that can act as garnish, provide another textural element, as well as add another flavor.
Melissa’s has done it again! Consumers have asked, and we do our best to source and provide. Melissa’s now offers USDA Certified Organic Shishito Peppers with that same smoky flavor as their conventionally grown cousins. Further enhance the flavor by grilling or air frying whole. Try cutting into wheels to add a bit of kick and flavor to grains, root veggies, lettuce greens, etc. Add a simple twist from Melissa’s Himalayan Pink Salt Grinder or Tuscan Grinder to season or toss in a light drizzle of tamari or balsamic. Best served hot or warm, but room temp is tasty, too. Such a simple appetizer that can make a host or hostess look the “moistest” to all guests. Select peppers that are bright in color with fresh stems and no yellowed or molded skin. Refrigerate, unwashed, up to four days. Shishitos may be washed, patted dry, then frozen in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Once frozen, transfer them to marked storage bags up to four months. Available through March. Product of Mexico.
WHAT DOES NEW CROP MEAN?
The term, ‘new crop’ indicates a new season of multiple harvests has begun and product has not been stored. This term generally refers to storage produce such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, apples, onions, shallots, garlic, etc. In essence, a new season has begun.
Many people are hearing blue potatoes are healthiest for you. While Melissa’s does not state health claims, ‘blue foods’ generally contain added nutrients to aid inflammation. Melissa’s Baby Dutch Blue® Potatoes are a sister to the Dutch Red® and Dutch Yellow® varieties of buttery, thin-skinned potatoes. No divots or crevices as these potatoes are grown in volcanic ash of the Idaho region. Kids, big and small, love them because they are small enough for them to handle as finger food with or without a pick.
Baby Dutch Potatoes just need a simple rinse to remove surface soils, then prepare as you would any other potato- steamed, baked, roasted, fried, smashed, sautéed. Tasty simply cut in half, then slightly oiled, seasoned with a few turns of Melissa’s Pink Himalayan Salt and Rainbow Peppercorn Grinders, toss, and roast 400ºF 20-25 minutes, turning once. For added spice, try Melissa’s Spicy Sesame Seasoning grinder sesame seeds, red pepper 2 flakes, or a few spoonfuls of our Hatch Hot Pepper Sauce or a packet of our creamy ready to use Hollandaise sauce. Available year-round. USA grown.
Not all sweet potatoes have to be orange-flesh. Melissa’s Murasaki variety sweet potatoes are one of them. Reddish skin with creamy white flesh, this variety is sweet enough, all you really need is a touch of butter. They are a bit more dense-not squishy when cooked through- which makes them perfect for grating hashbrowns/latkes, chopping country potatoes, or preparing for tempura or slicing on a mandolin for sweet potato crostata. They make a great, simply baked sweet potato, too!
No, it’s not from an elephant, but is certainly a very large clove from the lily family. Many chefs prefer to roast or bake this variety for its size and sweetness to serve as spread or dip on grazing platters or include with hummus. This is a very limited crop which usually runs out early in the year, so plan on purchasing a full head and store in a cool, well-ventilated dry spot of your pantry. California grown.
Just as tasty and punchy as Melissa’s conventional jalapeños but grown organically following USDA organic certification practices. Stuff them with cheese and crab, then wrapped in bacon and broil, or combine butter with chopped or roasted and chopped jalapeños, then refrigerate for jalapeño buttered corn. Of course, pickle them, or cook them whole in reduce simple syrup for a fab treat or addition to baked goods. Available year-round. Product of Mexico.
You’ve asked, and Melissa’s provides… Organically grown aloe vera leaves to use topically for softer skin and skin conditions, relieve itch or insect bites, calm sunburns and help heal acne. Melissa’s organic and conventional aloe is of the barbadensis variety. Product of Mexico. Available year-round.
HATCH CHILE SEASON - GET READY!!!
Heat levels from mild to hot, but all will have that habit-forming smokey flavor and beautiful fleshy green skin, thick enough to stuff, chop, or make rajas with cheese. Add to everything beyond soups, stews, roast, try them in your baked goods! Check out Melissa’s Hatch Chile Cookbooks with original recipes from apps and snacks to sides, soups, salads, and desserts. Hatch Peppers pair well with savory, sweet, spicy, or neutral. They are fab with pineapples as well as bananas and apples. They taste great in and with so many foodstuffs, you are only bound by your imagination. Keep an eye open on our websites and at your local retailer for promotional information of roastings near you. These posts will help you order ahead, and reorder if you didn’t buy enough. Remember, it’s now or next year!!!!
A staple in every New Mexicans pantry and probably yours, too, if you’re a Hatch Head. Ristras are the beautifully tied wreaths that are a symbol of hospitality on a host’s door or entry. Dried Hatch peppers can be ground for chile powder if you’re in a pinch and ran out of Melissa’s Ground Hatch Powder, or slightly fry and fill with cheese. Hydrate them and amp up a basic chile sauce to drizzle over Dutch Yellow® Potatoes! Though decorative, Melissa’s Ristras are not coated in shellac so they may be used for cooking. They are often given as gifts, as a pretty hanging decoration until Christmas time, then cut and prepared for tamales.
Select dried peppers that have slight give and aroma. Wipe them with a damp towel to remove dust prior to preparation.
As the years have progressed and consumer awareness of Hatch has grown exponentially, Melissa’s has added several items each year just in case you didn’t get your fix last season. Our additional items range from Hatch pecans and cashews, Hatch Clean Snax®, Organic Hatch Polenta, variety sauces and condiments. And in case you can’t decide what to make with your cache of Hatch, pick up both of our Hatch Chile cookbooks. You will surely find a recipe soon to be your favorite!
