Thursday, August 21, 2014

Hatch Chile Tablescape

I love setting a seasonal table; any season, any holiday, is reason enough for me.  I truly believe in taking joy in little things, and letting my home reflect that joy.  One season that I find particularly enjoyable is one with which you are probably unfamiliar, and that is Hatch Chile season. 
What are Hatch Chiles, you ask?  Considered to be one of the most flavorful peppers in the world (and the official state vegetable of New Mexico), this species of the genus Capsicum is grown in the Hatch Valley.  The soil and growing conditions in the area contribute to the unique flavor, enhanced during roasting.  I had my own hatch chile roast last weekend, where I scented the air (and myself) with a woodsy deliciousness.  Melissa’s Produce is a distributor of these chiles and have produced an amazing cookbook using these peppers that they were kind enough to send me, and that I cannot wait to try.  Spread the word on these tasty chiles!
Hatch Chile Powder allows for the taste of these chiles all year long.  A great enhancer in Mexican food, I pretty much use it for any dish where I want to inject a lot of taste.
I love these placemats that I bought a number of years ago at Pier One (They are still available if you love them too. Plus, napkins to match!  I don’t have those, but they are on my list.)  With all of the colors they contain, it is just impossible not to have something to match. I have used them in many a table setting over the years, but find them particularly lovely with the bold colors of Fiestaware.


This lovely napkin fold is shockingly easy to do.  It does require two napkins in two different colors, but think of the possibilities here.  Pastels for Mother’s Day, springtime, or Easter, earth tones for autumn, patriotic colors for the Fourth of July, or red and green as I have used here for Christmas, or anything boldly festive.  You can find a step-by-step tutorial here.
Plunk a pepper in each mug at the table to add a touch of whimsy, and spread the hatch chile joy.
 I use this yellow flatware in more table settings that you can possibly imagine.  I have had it for decades and never knew the pattern, but someone recently told me that it is Radiant by Noritake, available occasionally from Replacements.




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5 comments:

  1. What a great table to honor the Hatch chile! Love your centerpiece. I have roasted them the past 2 weeks...and plan to buy another batch to do tonight...the smell is intoxicating. Chilis rellenos will definitely be on the menu this weekend!
    I wish we had a store in the area that carried Mellissa's products. Every once in a while I will come across a few of their herbs, but not often.

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  2. What a bright, pretty, and fun table scape! I love the idea of decorating around chiles. Thanks for sharing at Fridays Unfolded!

    Alison
    Nancherrow

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  3. This is 100% beautiful! I LOVE all the bright color! What a great tablescape, Pattie!

    I have seen those placemats at Pier 1, and the napkins go great with them! Same with the dishes!

    I have not seen Hatch Chile powder around here. I'll have to find out where to buy it here in the Kansas City, MO area. One of my husband's nurses sent a bunch of hatch chiles home with him. I am still not an expert on how to prepare them, but I at least chopped them up and froze them to be used throughout the winter months. I'm sure that with a little time and experimentation I'll be able to find something that is right on target for our taste buds!

    Enjoy your chiles and have a great weekend!

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  4. I love the table setting and thanks for sharing the hatch chiles. Best wishes, Linda
    PINNING

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  5. I am going to have to search for that chilli powder here I am intrigued!!

    Bravo on the table, the colors are gorgeous. So bright and inviting....

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Thank you so much for commenting, I love every one of them! I am, however, unable to respond to anonymous comments.