Chile Nilly

For green chile lovers, the weeks between late August and mid-October are the best time of the year. That’s when chile roasters set up stands along Federal Boulevard and elsewhere in the Denver area, selling their fiery green gold by the bushel and the basket. In fact, you could call this short, glorious time, wedged between summer and fall, Denver’s fifth season. To celebrate, Anita Edge, who runs the denvergreenchile.com website, and the Chile Guys, who operate a stand on North Federal, have teamed up for the first annual Denver Chili Fest.

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• Anita Edge

From 1 to 4 p.m. today, they’ll be offering samples of different kinds of chiles, lessons on how to buy and freeze them, and a $100 prize for the best green chile recipes — many of which will be available for tasting. There are three contest categories — appetizers, main dishes, and soups or chiles — and the winner of each takes home a $100 prize. To enter, bring your dish to the festival at noon; judging will take place at 12:30 p.m.

“We’re planning on doing this every year,” Edge says. This initial event benefits Food Bank of the Rockies, and admission is two cans of food or $5. The Chile Guys are at 5501 Federal. For info, call them at 303-455-4030 or go to www.denverchilifest.com.
Sat., Oct. 3, 1-4 p.m., 2009