Chiles in the air – That bite of autumn is more than nippy nights, as you’ll discover when you follow your nose to roasting chiles at farmers markets and groceries

“Autumn arrives in Oregon with a number of obvious changes. Chilly nights. Chanterelles. Speeding tickets in school zones. Rain.

If you frequent farmers markets, you might have encountered an increasingly common fall hallmark that has nothing to do with deluges or fungi foraging. It’s a tradition borrowed from the sunny Southwest, one that clocks you with an aroma as tantalizing as a slowly simmered ragu. That scent — roasting chiles — signals the bittersweet transition from summer to fall.

In New Mexico and adjoining Southwestern states, the smoky, sweet-hot perfume of charred chiles hangs thick and heavy during harvest season. “There are tumbler roasters outside of every grocery store — in front of every Safeway and Albertson’s and corner market,” says New Mexico native Michael Martinez, chef-owner of North Portland’s Encanto restaurant. “It’s a huge memory from my youth. You buy a bushel of chiles, get them roasted, and then seed, peel and freeze them to use throughout the year.”"*

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