Fall Harvest Chili Peppers

With National Hispanic month behind us and Dia de los Muertos (the Mexican holiday, Day of the Dead) ahead of us, it's time to talk about the autumn tradition of drying and roasting chili peppers. In New Mexico, especially in communities around Santa Fe and Taos the centuries old Hispanic traditions of drying and roasting chili peppers is alive and well.

Even if you haven't developed a taste for authentic Hatch chilis, there are many wonderful dried chilis available in both mainstream and Mexican markets. Whenever I visit Santa Fe, New Mexico I always go to Jackalope on Cerillos Road for the best buy for chili ristras and wreaths and then to the Whole Foods grocery store for a visit to their bulk department where I fill up with enough dried green chilies to last the year.

I make Red Chili Sauce most every week and eat it in a variety of dishes. One of my most favorite things to make with my red sauce is a New Mexican dish called Carne Adovado. It's a beef pot roast cooked for hours in chili sauce until it falls into strings of deliciousness. If you want to try an entire New Mexican/Californian/ inspired dinner, try my Dinner Menu. It's easy to fit into a scheduled day when cooking isn't at the top of your list.

Note: My oil painting, Red Mesa is filled with the red tones of dried chilies. The original oil painting is 48" x 48" on canvas and is $4,800.00 framed.