Get it while it's hot: New Mexico boosts chile production

New Mexico produced more than 53,000 tons of its most famous crop during the last growing season, meaning more chile peppers found their way into salsas and onto dinner plates than the previous year. State and federal agriculture officials rolled out the latest numbers this week as New Mexico’s governor signed legislation establishing the sweet smell of green chile roasting in the fall as the state’s official aroma. New Mexico's love affair with the hot peppers runs deep. Chile is one of the official state vegetables and it forms the basis of the state's official question: “Red or Green?”