Peach and bacon guacamole

This last week of August is confusing. For me, Labor Day marks the end of summer, but with the return to school, the beginning of football season, and the first pumpkins spotted at the farmers market, I could swear it’s already fall.

No matter, as long as I’m wearing white pants and cranking the air conditioning I know it’s not autumn just yet. I also know it’s still summer because there are still plenty of ripe, juicy peaches next to those early pumpkins. In order to savor the end of the season, I’ve entered that time of year when I eat peaches all day—morning, noon, and night. (I have to confess I’m eating New York peaches, which are not Texas peaches but they’re still pretty good).

Back in June, on my way to the farm to visit my grandma, I stopped and picked up a bag of Fairfield peaches, a longstanding summertime tradition if you're traveling between Houston and North Texas. After dinner that night, we sliced the peaches and topped them with dollops of whipped cream. It was simple yet elegant and maybe the finest thing I ate my entire trip.



All summer, I’ve been revisiting that dish (though sometimes I substitute yogurt for whipped cream) and it makes for either a fine dessert or a refreshing breakfast. One morning, however, I was out of both cream and yogurt. At first, I was going to eat my peach on its own, but after I spied an avocado on the counter I decided to see now the peach would fare in a batch of guacamole. I also had some bacon frying, so I decided to throw that into the bowl, as well.
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Hatch chile flour tortillas recipe

This time of year, I start to go chile pepper mad. Okay, I admit that I’m always cooking with chiles, but in August and September they are at their absolute best. Their flavor is so much brighter and livelier when you bite into one that’s just been picked.

Of course, if you’re in Texas or New Mexico, there’s one chile pepper in particular that’s garners the most attention this time of year—the Hatch chile. As I’ve written before, the Hatch chile doesn’t refer to a type of chile, instead the term “Hatch” is where these chiles are from, which is the Hatch Valley in New Mexico, about an hour away from El Paso.

Hatch chiles, which come from the same stock as Anaheim chiles, are a dagger-shaped light green chile (though as they mature they will turn red, which is why some Hatch chiles will have red patches on them), which ranges in heat from mild to hot. By looks alone, you can’t tell what you’re getting so hopefully the vendor will let you know.



Because their season is brief—from August until mid-September—many grocery stores in Texas have festivals celebrating the harvest. One particular store, Central Market, goes especially wild for Hatch chiles, with chile roasters out in front of the stores and a host of fun products made with the chiles on the shelves inside.

One thing Central Market offers is their limited edition Hatch chile flour tortillas. I love these and if I’m in Texas when they’re available, I always stock up and then keep them in my freezer so I can enjoy them long after the season has passed.
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