-=> Ben Collver wrote to Carol Shenkenberger <=-

 BC> I enjoyed reading about your fruit trees and garden preparation.
 BC> The plum trees have finished blooming here and the cherry tree
 BC> is out in full force for almost a week now.  My own body is
 BC> finally feeling the spring rush.  More energy, less aches.

 BC> Mom grew anaheims when i was a kid.  Different plants in the
 BC> same group produced peppers with varying amounts of heat.  Some
 BC> where mild and others where whoo hah!  Chile roulette.  I liked
 BC> the hotter ones best.

Anaheim/NumMx chilies range from 250 - 2500 SHU. My favourite is the
"Big Jim" which goes "above and beyone" the typical NuMex range and
into jalapeno territory. The NuMex Big Jim matures on the vine following 
the typical green to red chile coloration pattern, with the green chilies 
being less heat and more bright in flavor and the mature red version being
hotter and slightly sweeter. It has thick walls and a decent size cavity 
(great for stuffing). It's comparable to an Anaheim chili and it can 
easily be used as a bell pepper substitute given its size, flavor, and 
overall meatiness.
 
If you are growing your own I suggest NuMex Heritage Big Jims. You can
get seeds from Dr. Paul Bosland's Chile Pepper Institute @ New Mexico 
State University. They are the zippiest of that range of cultivars.

Here's a recipe I use with my own home grown chilies:

MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06
 
      Title: Green Chilies Rellenos (Stuffed Green Chilies)
 Categories: Latino, Vegetables, Chilies, Cheese
      Yield: 5 Servings
 
     10 lg Green chilies; NuMex, Big
           - Jim or Anaheim, roasted,
           - peeled, stems on
     10 oz Longhorn (yellow) or Jack
           - (white) cheese
      1 lg Onion; peeled, in thin
           - slivers, opt

MMMMM---------------------------BATTER--------------------------------
      1 c  All-purpose flour
      1 ts Baking powder
    1/2 ts Salt
    3/4 c  Cornmeal
      1 c  Milk
      2 lg Eggs; slightly beaten
 
  To make batter, combine flour, baking powder, salt and
  cornmeal. Blend milk with egg;then combine milk and egg
  mixture with dry ingredients. Add more milk if necessary
  for a smooth batter.
  
  Cut cheese into slices or batons 1/4" thick and the length
  of the chile pods. Make a small slit in roasted chile just
  big enough to insert cheese (you can also poke in some of
  the slivers of onion at this point).
  
  Heat a deep fryer or skillet w/an inch or so of oil to a
  temperature of 375oF/190oC.
  
  Using a spoon, dip stuffed chilies in batter then fry in the
  hot oil or lard until golden brown. Drain and serve. May be
  garnished with green chile sauce if desired.
  
  Uncle Dirty Dave's Kitchen
 
MMMMM

... Immortality gets boring after a few millennia.
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