Hatch green chile fever ready to heat up in Southern California

It’s almost time for Southern California to once again be blanketed with the perfume of roasting green chiles — Hatch chiles, to be specific.

Grown in a small, hot, dry valley in an out-of-the-way corner of southwest New Mexico, Hatch green chiles are becoming a treasured regional ingredient in California, along the lines of Georgia’s Vidalia sweet onion on the East Coast.

Starting Aug. 1, more than 70 chile roastings are scheduled at supermarkets and other locations in Los Angeles, Ventura and Orange counties. They’ll continue into September.

Green chiles, which range in temperature from spicy to incendiary, are to New Mexican food what tomatoes are to Italian cooking. They are ubiquitous in sauces and are delicious when stuffed and fried for chiles rellenos.

At the roastings, the green chiles are generally sold by the bushel. They’re tumbled in a contraption that looks something like a giant bingo drum suspended over a propane flame. After being turned in the roaster to char the skin — just a few minutes — you get the chiles to take home.

Green chiles prepared this way can be frozen as-is to be pulled out and used throughout the year. They must be peeled before using.

Because of their popularity, Hatch chiles are threatened by unscrupulous sellers who use that name to sell peppers grown in other areas. Because of that, Hatch chile growers have banded together to ask the government to recognize their crop, similar to what has been done by Vidalia onion growers and Napa Valley winemakers.

Duane Gillis, a member of a five-generation family of Hatch chile growers and president of the Hatch Chile Assn., says his group has appealed to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to recognize Hatch chiles as a special product coming from a certain place. (Particularly infuriating is a canned chile product sold under the “Hatch” brand by a company based in Georgia.)

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“Any chile grown in the Hatch Valley has a unique flavor because of our warm, dry climate,” says Gillis, whose great-grandfather began farming in the area just after the turn of the last century and whose sons are now starting in the business.

“The main thing Hatch chile is known for is the sweet flavor. Even though it can be very hot, it has a sweetness that no other place does.”

If you can’t make it to a local roasting, you can always order online from the Hatch Chile Store, run by fifth-generation farmers in the area.

Here is a list of Hatch chile roastings scheduled for the area. The Santa Monica Saturday farmers market at Virginia Park also will have green chile roasts through October, with New Mexico-type chiles grown by California farmers.

Saturday, Aug. 1

Rancho Santa Margarita Pavilions, 22451 Antonia Parkway, Rancho Santa Margarita, (949) 858-0164.

Saturday, Aug. 8

La Habra Albertsons, 1800 W. Whittier Blvd., La Habra, (562) 697-6442.

La Puente El Rey Farms, La Puente High School, 15615 Nelson Ave. E., La Puente, (562) 946-8040.

Norwalk Northgate, 11660 E. Firestone Blvd., Norwalk, (562) 863-8203.

West Covina Northgate, 1320 W. Francisquito Ave., West Covina, (626) 919-5183.

Upland Vons, 82 West Foothill Blvd., Upland, (909) 981-7709.

Sunday, Aug. 9,

Anaheim Northgate, 720 W. La Palma Ave., Anaheim, (714) 563-0721.

Bell Northgate, 6801 S. Atlantic Ave., Bell, (323) 562-2188.

Friday, Aug. 14

San Clemente Ralphs, 903 S. El Camino Real, San Clemente, (949) 361-8729.

Saturday, Aug. 15

Arcadia Albertsons, 298 E. Live Oak Ave., Arcadia, (626) 446-1416.

Buena Park Northgate, 6991 Lincoln Ave., Buena Park, (714) 252-8022,

Huntington Beach Ralphs, 5241 Warner Ave., Huntington Beach, (714) 377-0024.

La Cañada Flintridge Gelson’s, 635 Foothill Blvd., La Cañada Flintridge, (818) 790-0563.

La Cañada Flintridge Ralphs, 521 Foothill Blvd., La Cañada Flintridge, (818) 790-0584.

Long Beach Ralphs, 6290 E. Pacific Coast Highway, Long Beach, (562) 795-0167.

Los Angeles Northgate, 425 S. Soto St., Los Angeles, (323) 262-0595.

Palm Desert Bristol Farms, 73101 Country Club Drive, Palm Desert, (760) 674-0169.

Paramount Northgate, 16259 Paramount Blvd., Paramount, (562) 259-9950.

Sunday, Aug. 16

Anaheim Northgate, 929 S. Euclid St., Anaheim, (714) 991-1950.

Long Beach Northgate, 4700 Cherry Ave., Long Beach, (562) 423-1300.

Malibu Ralphs, 23841 W. Malibu Road, Malibu, (310) 456-2917.

Pasadena Ralphs, 3601 E. Foothill Blvd., Pasadena, (626) 351-8806.

Friday, Aug. 21

Huntington Beach Ralphs, 19081 Goldenwest St., Huntington Beach, (714) 960-8756.

Saturday, Aug. 22

Carpinteria Albertsons, 1018 Casitas Pass Road, Carpinteria, (805) 684-4815.

Costa Mesa Albertsons, 2300-C Harbor Blvd., Costa Mesa, (949) 515-7227.

El Monte Northgate, 3828 N. Peck Road, El Monte, (626) 442-8200.

Encino Ralphs, 17840 Ventura Blvd., Encino, (818) 345-6882.

La Puente Northgate, 831 N. Hacienda Blvd., La Puente, (626) 435-1440.

La Puente El Rey Farms, La Puente High School, 15615 Nelson Ave. E., La Puente, (562) 946-8040.

Marina del Rey Ralphs, 4311 Lincoln Blvd., Marina del Rey, (310) 574-0909.

Palm Desert Albertsons, 74590 Highway 111, Palm Desert, (760) 346-2566.

Pico Rivera Northgate, 9101 E. Telegraph Road, Pico Rivera, (562) 949-6143.

Santa Monica Bristol Farms, 3105 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica, (310) 829-3137.

Tustin Ralphs, 13321 Jamboree Road, Tustin, (714) 544-0491.

Sunday Aug. 23

La Habra Northgate, 580 W. La Habra Blvd., La Habra, (562) 691-8032.

Long Beach Northgate, 2038 E. 10th St., Long Beach, (562) 438-1062.

Los Angeles Ralphs, 11727 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles, (310) 473-5238.

Santa Ana Northgate, 770 S. Harbor Blvd., Santa Ana, (714) 775-5555.

Studio City Ralphs, 12842 Ventura Blvd., Studio City, (818) 761-6196.

Saturday, Aug. 29

Costa Mesa Ralphs, 380 E. 17th St., Costa Mesa, (949) 645-8283.

La Puente El Rey Farms, La Puente High School, 15615 Nelson Ave. E., La Puente, (562) 946-8040.

Los Angeles Ralphs, 260 S La Brea Ave., Los Angeles, (323) 937-3264.

Manhattan Beach Bristol Farms, 1570 Rosecrans Ave., Manhattan Beach, (310) 643-5229.

Montebello Albertsons, 2469 Via Campo, Montebello, (323) 888-2250.

Newport Beach Gelson’s, 1660 San Miguel Drive, Newport Beach, (949) 644-8660.

Reseda Albertsons, 19307 Saticoy St., Reseda, (818) 772-0010.

Rolling Hills Bristol Farms, 837 Silver Spur Road, Rolling Hills Estates, (310) 541-9157.

San Juan Capistrano Ralphs, 31874 Del Obispo St., San Juan Capistrano, (949) 661-6102.

Sunday, Aug. 30

Anaheim Ralphs, 711 S. Weir Canyon Road, Anaheim, (714) 283-8711.

Sherman Oaks Ralphs, 14440 Burbank Blvd., Sherman Oaks, (818) 989-5640.

Villa Park Ralphs, 17801 Santiago Blvd., Villa Park, (714) 998-0041.

Saturday, Sept. 5

Long Beach Gelson’s, 6255 E. 2nd St., Long Beach, (562) 430-6042.

Newport Beach Bristol Farms, 810 Avocado Ave., Newport Beach, (949) 760-6514.

South Pasadena Bristol Farms, 606 Fair Oaks Ave., South Pasadena, (626) 441-5450.

Torrance Albertsons, 24325 Crenshaw Blvd., Torrance, (310) 784-1020.

Saturday, Sept. 12

Dana Point Gelson’s, 24 Monarch Bay Plaza, Dana Point, (949) 488-8147.

La Puente El Rey Farms, La Puente High School, 15615 Nelson Ave. E., La Puente, (562) 946-8040.

Saturday, Sept. 19

La Puente El Rey Farms, La Puente High School, 15615 Nelson Ave. E., La Puente, (562) 946-8040.

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