Johnsons's Garden Centers Text File document - copyright 2005
PDFfile available at http://www.johnsonsgarden.com/newsletter/misc.html

The Chile Tradition Continues
September/October 2005
Wes Hostetler, Johnson's East Store Manager

    The tradition continues. It's chile roasting time at Johnson's
Garden Centers! The aroma of fresh roasted peppers is filling the air.
It makes me hungry just thinking about them.

Annual Trips to Hatch, New Mexico
    We start each pepper season with our truck and trailer making the
trip to Hatch, New Mexico, around the 20th of August, when pepper
harvest starts each year. This summer our first trip was made by a
couple of newlyweds, Kristen and Dustin Chalfant. On our second trip to
Hatch, Marty talked his friend Ed Coon into driving down from KC to go
along for the ride. Soggy fields slowed down the harvest a bit, but
finally they were able to load the chile peppers at the field as they
were picked. That's as fresh as you can get! After a quick drive back to
Wichita, the peppers are stored in our cooler to preserve freshness. We
have several customers who used to make an annual trip to Hatch, just to
get their peppers. With the price of gas the way it is, I'm sure they
appreciate being able to pick up their roasted chile at Johnson's.

Roasted Green Chile
    The peppers are roasted in a large wire drum that is turned by an
electric motor. The heat is supplied by five 2" x 5" pipes for very
intense heat. It takes about five minutes to roast a batch of peppers.
We have a roaster at each location so you can call ahead with your order
or you can come in and watch your peppers being roasted. We usually have
a number of curious onlookers.

    The peppers are available in three sizes. The Sampler Bag is about
20 peppers. We also have a 1/2 Bushel size and a Large Bag with about
200 peppers. Several customer buy two ... three ... even four bags!

    Choose from mild, medium, hot and extra-hot (available in limited
supply for really brave souls). If you were at CHILE FEST in August, you
had a chance to sample the peppers straight or in a number of excellent
sauces and dishes. We will be glad to give you a sample if you stop in.
We've compiled our favorite recipes for those just starting with peppers
or those looking for new ways to use their chile peppers.

Ristras and More
    Ristras are strands of red peppers tied together at the stems to
hang upside down. They resemble banana bunches and are very decorative.
We'll have them in one, two and three ft. lengths in mid September.
Ristras last for months and you can pull off the dried red peppers one
or two at a time to use for cooking. We also offer red chile powder made
from Hatch chile. This is a great cooking companion for your roasted
green chile.