New and Noteworthy

If it's late August, it's a cinch the folks at Central Market are going crazy with green chiles imported by the truckload from Hatch, N.M. One of the most popular products in the store during the annual Hatch Chile Festival is Hatch Queso (14 oz., $6.49) from a Houston company called Simply Sauces. Last year, queso lovers gobbled up 4,000 tubs of the creamy, Tex-Mex-style chili con queso in only 10 days, many buying multiple units to fill up their freezers, because when this special variety sells out, it's gone until next year! I was already a big fan of Simply Sauces' regular Queso de Mexico (14 oz., $5.99), flavored with smoky chipotle peppers, and now I'm every bit as taken with the somewhat milder Hatch version. The sauces are the creation of Houston chef Ruth Blanchette, owner of Simply Sauces. They are both delicious as dips with crisp tostadas or as components of other recipes, such as enchiladas or chilequiles. Look for Simply Sauces' Hatch Queso in the dairy case at all Central Markets from Aug. 18 through Aug. 26. Browsing around the store, you'll also find the distinctive peppers both fresh and freshly roasted, as well as featured in such things as sausages, hamburger patties, burger buns, scones, crab cakes, and chile sauce.