Hatch chile grits cakes with peach-citrus salsa makes a delightful appetizer that could easily turn into a light meal. The combination of fresh fruit and vegetables to top hearty grits is an ideal pairing.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Rediscovering America . The opinions and text are all mine.
There’s nothing better than visiting a local favorite restaurant that incorporates fresh produce into its meals. That’s what I experienced recently when I visited Beckett’s Table restaurant in Phoenix for a lovely meal.
From the moment my husband and I walked in the door at Beckett’s Table, the staff were friendly, warm, and welcoming. The food?? I was over the moon with the amazing combination of flavors and pairings! Chef Justin Beckett and his team create amazing meals!
Chef Beckett teamed up with Walmart to help shine a spotlight on locally grown produce available at select Walmart stores. This partnership was part of Walmart’s program – Rediscovering America – which tasked nine celebrated chefs across the U.S. with creating one-of-a-kind dishes featuring Walmart fresh, local, and organic produce.
Chef Beckett’s special appetizer that evening was a smoked Hatch chili rice grit cake appetizer. Oh, was it amazing! I loved all the flavors and really wanted to try my hand at something similar.
I was so inspired by the dish that I couldn’t wait to make a fresh salsa as a topping for my own grits cakes.
Hatch chile grits cakes with peach-citrus salsa makes a delightful appetizer that could easily turn into a light meal. The combination of fresh fruit and vegetables topping hearty grits is an ideal pairing. Every bite of the salsa was amazing because it combined sweet peaches, tangy citrus, bits of garlic, creamy avocado, and bright cherry tomatoes. I could eat the salsa alone all day long!
I love Walmart’s Rediscovering America program. It’s great to know that you don’t have to be close to a farmers market or expensive grocery store to get access to fresh and vibrant produce.
In fact, Walmart works with thousands of American farms and farmers to help bring high-quality local produce to their stores at an affordable price. You can even use Walmart’s online grocery service to get your local, organic, and fresh fruits and vegetables ready for pickup by the time you get the store!
What are your favorite veggies to use when you cook? I love that these Hatch chile grits cakes with peach-citrus salsa were easy to make, and include a variety of seasonal veggies (and a bit of fruit) in the topping. Anytime I can add Hatch chiles to a dish I’m making is a good day in my book!
Check it out: I even put them in into a dessert dish. My apple and Hatch chile crisp is a fun way to enjoy chiles with dessert!
I love the inspiration this experience had on me! Give my Hatch chile grits cakes with peach-citrus salsa a go. I think you’ll love all the fabulous flavors involved!
Patricia Conte/Grab a Plate
Yields Serves 4-6
5 based on 6 review(s)
Ingredients
- 2 peaches, skin peeled, and diced
- 2 avocados, diced
- 10-12 cherry tomatoes, cut into quarters
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Juice from half a large lemon
- Juice from half a lime
- 1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup uncooked grits
- 3 cups water
- Salt & black pepper to season
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons diced Hatch chilies
Instructions
- Before you’re ready to serve the grits, make the salsa. Add the garlic, tomato, peaches, and avocado to a medium boil. Add the lemon and lime juice, the oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Toss to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Add parchment paper to two baking pans and lightly spray with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
- Cook the grits according to the package directions. For the grits I used, I brought the water to a boil, added the grits, salt, and pepper, and reduced the heat to medium-low. I cover the grits with a lid, and stirred each minute or so. After 15 minutes, I added the butter and Hatch chiles. I stirred to combine all the ingredients, and cooked for another 3-5 minutes.
- After the grits have cooked, transfer the mixture to one baking pan. Spread it out evenly in the shape of a rectangle, about 11-inches long, by 7-inches wide and 1/2-inch thick.
- Refrigerate the pan for 1-2 hours.
- Remove from the refrigerator and allow to stand for several minutes. Use a round cookie cutter or the open end of a round glass to cut circles out of the grits. There will be trimmings left behind. Slice the remaining grits into small triangles. Transfer to the remaining baking pan.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Place the rounds and triangles in the oven for about 8-10 minutes. Remove and allow the grits to cool for several minutes.
- Serve the rounds and triangles warm, and topped with the salsa.
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