Green Chile

I was first turned onto the magic that is Green Chile when I lived in Durango, CO. Being so close to New Mexico it was hard not to be! I don't eat much pork though so I went looking for a recipe that I could either make sans meat or with Chicken. Over the years I have taken a few recipes and modified them into one that is flexible and can be made however you would like. A friend of ours used it to make traditional Pork Green Chile last week that was divine and I made it with chicken last night. At the request of Amy over at BeanPickleSprout I am posting my recipe. Think of it more as a guide though! Feel free to modify it to your tastes and heat tolerance. I used Big Jim Chile I bought at the farmer' s market last week grown and roasted at Hanagan Farms in La Junta, CO. I go back to them over and over again not only for their delicious produce but also because they are some of the nicest people you will ever meet!
Did I mention my sadness that the weather has turned to temperatures in the teens and everything being coated in ice around here? Usually we talk about it snowing by or more likely on Halloween, but not this year!
To bring this full circle, when the weather turns cold or people around me are sniffling I turn to making Green Chile: Full of vitamin C and depending on your tastes it can be full of garlic too!
It tastes fabulous with Buttermilk Cornbread and a dollop of sour cream~
Enjoy and let me know if you try it out!

Gretchen’s Green Chile

1 Onion chopped
3-4 Garlic cloves chopped ( I use more)
1 Tbs. oil
6 C. stock or bullion – I use Vegetable Better Than Bullion .
12 Roasted, peeled and chopped green chile (adjust according to heat of chiles this goes for seeds too!) Also use fresh chile when you can - It just tastes better!
2+1 Tbs. flour or cornstarch
Salt and Pepper to taste
2-3 potatoes peeled and diced
1-2 Tomatoes chopped OR 1 can diced tomatoes
herbs cilantro,cumin,oregano - whatever tickles your fancy OR whatever you have on hand
Chicken or Pork*

*If I add chicken I either bake it beforehand then shred or chop it when it has cooled. Or I sauté it up with the garlic and onion.

1. Sauté onion and garlic in oil over med low heat until onion is tender and translucent.
2. Add chile and stock. This is also when you will add any veggies or herbs of your choosing and also meat if you have precooked it separately.
3. Dissolve 2 Tbs. of the flour or cornstarch in a cup of hot water and add to the pot stirring to prevent lumps.
4. Simmer for 20 minutes then repeat the flour treatment except this time only 1 Tbs. flour
5. Simmer for another 30 minutes or so.

I like to make extra and freeze portions for later. You can either eat it as a soup with a dollop of sour cream and cornbread, use it in place of red sauce for enchiladas, smother burritos or eggs with it. It is so delicious and all the vitamin C in Green Chile will cure what ails you.