grace grits and gardening

ramblings from an arkansas farm girl

Hatch Chile Pepper Guacamole

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Texas produce aisles are overflowing with hatch chile peppers. My neighborhood Whole Foods roasts giant batches on the sidewalk out front, luring cars into the parking lot without knowing why.

Hatch chile season doesn’t last long so buy now and freeze for later.

Add a tablespoon to your regular guacamole recipe for extra-great flavor.

grace grits and gardening

Ingredients

4 ripe avocados
1/4 cup chopped tomato
1 & 1/2 tablespoon finely chopped red onion
Hatch pepper (or jalapeño or serrano) chopped, seeds removed, to taste
2 teaspoons cilantro, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Juice of one-half large lime
1/2 teaspoon cumin
Sea salt and pepper, to taste

Blend all the ingredients together, except avocado. Mash avocado in a separate bowl and fold into other ingredients. Serve immediately.

talya

p.s. I like to sprinkle goat cheese on top.

Click HERE for more information on New Mexico Hatch Chiles.

hatch chiles

How to buy the sweetest cantaloupe + recipe!

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I love cantaloupe.

My best advice for buying sweet cantaloupe is to buy in-season. In East Dallas, that means June – August. Toward the end of August, it can often be found on sale.

Here are a few tips on picking a sweet, dripping-down-your-chin melon.

See: Inspect the outside. The skin should be tan-colored and free of dents and bruises.
Feel: The melon should feel solid and heavy with no soft spots. Heaviness means ripeness.
Smell: Sniff the bottom spot where the stem was once attached. It should smell like cantaloupe. Unripe cantaloupes have no smell.
Taste: Some grocery stores and farmer’s markets offer samples (especially on the weekend). If so, don’t pass up a free taste test.

Cantaloupe has amazing health benefits including antioxidant and anti-inflammatory support. One cup provides 100% of the daily recommended allowance of Vitamin A.

The following is a great summer salad, similar to everyone’s favorite Caprese Salad.

Cantaloupe Salad
1 medium cantaloupe cut into small cubes
10-12 basil leaves, chiffonaded
1 cup fresh mozzarella cut into small pieces
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
olive oil
red wine vinegar
juice from one lime
sea salt
pepper

Toss cantaloupe, basil, cheese and onion in a bowl. Drizzle vinegar, a long pour of olive oil, and lime juice over fruit. Stir. Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper to taste. Let stand in refrigerator thirty minutes before serving. Serves 4-6.

talya
Grace Grits and Gardening

Insomnia Club

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morgueFile
My eyes open. 
Without looking, I know the time.
3:15 a.m.
Always 3:15 a.m. 
Just in time for my early morning clandestine Facebook chat with Renee and Angie. As our husbands snore, we plan our days, lament the weather, and discuss whatever comes to mind at such an ungodly time. 
We formed this insomnia club by accident, our bodies oddly synced across two states, connected not only by our hometown but by habitual sleeplessness and for me, menopause. 
Ah yes, ill-mannered menopause replacing metabolism with hot flashes. Replacing sleep with pinterest.
Our club is open to new members. The only requirement is being wide-eyed at 3:15 central standard time. 
talya
“The first indication of menopause is a broken thermostat. It’s either that or your weight. In any case, if you don’t do something, you could be dead by August.” Dorothea Benton Frank

Food. Farm. Garden. Life.

THANKS FOR READING!