Celebrate Hatch Chile Season at Food City, AJ's and Bashas' with #HatchatHome
FOOD CITY, BASHAS' AND AJ’S FINE FOODS INVITES YOU TO SPICE UP YOUR MEALS WITH A #HATCHATHOME CHALLENGE
(PRESS RELEASE) 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 100 Food City, Bashas’ and AJ’s Fine Foods stores throughout the state.
Now until Sept. 8, Arizonans are invited to a fun #HatchAtHome Challenge in celebration of the Hatch Green Chile season. Food City, Bashas’ and AJ’s Fine Foods are challenging all of us hunkered down at home: they want to see what you can make with Hatch Green Chiles. They are inviting Arizonans to post a public photo or video on their favorite social media feeds, using #HatchAtHome for a chance to win a variety of at-home cooking supplies and a grocery gift card (valued at $1,000) or a runner-up prize of at-home cooking supplies and a grocery gift card (valued at $500).On September 9, Grand Prize and runner-up prize winners are randomly selected.
It has been months since the pandemic limited restaurant options and caused many people – even those who have never made a meal in their own kitchen – to cook more at home. Consumers now report cooking an average of six dinners at home a week, compared with 3.8 weekly home-cooked dinners in a 2018 survey. Due to stay-at-home and quarantine orders, everyone is spending more time cooking, watching TV, browsing social media, and exercising at home. While some are experiencing cooking fatigue in the kitchen, others have felt more empowered, discovering they enjoy preparing and eating homemade food more than expected. Some new recipes, habits and skills appear likely to last as consumers participate in more cooking projects at home.
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. Besides being tasty, green chiles also have many health benefits.
FUN FACTS:
• Authentic Hatch Chiles are only available from August to September and come from the Hatch Valley in southern New Mexico. These are the only authentic Hatch Chiles in the world.
• One medium Hatch Chile has the Vitamin C of six oranges.
• Hatch Chiles are also rich in Vitamins A, B and E, and are a good source of iron and potassium.
• Hatch Chiles do not contain fat or cholesterol and help the body’s absorption of cholesterol while remaining low in calories.
• Hatch Chiles contain high amounts of the antioxidant beta-carotene, which supports the cardiovascular system, as well as helps to maintain the health of the skin, eyes, and immune system.
• • During Hatch season, Food City, Bashas’ and AJ’s Fine Foods customers purchase nearly one million pounds of Hatch Chiles!
• Like tomatoes, potatoes, and eggplants, chile peppers are members of the nightshade family.
• Although they are commonly considered vegetables, peppers are botanically defined as fruit.
• Each plant can produce as many as 20 pods, or chiles.
• The Hatch Chile flavor is a uniquely peppery with hint of citrus and smokiness; it is said to be the result of the unique soil in the region where Hatch Chiles are grown.
• The heat, or spice, of a Hatch Chile can vary greatly, from the milder range of a poblano pepper to the fire of a serrano.
Bashas' Family of Stores - the family-owned grocer that operates Food City, AJ's Fine Foods, Eddie's Country Store, and both Bashas' and Bashas' Diné supermarkets - is an Arizona-based company founded by brothers Ike and Eddie Basha, Sr. With more than 100 grocery stores, it is one of the largest employers in the state and one of the Best Places to Work in Arizona. Since the company's inception in 1932, Bashas' has given back more than $100 million to the communities it serves. For more information, visit bashas.com, myfoodcity.com, or ajsfinefoods.com.