Smoky Hatch Chile Summer Succotash

I remember the day I moved away from Longview nearly a year ago. I was so exhausted from last minute packing and cleaning that all I could think about was falling into bed and sleeping for days, I wasn't necessarily happy to leave the town I'd called home for 6 years, rather I was itching for a change. A fresh start. Something different. Something new.

Lately I've been thinking a lot about what I love and miss about that little town. It's so easy to slip into memories, get lost in the sights and sounds. Sometimes it happens when I'm fully awake, and other times these past moments manifest in my dreams. One of my favorite things in Longview was the vegan potluck. I started going to the potlucks when I was just transitioning from vegetarian to vegan. The sense of community was so lovely and welcoming. Plus, I got to enjoy delicious and healthy food and leave with some new ideas, recipes, and friends. Being in a community of like-minded and open-minded people for the evening was really refreshing, especially in a town not necessarily known for those qualities.

A couple of months ago after an event for We Play Everywhere centered around playing with veggies and cooking delicious vegan food, I happened to mention how it reminded me of the vegan potlucks I used to attend. Without skipping a beat, a friend immediately jumped on board and said let's do that here! The first one was at the end of July and the second one was just this past week. Hopefully it will keep growing and become more inclusive to any vegans out there in Houston looking for a sense of community and fun. And, if you're in Houston and want to attend the next one, drop me a line! We would love to have you.

Since seeing this summery inspired succotash on Renee's blog back in July, I knew I wanted to make it before summer produce faded away and fall arrived. While pondering what to make for the potluck this popped into my head. I altered it a bit so that I could incorporate some hatch chiles I had and used cannellini beans in place of chickpeas. The resulting riff on succotash was fresh with a good kick of fire from the chiles. If you don't want to go to the trouble of using hatch chiles or perhaps don't have access to them, I recommend going with Renee's original recipe. Since I photographed this before heading to the potluck, I left the avocados out for the photos so they wouldn't oxidize.

Smoky Hatch Chile Summer Succotash
notes: If you like spicy, go with two chiles, if you want more of a medium heat, go with one chile. And, if you are a bit sensitive to heat, omit the chiles and up the smoked paprika to 1 tsp total. If you aren't serving it right away, leave out the avocado. Add just before serving. Recipe adapted from Will Frolic for Food. 

3 ears of corn, kernels removed
1 cucumber, seeds removed and diced
3 small heirloom tomatoes, sliced
1 can of cannellini beans, drained & rinsed (about 2 cups cooked)
1 cup of fresh basil, roughly chopped
1 large avocado, diced

1 or 2 roasted hatch chiles, seeds removed & minced**
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp maple syrup
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
sea salt to taste (roughly 1 tsp)

In a large bowl, gently toss together the corn, cucumber, tomatoes, beans, basil, and avocado. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the chile, lemon juice, vinegar, oil, maple syrup, paprika, and salt. Drizzle over the succotash then toss to combine. Taste and then adjust the seasoning if necessary. Makes roughly 8 side servings.

**to roast the chiles, clean them well then place them on a sheet tray under the broiler. Keep your eye on them and rotate them as needed so most of the skin becomes blistered and blackened. Once this process is finished, put the chiles in a bowl and immediately cover it with plastic wrap. After 15-20 minutes, remove the plastic wrap. Gently remove the blackened skin from the flesh of the chiles along with the seeds and discard. Use the chiles as directed in the recipe above.