Discovering Hatch Chiles

By Sandy Hu
The latest from Inside Special Fork

Having returned from Special Fork’s annual summer hiatus, we’re back at work and raring to go! While we enjoyed our time off, all was not play since we were busy gathering material for upcoming blog posts, such as today’s exploration of Hatch Chiles.

My curiosity was piqued when I received a teaser gift package from Molly Stone’s Markets and Melissa’s/World Variety Produce, Inc., announcing a schedule of Hatch Chile roasting days in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Not having cooked with Hatch Chiles myself and spurred by the invitation, I was at Molly Stone’s Pacific Heights market on the appointed roasting day to purchase my chiles at the produce counter. Then it was off to the parking lot to have them roasted in the rotating gas drum until the chiles were blackened and blistered. Packed hot into a plastic bag so they would steam in transit (which made our car smell heavenly), the chiles were ready to peel by the time I returned home.

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Robert Schueller: What’s Hot in Produce

By Sandy Hu

Robert Schueller is more knowledgeable about exotic produce than anyone I know. He lives it and loves it, and is as enthusiastic today as he was when he started work 15 years ago at Melissa's/World Variety Produce, Inc., the largest distributor of specialty produce in the U.S. Melissa’s is a global produce purveyor, providing a cornucopia of fruits and vegetables from every corner of the world – over 1,000 different items at any given moment.

Schueller is a valuable resource to many national magazines, introducing editorial test kitchens to new varieties of fruits and vegetables; providing selection, storage and usage information; and sharing the latest trends in exotic produce. I caught up with him at the International Association of Culinary Professionals conference last week in New York City.

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