My dh will be jealous. We lived in New Mexico for four years and never got to attend the Hatch Chile Festival in Hatch. I had no idea there was a Hatch Chile Festival in Texas.

We did get our roasted Hatch chiles earlier this month on our way home through New Mexico. They are mighty tasty. We also picked up some green chile powder. I had never seen it before. I guess they must dehydrate the chiles and then grind them up. Our favorite dish is the chile rellenos recipe from the sunset Cookbook.

We kept out a few chiles so we can try to grow some next year. I doubt they taste the same because the growing conditions aren't right.

Dawn,
I agree nothing like a NM chile. As you know I grow several. And they are doing well this year. Looks like I may have some big ones. They really like the hot weather. Was afraid the unusual humidity we had for a while might slow them down. Can't tell it did. I gave them a shot of the Bonnies every 7-10 days and feel that helped. I put up a picture of them I took late one evening last week. Need to get some better ones with better light. I have been picking a few along to eat with my Bacon/tomato sandwiches. Like this evening when I'm grilling I like to through a chile, fresh potato, onions, garlic,okra and anything else I might have from the garden in aluminum foil and grill them. I also roast any extra I have and freeze them. I'm so busy now with tomatoes and okra and trying to save seeds I don't have time to go get chiles even if I wanted too. I'm behind but have most of my tomato seed saving done for the season. I will be posting a list of my favorite small to large types in a few days while things are still fresh on my mind. Have some new favorites. I have tasted most now. Just a few left that I haven't tried. One is Golden Queen non USDA and I let the first one ruin on the counter. Did save some seeds from it. Glad you enjoyed the Hatch chiles.

Salsa Dancing Dog!

(My dog can do this!)

Here is a link that might be useful: Salsa Dancing Dog

Jay,

We've been enjoying the Hatch chiles and I froze some and gave some to DS to take to the fire station and share with his co-workers. They really liked them. (I don't think any of them were that impressed when he said he brought in Hatch chiles, but after they ate them, I believe they saw the light.....apparently they didn't realize how good Hatch chiles are until they ate some.)

Keith, My dogs are big, rough, tough guard-dog types and likely would die of embarassment if asked to wear a skirt and dance. However, having said that, that was a very talented dancing dog.

Our dogs mostly eat, bark, sleep, bark, roll on the ground, bark, scratch, bark, swim in the ponds when they have water in them, bark, play ball, bark, kill varmints, bark, and chase off humans with evil intent, while (of course) barking. I do give the dogs credit for the fact that we have not been burglarized even though some of our neighbors have been, and some as many as three times this summer. (Hope I didn't just jinx us, but who would be crazy enough to attempt to burglarize a property with 8 dogs?)

Every now and then the reigning, but now old, alpha male, Biscuit, rides in the truck to town and is treated to a McDonald's hamburger. He's too old to do much guard-dog type work any more, but he was quite ferocious in his day and once chased off someone who was apparently prowling around our place with evil intent. The idiot he chased off told people about how ferocious our dog was and told them "you sure can't go up there, he'll tear you up" which is how word of it got back to us to begin with. lol

I took three of the dogs for a walk in the cool morning air and they energetically 'danced and pranced' and exulted in the beautifil morning's weather, but you can't call what they did 'dancing' after seeing that YouTube video. I can't let my dogs see that video or they'll be depressed at their lack of ability. Jet, though, can carry two tennis balls in his mouth at one time....is that talent (or maybe just a really big mouth)?

Dawn

Dawn,

We have heelers, one 15 year old alpha male and one 22 month old female. The old male pretty much now just lays in the house and snores but the pup is actually fairly talented. I started working with her @ 13 weeks with frisbee, a 4" plastic flower pot bottom, then moved her up to an 8" corning ware cover at 17 weeks. She's been on the full size Whammo frisbee now for 9 months. She not only catches and returns, she puts it right in my hand!

Here's her baby picture.

{{gwi:2100861}} If I'm so cute, why do I always get in trouble?

And here she is at 18 weeks returning a frisbee.

{{gwi:2100862}}

She's somewhat darker in color now but is gonna stay mostly white, a Silver Heeler!

Keith

Keith,

She's so cute! She looks so young and energetic.

I love her coloring. She looks like a ghost dog. I've never seen a Silver Heeler before.

Dawn

I've never eaten Hatch Chiles before, they sound real hot. Are they?

Charlie

Charlie,
Hatch chiles are like Vidalia onions. The name comes from where they are grown. More than one variety is grown. And they range from mild to hot. Some of the varieties are those developed by NMSU. Others are heirlooms that have been saved and passed down. They are both open pollinated and hybrids. And chiles are like sweet peppers. The flavor changes as they change colors. I pick some green and let others turn red. I roast most of mine but not all. I eat some fresh either alone or on sandwiches ect. I grow all heat ranges. Although I like sweet peppers and jalapenos. NM chiles are my favorite and what I grow the most of usually. Not as many this year as in the past. Also many of the old growers I grew up around felt the flavor was better if they matured from late August till frost. And some studies show they do better in areas with low humidity and hot temps. A couple who are good friends of mine and run a small Mexican cafe and I were talking. They were raised in the same area of NM as I was. Her Dad was a know chile grower and Mexican cook in that area. He always direct sowed all of his peppers. Never started them inside. He was known for having the best chiles and for them being heavy producers. When direct sown they will not germinate so early and then mature later than a transplant. Although I start most of mine inside I transplant later than most around here. And like now many are asking why my chiles are doing so well and their's haven't. I will never transplant my chiles before I plant okra. Both like warm feet. I look for soil temps above 65 degrees and nights at least in the upper 50's before I will transplant chiles. Jay

Thank you Jay,

What is a good sweet chile pepper to plant? Does Big Jim fall into this category?

Charlie

Jay,

Great info, saved it to my clippings. Thanks! {{gwi:2100863}}

Charlie,

I didn't know what Hatch Chile Peppers were so I googled it and found this link that tells about the chiles and the festival. Be sure to watch the two videos, good stuff...

Here is a link that might be useful: Hatch Chiles

Charlie,

I'm sure Jay will be back later to tell you his favorite Anaheim types and there's nothing wrong with Big Jim but to me it is a little hot...not really mild, but more like medium-hot. I have wimpy pepper taste buds though, so Jay might say Big Jim is sweet and not very hot. I'm not sure if you're looking for something a little mild with some heat or something really mild with no heat.

If you're looking for outstanding varieties, you can't go wrong with anything from the New Mexico Chile Pepper Institute. I think Jay may be growing some of their Heritage peppers this year.

I've linked their website below.

Keith,

One of the first aroma's that says fall to me is the aroma of Hatch chili peppers roasting.

I've got all kinds of fresh and frozen Hatch chiles now, and plan to enjoy the fresh ones for another week or so and then we'll start using the frozen ones.

One of the local Mexican restaurants in Ardmore had an ad in the local paper this week saying it was time to come in and eat their chile rellanos as they'd just returned from Deming, NM, with a 'trailer-load' of chiles. Yum yum. I wonder just how big of a trailer-load they brought back.

Dawn

Here is a link that might be useful: NMSU Varieties at NM Chile Pepper Institute

Dawn

Nooooooo I am looking for sweet or mild definitely not hot as I too am a sensitive fellow, lol. Just looking for ideas for next year.

Charlie

Charlie,
I didn't grow any of the NMSU varieties this year but have seeds and will grow several next year including the heritage varieties. I've been in the garden most of the morning. And I believe it is Kim's Colassal that is getting several large ones on them. For the last few years I've been growing mainly some chile types and selections from a grower/breeder from Fowler, CO. He wrote some papers and did some work in conjunction with CSU. They grow a lot of chiles along the Arkansas Valley from Pueblo east to Lamar. Driving down the road you smell one stand after another roasting them. Basically all chile varieties came from NM including the Anaheims. All I grew this year are open pollinated. I do save seeds. Have never had problems in the past but did plant a little closer this year and also planted flowers amongst the tomatoes so had more pollinators. So won't know the purity of what I save this year till after I grow them out next year. Both Colossal Kim and Kim's Colossal along with a Joe E Parker selection and a selection of the Pueblo chile are all from him. Again I will have to do some checking. Getting ready to go watch the KSU football game on TV. I think it is Colossal Kim(which is a stable cross with Big Jim) that is the mildest. I'm also growing one from a saved NM Chile and that is what I call it. I have a picture of it on my photobucket site. It isn't as big as some but very meaty and thick fleshed and most are what I call mild. I grew a Navajo type from a reservation also. I leave most of mine to turn colors unless I want one to eat or roast. The others just continue to grow unless they change colors then I pick them and either freeze, roast and freeze or hang to dry. And don't think I've tried any of the Navajo's yet. I grew a selection the Pueblo Chile for several years that was mild. When I return I will do some checking and try to list some names. Big Jim is ok but there are several available I like better. There are also some good hybrids. Next year I will grow the Kim's and maybe the NM and Navajo and then the rest will be from NMSU. And I can't remember if they are hybrids or op's. Will have to check. It is hard to judge heat for someone else. What has a hint of heat to me burns my BIL and his brother up. The link Dawn posted explains it very well. I can set and eat something and be sweating and my mouth still won't be just burning up. Another will be on fire and they won't never sweat as they don't eat them that long. I will list a few of what are considered mild ones when I return. Weather especially moisture also can determine the heat a variety has. One reason one year the same variety will seem hotter. Cooking and roasting a chile will make them milder. If they are hot they will still be hot but will moderate some.

The types of chiles vary greatly. I remember and old NM grower who always said he could tell you on what side of US 66 a chile came from by looking at it. And in many cases the locale. I read an article I believe by NMSU recently that stated the same thing. Chiles vary is size and shape due to their uses and climate where they are grown along with local preferences. But like tomatoes growers tend to due selections when saving seeds so my Big Jim as an example may be hotter than that of another. So when I state a variety is mild it can depend on the source of the seeds along with the other variants I mentioned above how mild or hot yours will be. My suggestion is when you find one you like if it is an op just save seeds. Save enough so if a variety crosses one year you always have the true seeds to go back too. Jay

We visited the family in San Antonio this past weekend and loaded up on Hatch peppers from Central Market. We also got some Hatch scones to eat with our Hatch jelly...delicious! I love Central Market and usually have to be dragged out of there. I'm anxiously awaiting the opening of our very own Whole Foods here in OKC....

-Matt