Berry the Hatches

Hatch green chiles in a blueberry cobbler – suprising and delicious!

I love Central Market!  It is an amazing grocery store filled with an unbelievable selection of fresh vegetables, fruit, meat, fish…. and the list goes on and on and on.  It is truly a “foodie heaven.”  Back in 2007, they held the First Annual Un-Edited & Un-Tested Hatch Recipe Book contest, sharing all of the wonderful, wild, and sometimes crazy Hatch green chile love from across Texas.  The judges selected eight No-Holds-Barred Winners and their recipes, so today I’m going bake a version of the winning recipes in our 12″ camp Dutch oven:  Berrying the Hatches by Kim Ellen Wooton of Lewisville, Texas.

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter
• 3 cups sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• Zest and juice of one lemon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 3 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
• 1/2 cup Hatch green chile, roasted and diced
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Fire up a chimney full of charcoal, about 30 briquets.

In a small bowl, mix together the topping of one cup sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Set aside.

In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.  Add the zest of one lemon and toss to incorporate lemon evenly throughout the flour mixture.  Stir in two cups sugar and milk.  

Set out nine hot charcoals in a circle and place 12″ camp Dutch oven over the coals.  Add one cup of butter.  When the butter is melted, pour in the batter.  Do not stir! You will be layering the fruit, chiles, and topping without stirring.

Sprinkle blueberries across the batter.  Do not stir!Spoon the Hatch green chile across the top of the blueberries and, you got it, do not stir!

Squeeze the lemon juice on top of the chile, then sprinkle the topping and finish with the nuts if you like an added crunchy richness.  

Place the lid on the oven and bring to 350 degrees Fahrenheit with about 15 hot charcoals. Bake for about 45 minutes or until the top is golden brown.  I had to add more charcoal to the top and underneath the Dutch oven to keep the temperature at 350.  I also rotated the bottom and top every 15 minutes to avoid a hot spot.

This is a winner indeed!!  This is an easy, quick, and super delicious dessert that is a perfect ending to any southwestern meal.  I love it!!

Enjoy!