Hatch Green ChileFest is this Saturday!
Hello, again!
On the Great Divide Mountain bike route there are a few spots that are regular stops for one reason or another. It is usually a resupply point of food for the next section or a food stop to get a good meal. One such spot is about route mile 475 on Highway 83, about 75 miles south of Ferndale, Montana. Arrival time depends on one's pace; for me it’s about a day's ride after a meal, so The Hungry Bear Steak House is a welcome sight after riding down the Mission Mountain Range.
On one ride, I remember ordering a green chile bacon cheeseburger (my go-to when it’s on the menu.) The waiter apologized for the butter-toasted bun being a little overcooked. After he offered to remake it, I declined the offer and what I found was the best thing ever - a slightly crunchy, buttery bun with green chile smothering the burger. I knew at that time I was going to have this on the menu at Smokin’ Joe’s burger stand!
This Saturday is ChileFest 2025 at the stores. We'll be serving up our version of that Montana green chile cheeseburger: a ⅓ pound patty with a generous helping of fire roasted green chile peppers from Hatch, New Mexico. By popular demand, we’ll be serving our pork chile verde by the bowl as well. ChileFest is a great opportunity to sample the heat levels of green chile, as well as check out all the ways we use this celebrated pepper. Check out this video from our West store to see more.
This year at ChileFest and on my Green Chile Road Trip, we are making small batch fresh roasted green chile peppers available. It’s perfect for those who are wanting to take it home and use it right away. While it doesn’t take long to thaw one of our sample packs, having it ready to use is convenient. Here are my upcoming Green Chile Road Trip stops:
Join us at Central Standard Brewing on September 5th where we’ll be roasting chile. It’ll be available in the grab-and-go packs. Tommy’s Apizza will also be on site making a hatch green chile brisket pizza as well. Come and enjoy a CSB beverage and pizza with our green chile!
If you’re wanting to get one of the butter-toasted green chile cheeseburgers with garlic or a bowl of pork chile verde, join us Sunday, September 7th for the 8th Annual Orie’s Garlic Fest in Old Town. Enjoy walking the brick-lined streets of Wichita’s historic Old Town district while taking in the aroma of the city’s best garlicky fare. It’s here you’ll find vendors, including farms, ranches, food artisans and handmade artists (and Johnson’s green chile!), as well as garlicky products galore, and Orie’s popular complimentary garlic shots. Orie's Garlic Fest is from 11am to 4pm.
Riding down the Mission Range in Montana isn’t the most scenic part of the Great Divide Mountain bike route. It’s a gravel road in the middle of a forest. You can’t see the beauty of the area because of the trees! But after passing Highway 83 to make the ascent up Richmond Pass, if you look back towards the west to see the Mission Range in the evening light, it is magical, and one of my favorite spots on the route. I'll have to say it brings a tear to my eye every time I’m there.
Our stores are stocking up with all the fall plants for your garden or patio. Soon we’ll have our homegrown mums, ornamental cabbage and kale, ornamental peppers, pumpkins and more; I know you’ll find something to freshen up your home for fall!
Your friend in the garden,
Marty Johnson
Owner - Johnson's Garden Centers
P.S. - Don't miss the specials at our Labor Day Weekend Sale, today-Monday. We're open Labor Day 9am-3pm.
