Chipotle-adobo puree

Annie Somerville writes glowingly in her “Everyday Greens” cookbook about the many uses of chipotle puree. The sauce couldn’t be simpler: puree a can of chipotle chiles in adobo sauce. Since most Greens recipes are best suited for a leisurely afternoon in the kitchen (first make stock from scratch, chop a lot of things, roast things, then simmer it all for a while…) throwing a can of something in a blender is, well, unusual. And intriguing, especially given my infatuation with chiles. A trip to the local Mexican market for chiles, hominy and queso fresco, and to Segona's for vegetables, and a southwestern stew was on the menu that night.

The puree packs a punch, both in flavor and spice level, so needs an easy hand. Happily, since I like spice, it can be used as a spread or topping as well as an ingredient. It’s made its way into breakfast a few times this week, and will star in dinner some evening soon with the pasillo peppers we picked up at the farmers' market this morning.

The southwestern stew is based on a recipe in Everyday Greens. Chopping, roasting and simmering ensued, though it only took about an hour. The sauce is what really makes this stew special. It’s a plantain and tomato base with garlic, cumin, ancho chiles and the chipotle-adobo puree. I used roasted butternut squash, green beans, onions, a yellow pepper, and the hominy for this version, but anything seasonal and with a sweet and savory mix will do. The colors are absolutely gorgeous.