From the New World

We got a dozen poblano peppers from the Nice People's stand at Findlay Market on Saturday. Normally we'd make Chiles Rellenos, but these were teeny little half-sized peppers, too finicking to stuff and fry individually. We roasted them, and waited for inspiration, which came on Wednesday.

New Joy has a recipe for a fresh corn casserole with roasted green chiles. We sautéed the kernels from three cobs of bicolor corn with half a red onion, chopped up six of the poblanos, and added them and a grated 8-ounce block of monty jack/colby cheese to the eggy custard Joy recommended. The only seasoning was dry oregano, salt and pepper. Strangely enough, Joy gives no oven temperature or timing, but we baked it uncovered at the People's Temperature (375 degrees), and it was puffy and golden at 45 minutes.

This is New World comfort food ("you call it corn, we call it maize") with the subtle zap of chiles. Actually, not so subtle, as you can never predict the heat level of individual chiles, and one or two little darlings in this batch were of the eye-watering level of Hatch or Chimayo, luckily calmed by their eggy surroundings plus a couple of cold Goose Island beers. Still, the dish warmed us both with memories of New Mexico: my first, incendiary, taste of green chiles while visiting Phoebe and her Mom and Dad in Santa Fe, while Holt was more or less weaned on a jalapeño and raised on a "bowl of green."