Around the third week in August, every grocery store (both of 'em!) and vacant lot along main street in our nearest little town has a roaster and a few dozen 40-pound bags of green chiles. Virtually all of 'em are from the Hatch-Deming harvest, and they are indeed fine chiles. Once those roasters crank up of a morning, the whole valley smells like heaven!
Before the Spaniards wandered into this area in the 1500's, the native Americans were growing them in the west sloes of the Sandia and Sangre de Christo Mountains. The very best of them were grown in a little area that would become what is now called Chimayo (CHI-my-oh). That's just the other side of the hill, so to speak, so I go over there to get mine. I'll roast up 60-80 pounds of them each September, pack 'em up somewhat like you see Vermin's plunder and stick them in the freezer. They generally last most of the way to the next harvest, but we are always glad to hear the chiles are getting close to ready! The Chimayo chiles have a little tougher skin and a slightly more earthy flavor, but I really like 'em. If you like green chiles and ever get the chance to get some from Chimayo, jump at it. Their chili powder is also fantastic, and you can find that online sometimes.
Wiley