New Mexico's semi-famous green chile harvest came early this year. It's now. Mass roasting of the smokey-yet-sweet-yet-piquant nightshade will make Albuquerque the best-smelling city in America for the rest of the summer. What this year's harvest won't do is make the chilis more of a national treasure. Oddly, New Mexico's singular crop has never earned the national fame that Maine lobsters, Idaho potatoes or Midwest sweetcorn enjoy, though anyone who tries them tends to find his or her life improved, in a minor but permanent way. Why is the green chile an American culinary footnote? We've ... Read More