August is once again upon us, and any local foodie knows what that means — it's time for the annual Hatch Chile Fest at Central Market.
Freshly grown in the Hatch Valley region of New Mexico, these smoky-flavored peppers range from mild to hot and are the perfect addition to everything from soup to salsas to even chocolate. This year marks the 29th anniversary of Central Market's hatch celebration, and there is no lack of seasonal goodies in store. Alongside perennial favorites like hatch sliders, hatch green chile queso, hatch tamales and hatch cookies, look out for limited-time treats like Beehive Cheese’s hatch chile curds, Courtney Ray’s hatch pecan brittle and Brennan Kitchen’s hatch green chile salsa.
Central Market has also crafted some new standout items you won't want to miss. Spice up the grill with the hatch pepper beer bratwurst, made with a signature blend of seasonings together with Manhattan Project Beer’s Diffusion Chile Ale. Then, wash it down with cold-pressed pineapple hatch limeade, which is highly refreshing on its own but would be equally as show-stopping turned into a margarita.
Given the short harvest season that begins in early August, hatch peppers are only around for a few weeks. "Hatch Chile Fest" runs from August 7-20, so bring on the peppers while they last.
For more information, visit CentralMarket.com.