If you’ve been following along, you know that we just got back from Arizona and are still reeling from the beauty of the Sonoran desert and all the great food we ate in Scottsdale and Phoenix.

One of the must eat dishes on our list was Roaring Fork’s Green Chile Macaroni. After trying for two nights, without avail, to get into the packed restaurant, we managed to slide in on the third afternoon just as the bar was opening at 4:30. We took a table on the patio and shared this most delicious Mac & Cheese. It was well worth the wait. I determined on the spot to recreate the dish as soon as I got back to the LunaCafe OtherWorldly Kitchen.

I created this sauce as a green chile flavor element for the Green Chile Mac & Cheese Throw Down (which will post next) and then got to thinking how useful it would be in a good number of other dishes. For instance, it would be dynamite served with grilled fish or chicken or as an adjunct to enchiladas. It could also be used as a base for a silky soup, either hot or cold. I’d love to see it spiked with lime and served as a kind of Mexican Green Gazpacho.

Green Chile Crema

A creamy, silky sauce with a perfect balance of fiery heat, rich creaminess, and acidic and herbaceous counterpoints.

2 cups heavy cream

26 ounces fresh, stemmed, seeded, roasted, peeled green Anaheim chiles (about 3 cups) (or two 13-ounce cartons of Bueno Mild Organic Green Chile, available frozen from Whole Foods)

1 tomatillo, papery skin removed, sticky coating rinsed off, stemmed, chopped

2 tablespoons minced garlic

3 green onions, green parts only, chopped

sea salt, to taste

1. In a medium saucepan, heat the cream and add the chiles, tomatillo, and garlic. Simmer gently for 2-4 minutes and then remove from the heat. Let cool.
   
2. Using a blender, pour the cream and chile mixture into the container and liquefy.
   
3. Add the green onion and liquefy.
   
4. Season with salt to taste.
   
5. Pour the crema through a single mesh strainer to remove any remaining coarse particles. The crema should be very smooth.
   

Makes about 3 cups.