Hatch Green Chiles

These flame-roasted chiles are a New Mexican obsession. I put them on pizza, puree them to make fiery soups, top my cheeseburgers with them, and use them to make the spicy sauce that smothers my morning huevos. The peppers, which can be anywhere from finger size to a foot long, are actually regular New Mexico chiles that are harvested early, before they turn red, and they're named after a town in southern New Mexico that's famous for peppers. The roasting gives them a smoky flavor and a hint of sweetness that tempers their heat. Skinned and seeded, the roasted peppers can be used for almost any dish you'd put fresh chiles in—spicy dips, quesadillas, enchiladas. I've moved away from New Mexico, but I mail-order whole bushels of the chiles so that I can roast them myself in my oven. —Rebecca Orchant, Brooklyn, New York