March 29, 2023 Breaking News, Latest News, and Videos

Annual Chile Roast Returns: Virginia Avenue Park Farmers Market’s Spices up September

By Sam Skopp

 

Each September, Virginia Avenue Park Farmers Market hosts a chile roast where delicious chiles are roasted on-site every Saturday. Kicking off Sept. 2, the event saw chiles sold in one pound bags of anaheim, poblano, jalapeno and yellow wax peppers.

Farmers Market Supervisor Laura Avery explained that the tradition was inspired by hatch chile roasting season, during which trucks of Hatch chiles are brought from the Hatch region of New Mexico to stores and sold a la carte or cooked into quesadillas.

“These are California chiles,” Avery said, explaining that all of the chiles sold at the farmers market are California varietals, grown locally at Tutti Fruitti Farms. “It’s the Hatch chile roast concept.”

For its first weekend, the staff at the farmers market roasted 180 pounds of chiles, and will likely roast even more in the coming weeks to meet increased demand. Roasting starts at 9 a.m. and lasts for about two hour.

New to this year’s chile roast is the addition of a quesadilla stand headed by Upper West executive chef Nick Shipp.

“Upper West is a restaurant that we work with here at the park,” said Avery. “They’re a Pico restaurant, so we’re working within the Pico business district.”

Shipp is from Texas, and serves each quesadilla with a side of his unique salsa recipe.

“Nick has been executive chef at Upper West for seven and a half years, and is a big friend of the market and friend of the city,” Avery said.

Both the chile stand and the chile quesadillas were popular with market shoppers on its first Saturday this year, with a constant stream of customers, many of whom were not previously familiar with the chile roast. Just halfway through the duration of the market, jalapenos were being sold in half-pound bags to keep up with high demand.

The roaster, after two hours of chile roasting
Photos: Sam Skopp
Farmers market staff helps two interested customers.

For more information on the Virginia Avenue Park Farmers Market, visit smgov.net/portals/farmersmarket.

Related Posts

Eight Santa Monica Police Activities League Youth Complete The Los Angeles Marathon

March 29, 2023

March 29, 2023

Setting a new PAL record for the Los Angeles Marathon, Jade Furukawa came in at 4 hours and 50 minutes...

Bystander Injured After Man Jumps from Third Floor of Santa Monica Place in Potential Suicide Attempt

March 29, 2023

March 29, 2023

Monday afternoon incident results in injuries to a woman in her 70s and a man in his 50s. By Sam...

Clippers Center Ivica Zubac Joins Students for Medical Simulation Training

March 29, 2023

March 29, 2023

Students gain hands-on experience with virtual reality tools, CPR training, and surgical equipment at Cedars-Sinai’s Women’s Guild Simulation Center For...

Santa Monica Hosts Active Aging Group Bike Ride for Older Adults

March 28, 2023

March 28, 2023

Event set for Thursday, March 30, to practice safe biking skills and the rules of the road Older adults in...

City Council Approves Land Use Amendments to Implement Housing Element

March 28, 2023

March 28, 2023

Amendments to zoning codes to support affordable housing production and streamline approval process The Santa Monica City Council has taken...

Changes Coming to Chautauqua and PCH to Address Traffic Congestion

March 28, 2023

March 28, 2023

Two changes coming to intersection of Chautauqua and PCH in late April Residents of Pacific Palisades can expect changes to...

“Hunger Cliff” Looms as CalFresh Benefits Come to an End in Southern California

March 27, 2023

March 27, 2023

Local food banks urge community support as Southern Californians face heightened food insecurity Local food banks in Southern California are...

Historic Santa Monica House with Rock ‘n’ Roll Past Hits the Market for $22.5M

March 27, 2023

March 27, 2023

The Witbeck House, a charming and beautifully preserved 1917 property with a recording studio used by musician Jackson Browne, is...

Community Corporation of Santa Monica Unveils New Affordable Housing Project in Pico Neighborhood

March 26, 2023

March 26, 2023

Brunson Terrace apartments will offer affordable housing and retail space for local businesses Community Corporation of Santa Monica has unveiled...

Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Rejects Extension of Tenant Protections

March 26, 2023

March 26, 2023

County Board of Supervisors votes down measure affecting landlords in unincorporated areas. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted...

Santa Monica Pet Hotel Hosts Puppy-Friendly St. Patty’s Day Party

March 24, 2023

March 24, 2023

A new pet hotel in Santa Monica recently hosted a St. Patrick’s Day party for local dogs. Check out all...

Santa Monica Mountains Largest Ever Restoration Project Nears Completion After 7,000 Hours of Volunteer Work

March 24, 2023

March 24, 2023

Final planting event will be held Saturday, March 25 at 9 a.m. for the park’s largest ever restoration project After...

California Appeals Court Rules Uber and Lyft Can Classify Drivers as Independent Contractors

March 24, 2023

March 24, 2023

Proposition 22 exempted ride-share companies from certain labor laws, court rules in favor of the companies By Sam Catanzaro ​​A...

Film Review – Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre

March 24, 2023

March 24, 2023

FILM REVIEWOPERATION FORTUNE: Ruse de GuerreRated R114 MinutesReleased March 3rd Now that the season of weighty Oscar contender films is...

Santa Monica Uses Innovative Water Recycling Facility to Capture and Store Rainwater

March 23, 2023

March 23, 2023

City’s Sustainable Water Infrastructure Project reducing reliance on imported water and sets a model for future projects Santa Monica has...