Fire Roasted Green Chile, Corn, Onion and Tomato Tostadas

Green chiles rule! I just scored 2 pounds of fresh Hatch New Mexico green chiles and couldn’t wait to get them on the grill. I love the relatively mild heat from the green chiles with the sweetness of fresh sweet corn, tomatoes, onions and both creamy and salty cheeses. I kept the seasoning down to just some salt because I wanted the veggies to shine here. If you are having a group over, consider having all the ingredients in separate bowls and letting people put their own toppings on the tostadas-you can get all the fire roasting done earlier in the day or even the day before.

Ingredients (makes 15):

1 pound fresh green chiles

15 small white corn flour tortillas

2 small white onions, peeled and cut into quarters, root end intact

3 plum tomatoes cut in half lengthwise

3 or more baby bell peppers (‘cuz they are fun and have lots of color and flavor)

2 ears fresh corn, steamed for 4 minutes in the microwave (just put a few tablespoons of water in a large microwaveable container, place the corn in and zap)

1 Tablespoon canola oil

½ cup Monterey jack or block mozzarella, diced

Salt to taste

½ cup Queso Fresco, crumbled

2 limes, cut into quarters

Fresh cilantro or parsley to garnish

Directions:

Heat a grill to medium high heat and throw on the chiles. Grill for about 10 minutes, turning frequently, until all sides start to blacken. Toss them in a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let sit for 15 minutes to steam then pull off and discard the skins. Cut off the stem and cut in half to remove the seeds. You can do this all easily with your fingers under a gentle stream of cool water. Don’t put the stems, skins and seeds down the garbage disposal, though. It will clog it up. Cut the chiles into strips.

Next, put the tortillas on the grill. Cook for about 2 minutes per side, or until just starting to color. Remove to a plate and set aside.

Place the onion quarters, tomato halves, baby bell peppers and corn cobs on a large tray (a baking sheet is great here) and sprinkle on the oil. Rub the oil over all the veggies to keep them from sticking to the grill.

Place all the veggies on the grill and cook for about 5-10 minutes until soft and starting to char. Remove back to the tray.

Using a sharp knife, cut the kernels from the corn and place in a mixing bowl. Chop the onions, tomatoes and bell peppers and place in the bowl with the corn. Add in the diced Monterey jack and strips of green chiles. Taste and add salt to your preference.

Place a few tortillas back on the grill and put a spoonful of the veggie mixture on top. Cook until the Monterey jack melts and then remove to individual plates. Garnish with Queso Fresco, cilantro or parsley and lime quarters, squeezing some lime juice over the top.