Grilled Fresh Chiles with Pickled Red Onions, Tortillas and Cheese
Serves 6
One of the simplest and most delicious summer treats I ever had were slow grilled peppers on tortillas with a little cheese and pickled onions at the Tierra Vegetables farm near Healdsburg California, close to where I live. They grow lots of different fresh chile peppers and also produce a whole range of dried and smoked chipotle chiles that you can order for home delivery. Ph: (707) 837-8366 and web site is www.tierravegetables.com. This recipe is a great excuse to go to your nearest Farmer's Market and buy whatever chile peppers are there!
2 pounds or so mixed fresh sweet and hot chile peppers of your choice
12 ten-inch or so fresh flour or corn tortillas
12 ounces grated asadero, jack or other mild melting cheese
Pickled onions (recipe follows)
Slowly grill the chiles over moderately low heat so that they char just slightly and cook through in about 10 minutes. Split chiles in half and discard stems and seeds. Pull off and discard any of the charred skin and set chiles aside.
Place tortillas on grill over low heat a lay cheese over one half of the tortilla. Top the cheese with an assortment of peppers and cook until cheese just melts. Fold tortilla over and eat along with some of the pickled onions. Yum!
 Pickled Onions
Makes about 1-1/2 cups
2 small red onions (10 - 12 ounces or so)
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds, ground
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican variety
2 cloves garlic, peeled and thickly sliced
1/2 cup white wine or cider vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
Salt and freshly ground pepper to your taste
Peel and slice the onion into 1/8-inch thick rings. Blanch them in a small saucepan for just a few seconds in lightly salted boiling water then immediately drain and run under cold water.
Add remaining ingredients to the pan along with the blanched onions and water if necessary to just cover the onions. Bring to a boil then immediately remove from the heat and pour into a bowl to cool. These should be made at least a couple of hours ahead of time for flavors to develop. Season to your taste with salt and pepper. Store covered and refrigerated up to 2 weeks.
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