Someone should tell Warpy that chile is the correct spelling in that case, and no need of (sic) should appear after each appearance of the word.
ETA: Unless coach put that in there. And coach, it really IS the correct spelling.
Also, having lived in NM (and gone to school there), I can state several things with virtual certainty:
--Not all parts of NM have "oppressive desert heat". Some parts in fact get fairly cold in winter.
--Chiles are typically sold by the sack.
--Chiles can be dried, and in fact many are.
--In all the years I lived in NM, I never saw a single roaster outside a supermarket during chile season. No self-respecting person would have chiles without roasting them themselves.
--If the primitive can tell the difference between a fresh Cruces, Hatch, Anaheim, or Mexican green chile, well, you've got way too much time on your hands, and any GOOD cook will still use Anaheim versus Hatch chiles. It's like people claiming MAINE lobsters are somehow superior to those caught in Canada, New Hampshire, or Mass. Snobbery is all it is.
--And again, having lived in NM, and many other places, NM winters may get cold, but not THAT cold. Not Alamosa, Colorado type cold. Not Western New York snowy. Not Wyoming blizzard windy. Trust me, Farmington was at over 5400 feet and snow rarely stuck for long, and I can count on one finger the number of mornings below zero while I lived there.
Seriously, Warpy. Get a grip.