Madeworthy magazine talked with fifth-generation owner and general manager Clint Haggerty about family, business, and his spice for life.  

Madeworthy (MW): What are the health benefits of chilis?  

Clint Haggerty (CH): It’s all about a well-balanced diet and eating right. There’s the low-carb diet, which I like. People have a vegetarian diet, too. But no matter which diet you pick, spices can be a big component of that. It improves the flavor of whatever you’re eating. Some of the earliest trading commodities ever were salt and pepper. Adding flavor to food is one of the first trades that ever existed.  

MW: What’s your “why?” 

CH: I’m the fifth generation. It’s almost kind of a birth right; it’s a family legacy… We hope to have something to pass on to future family members. We appreciate and depend on our customers to provide quality goods and service they expect from us.  

MW: What are some challenges you’ve had to overcome as a business? 

CH: You have to continually reinvent yourself. The more things change, the more they stay the same. The internet came out, and now we have to compete against giants like Amazon. DeWitt Clinton Pendery had a [printed] circular he sent to the stagecoach lines. It’s different but the same. We were around when they invented electricity. [We] used to have these big chili chopping machines. That was all brand new; it had been operated manually. There was always something worse before — and there was always a family member who overcame the challenge. That gives me the confidence to overcome the challenges of today and persevere. 

MW: What’s your role in the local restaurant community? 

CH: We do a lot of wholesale for local restaurants and sell to Ben E. Keith. Restaurants are depending on us to do our part during the COVID-19 crisis. We were around for the Civil War and the Spanish flu. If a family can survive through all that, we will definitely pick ourselves up now, too. 

MW: What should families cook now? 

CH: Start off with what your family enjoys eating. The whole thing about cooking is the social interaction. That’s what we’re missing right now. When families get together, they eat. What’s your comfort food? What do you and your family enjoy? It doesn’t matter if your cooking skills aren’t the best… Right now, people have a lot more time on their hands than they normally do. Maybe try a family tamale recipe? Or maybe this is a great time to try an old recipe that you’ve always wanted to cook.  

MW: What’s your advice to aspiring entrepreneurs? 

CH: Pursue what you have a passion for. We’ve been around so long it gives us perspective. Nothing is easy, and success doesn’t usually come quickly. It’s day-to-day diligence and attention to detail, plus flat-out hard work. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.  

MW: What’s it like working with family? 

CH: On the plus side, you have the commitment of the family. There are bonds much greater than normal business relationships. At the same time, if you want to have a parting of ways, it adds greater stress. Generational ownership transfer can be hard. It really depends on the individual family dynamic. It can be as strong or weak as the individual family members involved. But as long as you have an underlying respect for each other, a family business has a certain cohesion. It drives you in dire times to put in the extra effort.  

The post Made in Fort Worth: Pendery’s Spices and A Recipe for Success first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.

This year, Central Market has “imported” 330,000 pounds of Hatch chiles for Hatchsteria, which starts today and runs through August 20. They have Hatch products in every department, and some great cooking classes featuring the delicious chiles. I have already gotten my case of milds and my case of hots, and I’ve come up with some recipes to celebrate. This is my fourth year coming up with Hatch recipes, and the other recipes can be found here, here, and here. So enjoy these recipes, and make plans to get your Hatch chiles before it’s too late!

Hatch Bloody Mary Mix

This is a great mix that keeps well in your refrigerator for about a week, although I doubt it will last that long!

Ingredients

4 to 5 large, ripe tomatoes

1 small red onion, peeled and quartered

2 to 4 Hatch chiles (I use 2 hots and 1 mild for this)

2 to 4 cloves of garlic, peeled

3 ribs celery, strings removed

1 ½ tablespoons hot horseradish

Worcestershire sauce to taste

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Ice

Vodka

Lime slices or quarters

Halo de Santo garnishing salt (available at Central Market), optional

Directions

On a hot grill or in cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, toast the tomatoes, chiles, onion, and garlic cloves until they have black spots all over. Set aside in bowl and cover with a dish towel for about 15 minutes. Peel and seed the chiles. Blend the tomatoes, chiles, onion, and garlic until smooth. Add in the celery ribs and horseradish and blend again until smooth. Season the mixture with Worcestershire, salt, and freshly ground pepper to taste. Chill the mixture for at least an hour before serving to allow the ingredients to get to know each other. To serve, fill tall glasses that have been rimmed in Halo de Santo with ice, pour in a shot of good vodka and top with your Hatch Bloody Mary mix. I’m not a huge fan of garnishes on Bloody Marys, but a stalk of celery is always nice.

New Mexico Green Chile

When you order almost anything in northern New Mexico – enchiladas, huevos rancheros, burritos, sopapillas, etc. – you will be asked, “Green or red.” This is my husband’s estimation of the classic green chile that is so good over almost anything!

Ingredients

20 Hatch chiles, roasted, peeled, and seeded (he uses half hot, half mild for this, and you can buy roasted Hatch chiles at Central Market right now!)

3 tablespoons regular olive oil (not extra-virgin)

2 small white or yellow onion, diced

10 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

3 tablespoons flour

3 cups chicken or pork stock or broth

½ teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon Mexican oregano

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

In a stock pot over medium heat, sweat the onions and garlic in the olive oil until they are translucent. Add in the cumin and coriander. Add in the flour and cook for about 3 minutes, until the flour starts to get fragrant. Stir in the chicken or pork stock and stir well to avoid lumps. Bring to a simmer to thicken and add in the chiles and Mexican oregano. Season with salt and pepper and simmer for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. The longer this cooks, the better it is! This can go over almost anything and freezes beautifully.

Sour Cream and Hatch Chicken Enchiladas

This recipe marries the classic North Texan sour cream chicken enchiladas with New Mexican Hatch chiles, and if you ask me, it’s a match made in enchilada heaven!

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil (not extra-virgin)

3 tablespoons flour

2 cups chicken broth or stock

½ teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon Mexican oregano

7 to 10 roasted Hatch chiles, peeled, seeded, and diced (I use a mix of hot and milds)

1 cup sour cream (please don’t use light or fat free with this!)

Salt and pepper to taste

Hot sauce to taste

12 corn tortillas, warmed

2 cups shredded, cooked chicken (this is a great way to use up a leftover rotisserie chicken)

1 small onion, diced

2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided use

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375°. Spray a baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, stir the flour into the oil with a whisk. Cook until the flour becomes fragrant, about 2 to 3 minutes. Gradually whisk in the chicken broth or stock and allow the mixture to come to a simmer to thicken, whisking constantly. Add in the cumin, coriander, Mexican oregano, and chiles, and bring back to a simmer. Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the sour cream. Season with salt, pepper, and hot sauce. Set aside.

In a bowl, mix together the chicken, 1 cup of Monterey Jack, and the onion with about enough of the sauce to bind it together.

To assemble the enchiladas, place some of the chicken mixture on a warmed tortilla and roll up. Place the roll seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat until all the tortillas are filled. Pour the remaining sauce over the enchiladas and top with the remaining cheese. Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until the enchiladas are bubbling. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly for a few minutes. Serves 4.

The Pepper Party lasts until August 20, but don’t wait! They’re roasting chiles right now, so get yours today. And don’t forget that Central Market offers curbside pickup. Simply order all your Hatch desires online, and they will bring them to your car. It’s wonderful!

The post It’s Hatchsteria at Central Market first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.

Sure, I complain about the heat (don’t we all?), but August is when two of my favorite events happen: my children go back to school, and Central Market has their Hatch Chile Festival! From August 8 through August 21, you can get all things Hatch at Central Market. (If you haven’t tried Central Market’s pound cake with their mango and Hatch chile salsa, well, all I can say is you are missing out, my friends!) To celebrate my happy days, I’ve come up with three new recipes for you that incorporate this most lovely of all capsicums.

Note: I usually get a bushel of hot Hatch chiles and a bushel of mild Hatch chiles and roast them myself. However, Central Market makes it easy by roasting chilies all through the festival, so you don’t have to!

Another Note: You can use hot, mild, or a mix of chiles in all these recipes. I usually use a mix.

Grilled Corn and Hatch Chile Salad with Panela and a Lime Vinaigrette

Ingredients

6 ears of corn, shucked, grilled*, and kernels removed from cobs

5 to 6 roasted Hatch chiles, diced

3 or 4 scallions/green onions, thinly sliced

½ bunch cilantro, chopped

Juice of 2 limes

1 clove garlic, minced

¼ teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon ground coriander

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil (or, if you want to get fancy, you can use avocado, walnut, or pecan oil)

4 ounces panela cheese, cut into small cubes or roughly crumbled (you can substitute a mild feta for this, but since most grocery stores around here carry panela, why?)

Directions

*I don’t grill corn like most recipes tell you to grill corn. I don’t fuss with soaking and trying to remove the silk without removing the husks before grilling in the husks. That seems silly to me as the smoke from the charcoal doesn’t get to the part you actually eat. I shuck the ears, removing husk and silk, and then grill, turning until all sides have some charring. This is much easier and much faster.

Combine the corn kernerls, Hatch chiles, scallions/green onions, and cilantro in a bowl. In a jar with a tightly-fitting lid, combine the lime juice, garlic, cumin, coriander, salt and pepper and shake until the salt is dissolved. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Add the oil and shake like crazy. Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and toss. Add in the panela cheese and toss gently. Garnish with a little extra chopped cilantro and serve. Serves 4.

Hatch Chile and Black Bean Hummus

I love using black beans in hummus. There is just something about them that calls to me.

Ingredients

2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained

3 to 4 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled

2 to 4 roasted Hatch chiles, roughly chopped

½ bunch cilantro, roughly chopped

Juice of 2 limes

Zest of 1 lime

1 teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon ground coriander

½ teaspoon dried Mexican oregano (you can substitute regular oregano, but Mexican oregano is available in most grocery stores these days)

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

2 tablespoons tahini paste (available in either the Middle Eastern or Kosher sections of most supermarkets)

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Cold water as needed

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions

In the bowl of a food processor, combine all ingredients except the oil, water, and salt and pepper. Pulse to blend and then, with the processor running, drizzle in the oil. Check for consistency, and slowly add water until the hummus reaches the consistency you like. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed. This will keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator and is great as an appetizer or over grilled meats.

Hatch Chile Chimichurri

Chimichurri is a South American condiment made of chopped parsley, oregano, garlic, red wine vinegar, and oil. This is my take with my beloved Hatch chiles.

Ingredients

½ bunch Italian or flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped

½ bunch cilantro, roughly chopped

2 to 3 roasted Hatch chiles, roughly chopped

3 to 4 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled

½ teaspoon dried oregano

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

¼ cup red wine vinegar

¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

Add all ingredients to the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine. With the food processor running, drizzle in the olive oil. Check for seasonings. This can be kept in the refrigerator for up to a week and is great over most grilled meats and seafoods. It can be used as a marinade or used as a dip. I typically keep a jar of it in my fridge just to have on hand.

Remember, if you are too busy or too burdened with cranky children to go to the store, Central Market’s Curbside Pickup service is ready to help. Simply go online, place your order, and your groceries will be delivered to your car. It’s amazingly convenient and so easy!

The post Hatch Me If You Can! first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.

It’s here! It’s here! It’s here! Central Market’s 22^nd Annual Hatch Chile Festival starts on August 9 and runs through August 22, and they are ready with all sorts of goodies from the Land of EnHATCHment. There are few ingredients that I love more than Hatch chiles, so you can be sure that I’ll be picking up a case of milds and a case of hots to roast off and freeze to use throughout the year. I’ve come up with some more recipes for you all that use these lovely peppers, so get over to Central Market, get some Hatch chiles, and start cooking!

Hatch Chile Pesto

This pesto is great on almost everything – grilled meats and seafood, pasta salads, roasted vegetables, or grilled corn-on-the-cob.

Ingredients

• 10 roasted Hatch chiles, peeled, seeded, and roughly chopped (I use a mix of hots and milds, but you can use all hots or all milds, to taste)
• 2 to 3 cloves garlic, smashed, and peeled
• 1 bunch cilantro, ends of the stems trimmed off
• ½ cup toasted pine nuts or ¾ cup toasted pumpkin seeds** (available raw in the bulk section of Central Market)
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ¾ cup olive oil (you can use extra-virgin for this, but any olive oil will do)
• Water
• Salt to taste

Directions

**To toast the pine nuts or pumpkin seeds, toast them in a dry skillet over medium-high heat, shaking the skillet constantly until you can smell the nuts or seeds. Remove from the heat immediately, as burnt pine nuts or pumpkin seeds are rather less than delicious.

Put the chiles, garlic, cilantro, pine nuts or pumpkin seeds, lime juice, and cumin into the bowl of a food processor or blender. Puree until just blended. With the machine running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil and process until smooth. Add water a little at a time if you think the pesto is too thick. Season with salt and let sit in the refrigerator for at least an hour before using to allow the flavors to meld. This makes about 3 cups and will keep in the fridge for about 5 days. I’ve been known to add more lime juice and water to thin it into a great salad dressing!

Southwest by South Pimento Cheese

There are few things more Southern than pimento cheese, and there are few things more Southwestern than Hatch chiles. Fortunately, the addition of Hatch chiles to pimento cheese is a match made in culinary heaven!

Ingredients

• 2 8-oz blocks extra-sharp cheddar, shredded (pleasepleasePLEASE don’t use the shredded stuff in bags for this!)
• 1 8-oz block Monterrey Jack, shredded
• 1 8-oz package cream cheese, softened
• 1 small jar chopped pimentos, drained
• 4 to 5 roasted Hatch chiles, peeled, seeded, and diced (again, I use a mix of hots and milds)
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced as finely as possible
• 1/3 cup good mayonnaise, more or less**
• A dash or two of Worcestershire sauce
• Freshly-ground pepper

**If you don’t make your own mayonnaise, use either Duke’s or Hellman’s. Don’t use that tangy sandwich spread stuff!

Directions

Combine the cheese, pimentos, garlic, mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce, and pepper in a large mixing bowl. I always add the chopped Hatch chiles last because I want to make sure to get the cheese good and mixed before folding in the diced chiles. This keeps them from getting beaten up and messy. Let the cheese mixture stand in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving to allow the flavors to get to know each other. This is great on burgers, sandwiches, crackers, or just on a spoon. Makes about 6 cups and keeps for up to a week in the fridge, not that it will last that long! (If you’re a true HatchHead, cut a fresh Hatch chile in half, remove the seeds, stuff each half with this pimento cheese, and broil until the cheese is bubbly.)

Hatch Tamale Pie

If you’re not familiar with tamale pie, it has very little to do with real tamales. It’s simply a ground beef and vegetable filling topped with cornbread. Easy and fast. It’s not fancy food, but it sure is good! Of course, adding in Hatch chiles makes it that much better!

Ingredients

• 2 pounds lean ground beef
• 1 large onion, chopped (I use red onion for this, but use whatever color you like)
• 3 raw Hatch chiles, seeded and chopped (I like 2 hots and 1 mild in this)
• 2 to 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 16-oz can fire-roasted, diced tomatoes
• 1 16-oz can corn
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 recipe of your favorite cornbread, uncooked (I have been known to cheat and use Corn Kits. Shhhhh…)
• 2 roasted Hatch chiles, peeled, seeded, and chopped
• Shredded cheddar or Monterrey Jack, optional

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°.

Brown the ground beef in a large sauté pan or skillet and drain. Add the onions, raw Hatch chiles, and garlic and sauté until the onions are translucent. Add the tomatoes, corn, chili powder, cumin, coriander, salt, and pepper, and mix well. Allow the mixture to come to a simmer and cook for about 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

While the filling is cooking, make the cornbread batter according to directions. Stir in the roasted Hatch chiles.

You can make the tamale pie in a Dutch oven, pour the cornbread batter on top, sprinkle with the cheese (optional) and bake the whole thing in the Dutch oven, or you can put the filling in a casserole dish, cover with the cornbread batter, sprinkle with the cheese (optional) and bake. Either way, bake the tamale pie for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the top of the cornbread is golden brown, and a knife stuck in the topping comes out cleanly. Let this stand for about 10 minutes before serving. Serves 6.

Central Market truly becomes the Land of EnHATCHment during the Hatch Chile Festival! There are Hatch chiles in every department in the store, demonstrations and samples, and chiles roasting on the patio. For more information and more recipes, visit centralmarket.com and get to eating!

Lee Virden is a jack of all trades, master of none. She has been a bank teller, a chef and caterer (both in restaurants and in private service), a bookkeeper, a trainer, a legal assistant, and a writer. She is a proud graduate of the University of the South with a degree in Early European History. (She planned to be a professor but realized in the nick of time that professors have homework, which she never did when she was a student, so what made her think that she would do it as a professor?) While she has not used her degree in her, er, varied employment history, she is fabulous at cocktail parties. Most importantly, Lee is the proud mother of two absolutely amazing girls, to whom she refers in social media as the Girlchildren.

The post Land of EnHATCHment first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.