Green Chile Piñon Burgers | In the Blue Hour

Today I'm kicking off a TLC Book Tour for Elizabeth Hall's new novel, In the Blue Hour. The majority of this story is set in beautiful (or so I imagine) Northern New Mexico. For somebody who doesn't like extreme heat, I've always entertained the idea of trying New Mexico on for size—especially after immersing myself in a book dripping with such inviting descriptions of the area.

Elise Brooks lost her husband 8 months ago when, driving her car, sailed off the edge of a cliff. She has been lost in grief and guilt every day since it happened, especially since she saw it happen in a dream almost a month in advance. Even knowing how in-tune Michael and that part of her family were with dreams and the spirit world, she never told him about her dream, because she didn't see him in the car. Now, she can't help blaming herself.

After finally working up the courage to unlock and enter Michael's studio, which sits on their land, very near their cabin, she encounters her husbands final piece of art. He brought beautiful birds to life, carving them from found pieces of wood, and on a table in the middle of the room sat a 2 foot tall raven, with obsidian eyes.

Not long after, she sees an actual raven that seems to be watching her; she also hears someone calling her name and often sees movement from the corner of her eye. Michael was Native American, as is her best friend (and Michael's cousin) since elementary school, Monica. She was present at many family functions and knew their connection with the earth and belief in the spirit world. Lorena, Monica's mom, is even a healer.

The scent of roasting green chiles, as much a part of New Mexico fall as the cottonwoods, wafted on the breeze.

She really believed that Michael was trying to tell her something important. Aided by a series of encounters with a seer, a conjurer, a hoodoo practitioner, an old Cherokee man, and a scientist, she sets off to try and figure out what it is.

She'd always doubted her own ability to figure things out, but in the end, realized (with much help) that she was the only one who could truly know what path she needed to be on.

I found the story and the settings (from Northern New Mexico to the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee) to be absolutely enchanting. I've always had a connection with Native American heritage and art, as well as a belief in the spirit world, and those sensitive enough to be a bridge between our two worlds, and In the Blue Hour had all of these things and more. I actually found myself shivering at parts, as I often do when opening myself up to that deeper connection.

If you've read and enjoyed the book Isabel's Daughter by Judith Ryan Hendricks, then you should definitely run, not walk, to pick up a copy of this book.

And the food! There was so much food. If you're not craving enchiladas, a bowl of green or red chili with homemade tortillas, huevos rancheros, or a cream pie as you read these pages...you're not paying attention. There were also mentions of other deliciousness like pot roast, prickly pears, chicken salad sandwiches, pulled pork and coleslaw, wild plums, apples, currants, coffee, lemonade, tomatoes, trout, pizza, steak, almond-crusted brie, mango chicken enchiladas, kale salad, guacamole, gravy and biscuits, green beans with bacon...I could continue.

Both women knelt on a blanket, picking piñon nuts, trying to fill their numerous coffee cans. The Madrid family, like many families in this area, had been harvesting piñon nuts for generations, and Elise had been a part of the outing for as long as she could remember. All during the fall and winter, Lorena would take small batches of the nuts, soak them in salt water, then toss them in her heated cast-iron skillet until the water had steamed off and the shells were left with a salty, deep-brown coating.

I really wanted to make something that used piñon nuts (or pine nuts) in honor of the Madrid family (Monica and Michael's family) that harvested them every year, and had been for generations. I also wanted to use the roasted New Mexico chiles that I was craving so badly throughout the book. So, I found a recipe from an Edible magazine for meatballs that utilized both, saying that roasted chiles and pine nuts were a staple in New Mexico freezers.

I wound up turning the mixture into burgers...unusual burgers studded with raisins, pine nuts, and onions that were infused with brown sugar and allspice. They were good, if a bit unusual, but I can see how the picadillo-ish meat mixture would make fabulous meatballs.

In the Blue Hour

author: Elizabeth Hall
publisher: Lake Union Publishing (November 1, 2016)
genre: Literature & Fiction, Women's Fiction
soft cover:316 pages

"foodie" read: It's not meant to be (I don't think), but kind of—there's a lot of good food mentioned throughout.

opening sentence: The night waited.

teaser: Elise Brooks dreams of a car accident on an icy road. Weeks later, her beloved husband, Michael, is killed in just such a crash. Now, overcome with grief and uncertainty, Elise believes his spirit may be following her in the form of a raven, trying to tell her something from beyond the grave.

Desperate to understand the signs, Elise embraces both the Native American wisdom she grew up with and the world of psychics and seers. So when a tarot-card reader suggests she take a journey to the mysterious address found in Michael’s old jacket, she embarks on a cross-country trek to follow the clues.

Accompanied by Tom Dugan, an engineer and scientist who does not believe in psychics, mediums, or the hoodoo “conjure woman” they encounter on the road, Elise navigates the rituals and omens of the spirit world in an attempt to unravel the mystery of her husband’s message.

about the author: Elizabeth Hall, author of Miramont’s Ghost, has worked as a teacher, communications consultant, and radio host. She spent many years in the mountains of Colorado and now resides in the Pacific Northwest, where she indulges in the fiber arts of knitting, beading, and weaving.

recipe inspired by the book: Green Chile Piñon Meatballs

yield: 4Author: Heather Schmitt-Gonzalezprint recipe

Green Chile Piñon Burgers

prep time: 10 MINScook time: 8 MINStotal time: 18 mins

Studded with roasted green chiles, pine nuts, and raisins, these burgers resemble picadillo with a New Mexico twist.

INGREDIENTS:

For the burgers:

• 1 pound ground beef (85/15)
• 1/4 cup chopped roasted green chiles (preferably New Mexico chiles)
• 1/4 cup finely minced onion
• 1/4 cup raisins, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup piñon nuts (pine nuts)
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper

For the Sweet Green Chile Sauce:

• 1/2 cup finely chopped roasted green chiles (preferably New Mexico chiles)
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Combine all of the ingredients for the meatballs, except the flour and oil, in a large bowl and mix until well-combined. Form the mixture into 4 thick burger patties.
2. Preheat a grill or a cast-iron skillet and cook burgers until done to your liking.
3. To make the sauce, stir all of the ingredients together in a small bowl. Serve the burgers on grilled or toasted buns (or on lettuce, if you prefer), smothered in the sweet green chile sauce.

http://www.allroadsleadtothe.kitchen/2016/11/green-chile-pine-nut-burgers.html

-adapted from these meatballs at Edible Santa Fe/Albuquerque/Taos, who adapted from Cocinas de New Mexico

Created using The Recipes Generator

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.