I believe Fall has arrived.
This morning we have the windows open for the first time since May. Football games are blaring from the tv. And two containers of roasted Hatch green chiles I put in the freezer a few weeks ago are screaming to be eaten.
This calls for football munchies!
Our new favorite restaurant in Taos, The Love Apple, serves a delicious stuffed poblano pepper appetizer overflowing with local melted cheese and organic fresh herbs. We were thinking…Why not put that chile relleno flavor in a dip? We wanted our recipe to be more chip and party-friendly, though, so use chopped green chilies. (Half-mild and half-hot was perfect). And we added the classic ingredients of raisins and nuts.
The arm-chair quarterbacks in the house devoured this dip -which contained our entire Hatch chile stash- well before half-time and even before some people heard it was ready. But I won’t call foul. Next time I make this, I’ll just have to roast my own poblanos or get Bueno brand at the store. And during next summer’s Hatch chile season, I’ll be sure to buy enough to last all the way through football season, because …(sorry)…this dip’s a winner.
- 12 ounces cream cheese
- 10 ounces goat cheese
- 1 cup roasted Poblano or Hatch green chiles, chopped and preferably not canned
- 1 teaspoon powdered cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 cup toasted pecans, chopped
- 1/2 cup golden raisins
- (Optional: sour cream)
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Combine cheeses in medium bowl. Stir in green chiles.
- Add spices, pecans and raisins and mix well.
- Place in 8 inch by 8 inch baking pan and heat in oven until bubbling, about 20 minutes.
- Sprinkle with a few spare pecan pieces and raisins.Top with a dollop of sour cream, if desired.
- Serve warm with tortilla chips or crackers.
