Every September, spice enthusiasts descend upon Hatch, New Mexico for a celebration that revolves around a pepper – the Hatch chile. However, these medium-spicy peppers can also be found online anytime or occasionally stashed away in the freezer section at your local Trader Joe's. Try combining these fruity-flavored delights with garlic, sweet onions, and tomatillos to create an easy, irresistibly amazing salsa that's versatile enough to top your burger, give life to your enchiladas or liven up your morning eggs.

Comparatively speaking, Hatch chiles generally pack less heat than Jalapeños, although certain varieties can certainly bring the spice. The Hatch chile isn’t a particular type of pepper. The name comes from the fact that they're grown in New Mexico's Hatch Valley. A span of chile varieties that grow there each has a heat rating ranging between 1,000 to 8,000 on the Scoville Heat Units scale; jalapeños fall in the same range, between 2,500 and 8,000 SHU. Red Hatch chiles tend to be spicier than their green counterparts because they are left to ripen fully before being harvested, leading to an increased capsaicin level and thus a hotter pepper. But remember, this general rule only applies when comparing red and green Hatch chiles of the same variety.

Though some salsa makers roast the tomatillos, this specific recipe keeps them fresh and preserves their vibrant green color by choosing to boil them. This also results in a slightly firm texture that gives body to your salsa. The Hatch chiles, however, are roasted to give the salsa a smoky hint.

The recipe is created by Emily Nabors Hall while the text is written by Jodie Kautzmann. Try it at home:

Ingredients: • 1 1/2 pounds tomatillos (about 11 medium tomatillos), husks removed, quartered • 3/4 cup roasted, peeled, and chopped Hatch chiles • 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems • 1/4 cup chopped sweet onion • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice • 1 tablespoon chopped garlic • 2 teaspoons kosher salt • 1 teaspoon agave nectar

Instructions: Boil a large pot of water, then add the tomatillos until they soften. Remove from heat, drain and let it cool for 10 minutes. Transfer to a food processor along with the chiles, cilantro, onion, lime juice, garlic, salt, and agave, and blend until mostly smooth. This salsa can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks, stored in an airtight container.