Before leaving on our trip I noticed that Haggens, who had made a big deal of them in past years, didn't even put up a special display. And Fred Meyer appeared to have none. So I phoned my local Whole Foods Market and got a man who identified himself as the brand new produce manager. He had no idea what a Hatch green chile was and was illiterate about heat levels and when I tried to explain why Hatch chiles are a significant event he responded condescendingly like I'd tried to show him pictures of my grandchildren. (Btw, I have no grandchildren.)
So I called another Whole Foods close to Seattle that previously went all-out on Hatch chiles. The produce guy seemed super knowlegeable, said that it had been a difficult year in Hatch, that the mediums had all got 'burnt' and only milds and xtra-hots were available so far and mediums probably wouldn't come in at all. Oh, and all were tasting above their typical Scoville level. He'd only received xtra hots.
Then we left on our trip. I figured I'd have time to call around while away and round up some chiles somewhere. Randomly, I called a QFC store that I remembered seeing chiles at in the past and they told me oh yes, they have Hatch chiles--and they're all mediums. His price was .99 cents/lb but if I bought cases his price was $20 for a 25 lb case. Cool, and I had him set aside two cases for me, but why does QFC only have mediums?
So I found a phone number for a green chile farmer and online merchant in Hatch, NM, and asked for the scoop: this isn't a mild year like last year, she said, but the medium class didn't get 'burnt' and all are tasting fairly true to the heat levels expected of their varieties.
On our way from Corvallis where we'd seen the Eclipse and Mt. Ranier, our next camping destination, Bob and I stopped at a Safeway. They had a big pile of Hatch chiles, but only milds. And get this: 50 cents a pound. But it was too early, I had no place to store them, so I wasn't buying but I did buy four chiles to roast that night and test for heat. Verdict: two spicy, one extra spicy (for a mild) and one with no heat whatsoever. Totally inconclusive except to say I'd -probably be happy with the milds.
So then Mt. Ranier's done and I'm on the phone looking for chiles to buy on the way home. I find a Safeway in Tacoma with two cases of milds, GREAT. We go there. And when I get there they have a tiny dish on display labelled Anaheim chiles and want $2.49 per lb. I tell them they were .50 at Kelso. The produce lady looked at me like I had two heads. I say I'm not paying 2.49, get a manager. Well, the Manager isn't in so there's nothing she can do. Exasperated, I say surely someone's been left in charge and I'll go find him or her myself. And I did. And that guy says he can't help what a store in another county does so forget him matching Kelso's price, and gets on the phone to locate the real Produce Dept manager at home to find out that the correct store price for Hatch chiles is $1.49/lb so yeah they'd blown it, but she told him to tell me that "Anaheims taste just the same". And of course, that really lit me off. The lecture that inspired included a demand that they provide a case discount like everybody else does because of course there would be a certain amount of discard and that should be factored into their price. "For that reason QFC gives case discounts, Whole Foods gives case discounts, but you don't?" No.
What kept me from walking out, besides time, was that they thought these cases were 20 lbs where they were probably 25 so I was actually going to get a 20% discount even if they didn't intend it.
And then I went to the QFC I'd called days ago and bought a case of mediums after pinching off the end of one and finding it in fact quite mild. (A few years ago, a case of mediums I'd bought ate more like xtra hots and we basically tossed them out after the fact, so I know to test first.)
So that's my long sad story, and I feel better now.
Chile roasting party today: I'm doing tacos featuring a fat slice of roast pork shoulder with oregano-marinated green chiles and cheese. Also, for snacking chips and a fresh green salsa, and a shrimp escabeche. Guests are bringing a pot of beans, a slaw, desserts, and tequila-based cocktails. Everyone will go home with chiles.