In a medium bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, salt and baking soda. Set aside.

Combine the rice and water in a bowl of a rice cooker and cook until the rice is cooked. Alternatively, you can cook this in a small saucepan. Combine the rice and water and bring the water to a simmer over medium-low heat. Cover the pan and cook until the rice is tender and the water has evaporated, about 10 to 15 minutes. You should end up with about 1 cup, plus 1 tablespoon, of rice. If you end up with more, only use 1 cup, plus 1 tablespoon; consider any leftovers a snack! Place the rice in a bowl and transfer to the fridge so it can dry out a bit, about 1 hour. You can also cook this the night before.

In a measuring cup, measure out the buttermilk, and whisk in the half of an egg and melted butter. Pour the buttermilk mixture into the cornmeal mixture and whisk until combined. Fold in the cooled rice and chives.

Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot and shimmering (you can test it by dropping a few pieces of rice in it; if it sizzles, it's ready), drop a few tablespoons of the rice mixture, pressing them down gently to flatten. You may also find it helpful to shape the cakes a bit with a spatula. I did this so they were more perfect circles. Cook them until golden brown and crispy on both sides, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer the cakes to a bed of paper towels to drain.

To make the succotash, melt the butter in a medium saute pan, set over medium heat. Throw in the shallot, zucchini, corn kernels, yellow squash, hatch chile and a few pinches of salt and pepper. Cook for about 2 to 4 minutes, until the zucchini bright green and tender. No over cooking veggies here! Fold in the diced bacon and cook for an additonal minute, just until it's warmed.

To serve the cakes, divide amongst plates, I gave people about two per person. Top with a few spoonfuls of succotash. Yum!