While many of us cannot wait for cooler temperatures to arrive, it is about to get a lot hotter throughout the state due to the arrival of the Hatch Green Chile season, which runs from now to mid-September, in more than 45 Food City grocery stores throughout the state.
The Hatch Green Chile harvest has become a culinary celebration in the Southwest. Fresh, authentic Hatch Green Chiles can add flavor to any at-home meal, from cheeseburgers to enchiladas. The harvest timeframe is limited, so many people stock up during the season and freeze Hatch Chiles so they can use them year-round. In addition to adding spiciness to a meal, green chiles also have many health benefits.
Food City grocery stores are the headquarters for all things Hatch Green Chile. Nearly all Food City locations in Arizona roast Hatch Green Chiles for customers at no charge. (Dates and times of Hatch Chile roasts are available by calling or visiting your neighborhood Food City store.) Additionally, the grocery store’s produce departments sell fresh and roasted Hatch Green Chiles; its bakery departments make Hatch Chile Cornbread, Hatch Chile & Cheese Jumbo Cornbread Muffins, Hatch Chile & Cream Cheese Bolillos (Bread Rolls), and Hatch Chile Mantecadas (Sweet Cakes); its deli departments make made-to-order Hatch Green Chile Breakfast Burritos, Hatch Green Chile Beef Meal Combo Plates, Roasted Hatch Chile Shrimp Ceviche, Hatch Chile Pico de Gallo, and Salsa Molcajete with Hatch Green Chiles.
In celebration of the Hatch Green Chile season, Food City is inviting the general public to enjoy its special offers and participate in a fun recipe contest by answering the question, “How Do You Hatch?”
Everyone in Arizona with a Facebook or Instagram account is encouraged to publicly respond to the question between now and Friday, Sept. 16. When they share their favorite Hatch Chile recipe on your Facebook or Instagram page publicly, using a photo and the hashtag #FoodCityHatchChile, they are automatically entered for a chance to win up to $1,000 in prizes.
Recipes might include anything from slow-simmered sauces and spicy enchiladas that would make any abuela proud, to savory chile rellenos and melt-in-your-mouth casseroles…and everything in between!
Food City will randomly select three winners. The first winner will receive $1,000 in prizes, including a $750 Food City gift card. The second winner will receive $600 in prizes, including a $400 Food City gift card. The third winner will receive $400 in prizes, including a $300 Food City gift card.
In addition to being tasty, green chiles have many health benefits:
- One medium Hatch Green Chile pepper has the Vitamin C of six oranges.
- The hot flavor triggers a thermodynamic burn in the body to speed up your metabolism
- Some teas and lozenges are made with Hatch Green Chile peppers to treat sore throats
Food City is an everyday-low-price grocery store for price-conscious shoppers. With a more-than-60-year reputation of service to the Hispanic community in Arizona, Food City carries aisles of traditional Mexican foods along with items found in a traditional grocery store. Food City also reaches out to the community by hiring people from the neighborhoods it serves. The community-focused grocery store is known for holding car seat and water safety events, mobile dental clinics, back-to-school immunizations, backpack giveaways and other cultural celebrations. For more information, visit www.myfoodcity.com