When they roast the Hatch chiles for you

This is kind of a southwest thing, and I guess they don't tell you about it because it's as matter-of-fact as fresh tortillas, or raspberries, or toilet paper, or 900 kinds of cereal, or an entire wall of canned and bottled chiles. 

But as a stranger to these here parts, I couldn't help noticing ... 

In August and (depending on the season) into early September, you can buy Hatch chiles at the supermarket by the 25 lb box for about $20. That's quite good, but it's not the amazing part. 

The amazing part is that you can then take your box of peppers outside, and some poor bloke who's been assigned to this duty presumably for his sins, will stand out there in the 115 heat and flame roast them for you in a purpose-built, gas-powered roaster. True story.

Hatch chiles, from the eponymous New Mexico county, have a very particular flavour to them. So delicious - so hard to describe. (Come and visit, I'll make you some kind of something with them that we'll eat with fresh, hand-made, blue corn tortillas, out on the patio while the fountain splashes. And drink margaritas while the sun sets, or sample several kinds of local gin into the night.)

I'm a wimp, I got the 'mild' kind, which are all flavour and hardly any heat.

This is up the road at one of our many local supermarkets. I asked the lovely, helpful man if I could take photos. Bemused but obliging, he agreed, and while the chiles roasted, I explained that back home they would never have heard of this. 

Dude! Your hat totally matches the fresh chillies!

It takes 5 minutes or so, but he watches them and knows the perfect moment to power down the blowtorch, stop the revolving drum and decant them back into the now plastic-bag-lined box. 

Tip the guy real good; it's hot and he'll deserve a beer.

Yep, I womanfully trundled them home on the back of my bike. This was back in September 2015 when we didn't yet have Harry. 

When you get them home, let them cool. Then without peeling them, freeze them (we did them in lots of 10 in freezer paper.) When you want to use some, the skins slip off easily as they defrost. Then use them for good and not evil.