Fall 2016: From the Earth

edible

SANTA FE ®· ALBUQUERQUE · TAOS The Story

of

Local Food, Season

by

Season

From the Earth ISSUE 46 · FALL · OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016

MEMBER OF EDIBLE COMMUNITIES

FROM THE EARTH: OCTOBER / NOVEMBER DEPARTMENTS 2

GRIST FOR THE MILL

By Willy Carleton and Candolin Cook

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CONTRIBUTORS

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LOCAL HEROES Deborah Fleig, Matt Yohalem, Jonathan Perno, and Santa Fe Farmers’ Market Institute

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ASK THE EXPERTS

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EDIBLE COMMUNITY

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DIGGING IN

Amendments for a Desert Soil by Katherine Mast Diverting the Food Waste Stream by Katherine Mast Sipping History by Natalie Bovis

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BACK OF THE HOUSE

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FERMENTI'S PARADOX

All That and Dim Sum by Candolin Cook New Mexico Breweries Give Back by Michael J. Dax

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BEHIND THE BOTTLE

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COOKING FRESH

The Emerging Terroir by Sam L. Melada Eat Your Veggies by Marjory Sweet and Seth Matlick

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EDIBLE NOTABLES

78 #EDIBLENM Instagram Round Up

ON THE COVER

edible

80 TOOLS OF THE TRADE Fail-Safe Gardening by Stephanie Cameron

MEMBER OF EDIBLE COMMUNITIES

SANTA FE ®· ALBUQUERQUE · TAOS The STory

of

LocaL food, SeaSon

by

SeaSon

83 EAT LOCAL GUIDE 87 LAST BITE Seasonal Cocktails by Enrique Guerrero

FEATURES 55 FARMING, WITH A SENSE OF HUMOR Peculiar Farms Lives Up to Its Name

by Laura Jean Schneider

60 BLAZING A TRAIL FOR THE FUTURE

From the Earth ISSUE 46 · FALL · OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016

FALL16-4-COVER-LAYOUT.indd 1

9/15/16 11:21 AM

Foraged chanterelles at State Capital Kitchen. Photo

by Stephanie Cameron.

The Face of Biodynamics in New Mexico

by Karen Davis-Brown

66 THE NEXT GENERATION

New Agrarian Program by Sarah Wentzel-Fisher

70 GETTING DOWN AND DIRTY

Atmospheric CO2 Reduction with Cover Crops

by Sarah Wentzel-Fisher

74 A CHILE-LICIOUS EVENT!

Green Chile Cheeseburger Smackdown

by Stephanie Cameron WWW.EDIBLENM.COM

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GRIST FOR THE MILL

PUBLISHERS Bite Size Media, LLC Stephanie and Walt Cameron

While most New Mexicans may point to water scarcity as their top agricultural concern, if you ask any farmer, you will likely hear that the secret to a bountiful season is soil health. In New Mexico, attaining such health is easier said than done.

Much of our desert state contains soil deprived of sufficient organic matter to fertilize our terra firma; even our most arable land requires careful management of nutrients, soil biota, and pH to bring forth its riches.

Lucky for us, New Mexicans are a hardy lot, and our state benefits from a multitude of dedicated farmers, composters, home gardeners, viticulturists, and researchers who aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty—in order to curb food waste and CO2 emissions, promote community involvement, and cultivate the soil that provides our food. To transform mere dirt into viable soil is a long-term investment. In this issue we look at New Mexicans willing to contribute to that investment. Whether it’s practicing biodynamic and restorative agriculture, reappropriating organic materials, training a new generation of food producers, or incorporating products with a regional terroir into our cuisine, these groups and individuals understand that their contributions are essential to the long-term environmental and economic success of our state.

Building soil is about giving back, literally, to the earth—but it’s also about giving back to our community, today and for generations to come. We hope this issue inspires new ways, both in and out of the kitchen, to reinvest in the land around us. Dig in!

EDITORS Willy Carleton and Candolin Cook

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Sarah Wentzel-Fisher

PUBLISHING CONSULTANT Jodi L. Vevoda

COPY EDITORS Margaret Marti and Briana Olson

DESIGN AND LAYOUT Stephanie Cameron

PHOTO EDITOR Stephanie Cameron

EVENT COORDINATORS Natalie Donnelly and Gina Riccobono

DIGITAL CONTENT MANAGER Joshua Hinte

VIDEO PRODUCER Walt Cameron

SALES AND MARKETING Cyndi Wood

CONTACT US 3301-R Coors Boulevard NW #152 Albuquerque, NM 87120 info@ediblesantafe.com www.ediblesantafe.com Phone: 505-375-1329

Willy Carleton and Candolin Cook, Editors

SUBSCRIBE ∙ BUY AN AD ∙ LETTERS

Stephanie and Walt Cameron, Publishers

505-375-1329 WWW.EDIBLESANTAFE.COM We welcome your letters. Write to us at the address above, or email us at INFO@EDIBLESANTAFE.COM Bite Size Media, LLC publishes edible Santa Fe six times a year.

We distribute throughout central and northern New Mexico and nationally by subscription. Subscriptions are $32 annually.

Printed at American Web Denver, Colorado

Photo by Stephanie Cameron.

Winner of James Beard Foundation Award 2011 Publication of the Year

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edible Santa Fe | FALL 2016

No part of this publication may be used without the written permission of the publisher. © 2016 All rights reserved.

Š 2016 Nestle Waters North America Inc.

Chefs take great pride in their sources. They are as carefully selected as the carrots, cucumbers and peppers they feature on their menus. Chefs know great meals begin at the source.

In the vast Panna Estate, rich in natural beauty and situated in the heart of Tuscany, lies the source of the pleasingly balanced and refreshing Acqua Panna spring water. Acqua Panna boasts a unique smooth and velvety taste, giving it the rare ability to please all discerning palates. A Taste of Tuscany.

Naturally filtered over 30 years by the Italian Alps and bottled at the source in Bergamo, Italy, S.Pellegrino has been a key ingredient in exceptional meals since 1899. Chefs trust their sources. Chefs trust S.Pellegrino.

THE FINE DINING WATERS THE FINE DINING WATERS THE FINE DINING WATERS

For more visit: finedininglovers.com

THE FINE DINING WATERS

THE FINE DINING WATERS

THE FIN THE FINE DINING WATERS

CONTRIBUTORS NATALIE BOVIS Natalie Bovis founded TheLiquidMuse.com, Santa Fe Cocktail Week, and New Mexico Cocktails & Culture festival (June 2016), and she co-founded OM Organic Mixology Liqueurs. She hosts Digging In: A Recipe for Sustainability, an edible Santa Fe video series, and has authored three cocktail books, including Edible Cocktails: Garden-to-Glass (2012). A bar consultant and spirits educator, she was named one of four women leading the liquor industry by Bustle.com.

STEPHANIE CAMERON Stephanie Cameron was raised in Albuquerque and received a degree in fine arts at the University of New Mexico. After photographing, testing, and designing a cookbook in 2011, she and her husband Walt began pursuing Edible Communities and they found edible Santa Fe in their backyard.

Today, Cameron is the art director, head photographer, marketing guru, publisher, and owner of edible Santa Fe. WILLY CARLETON Willy Carleton lives in Albuquerque and is an avid vegetable grower, forager, and editor of edible Santa Fe. He is writing a dissertation on the agricultural history of twentieth-century New Mexico in the history department at the University of New Mexico.

CANDOLIN COOK Candolin Cook is a history doctoral student at the University of New Mexico, an associate editor for the New Mexico Historical Review, and editor of edible Santa Fe. She spends much of her free time washing carrots and radishes at her husband’s vegetable farm, Vida Verde Farm, in Albuquerque's North Valley. Come check out their booth at the Downtown Growers Market, and follow her farm life on Instagram: @candolin and @vidaverdefarmabq.

KAREN DAVIS-BROWN Since 1999, Karen Davis-Brown has worked in organic and biodynamic agriculture as a producer, trainer, writer, and editor in the Midwest, northern California, upstate New York, and central Tennessee. She is currently editor for Biodynamics, the journal of the Biodynamic Association (BDA).

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edible Santa Fe | FALL 2016

MICHAEL J. DAX Michael J. Dax lives in Santa Fe and writes about environment and culture in the American West. He is the author of Grizzly West: A Failed Attempt to Reintroduce Grizzly Bears in the Mountain West (2015).

SETH MATLICK Seth Matlick grew up in Manhattan, far removed from the desert and farming. To his great delight he found both in New Mexico in 2008, and has been growing vegetables at Vida Verde Farm ever since. He loves all things food and his wife, Candolin, with whom he will be celebrating his one year anniversary with this month!

KATHERINE MAST Katherine Mast is a freelance science and environmental writer living in Santa Fe, where she dabbles in backyard gardening and vermicomposting.

SAM MELADA Sam Melada is a local food and wine writer with a strong desire to make the history, language, and culture of wine more accessible and enjoyable to everyone. He is also a neuroscience nurse educator with UNM Hospitals and a graduate student in cognitive linguistics at UNM. LAURA JEAN SCHNEIDER Laura Jean Schneider lives on the Mescalero Apache Reservation in Ruidoso. Her writing has appeared in the Montana Quarterly and New Mexico Magazine, and on The Writer magazine's website. She is the author of “Ranch Diaries,” a bi-monthly web series for High Country News about working ranch life. Find her at www.laurajeanschneider.com.

MARJORY SWEET Marjory Sweet is native to coastal Maine and was drawn to the Southwest by its ancient history, desert wilderness, and the opportunity to work outside. She manages Chispas Farm and owns Otter Farm, both in Albuquerque's South Valley. She also raises meat rabbits, keeps chickens, and experiments in raw goat’s milk.

SARAH WENTZEL-FISHER Sarah Wentzel-Fisher works for the Rio Grande Farmers Coalition and the Quivira Coalition, and wants you (yes, all of you) to consider growing food. In her free time she visits farms (she highly recommends this activity), experiments in her kitchen, and keeps chickens in her backyard.

small wonders An exhibition of of diminutive photographic works reveling in the pleasures of the miniscule.

October 8, 2016 – March 12, 2017

Children 16 and under and museum members always free! | museumfoundation.org/join

Liz Steketee, Gloves, 2015. Pigment print, thread. 6 ∞ 6 inches. Courtesy of the artist.

LOCAL HEROES Every year edible Santa Fe recognizes a group of amazing individuals and organizations for their work to create a healthy, sustainable food system in New Mexico. We determine these Local Hero awards through reader nomination and a reader poll. The local food movement is a grassroots effort that often involves late nights, backbreaking work, getting your hands

dirty, checking your ego at the door, and generally being a good sport. In an effort to showcase these individuals, organizations, and businesses for their work to build a stronger local economy and a robust local food system, each issue of edible spotlights several of the winners and the work they do.

Deborah Fleig

IMPORTER AND DISTRIBUTOR FOR FLOATING WORLD SAKE AND FOUNDER/VISIONARY OF IZANAMI MOST SPIRITED

Left to right: Fleig seeking liquid warmth at an ice bar in Hokkaido, Japan, photo by Tony Allegretti; Fleig behind the glass, photo by Veronica Angriman.

Deborah Fleig won her Local Hero award for Most Spirited in 2015, but her busy travel schedule prohibited us from featuring her last winter. We would like to remedy that now, so please join us in getting to know this Local Hero.

Since 1998, she has owned The Floating World, which operates two divisions. One division supplies Ten Thousand Waves with its retail and spa products; the other imports and distributes sake, beer, wine, and spirits.

A 1988 graduate of St. John’s College, Deborah Fleig received her graduate degree in photography from the School of Visual Arts, NYC, in 1993. That year, she opened (d)esign photo/design studio.

What do you love most about local food? Why?

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edible Santa Fe | FALL 2016

The smell of roasting chile throughout town always signifies fall to me.

WWW.EDIBLENM.COM

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LOCAL HEROES Share something unique with us about sake.

Although sake is made from only three ingredients—rice, water, yeast— the range of flavors and styles are endless, and endlessly delicious!

Why is sake so important to the program at izanami?

It is rare, even in America’s biggest cities, to have as deep a list as the sake menu at izanami. We wanted to showcase a broad range in order to better educate and amuse.

Do you have a favorite sake cocktail?

I don’t really believe in sake cocktails—and heaven forbid anyone use our refined sake for such an abomination as a sake bomb! The pure rice sake we sell is meant to be enjoyed on its own. But if pressed, I would always substitute our Inemankai red rice sake in any recipe that calls for vermouth or campari. It shares the same weight, bitterness, and color, but also has a wonderful smoky finish.

Tell us about your life outside of izanami.

I have seven other jobs! Seriously, like most creative people living in Santa Fe, I find myself blessedly over-employed. I still have a photography and design business; I'm the marketing and event guru for the Waves and izanami; I’m the director of Ten Thousand Waves Tours to Japan; I manufacture and sell spa products; I own and operate the retail stores at Ten Thousand Waves; I import small-batch, familyowned premium sake from Japan; and I distribute sake, wine, beer, and spirits.

What’s your favorite way to spend a day off?

Day off?! Ideally any day that includes a body of water where I can swim and float would be pure heaven.

to language school in Japan. I would ask myself: “Why is the sake in Japan so much better than what we get in the US?” I began to taste as many different kinds of sake as I could get my hands on and learn as much as I could about the sake-making process. Then I had the crazy idea to try to import sake, a true labor of love that took years, to get all the licensing in order. At the same time my importing partner, Linda Tetrault, and I began the long process of becoming second-level sake sommeliers, culminating in our blind tasting exams in Japan about five years ago. Then, when the opportunity came along to help dream, plan, and design izanami and the sake program, of course I was ready and willing.

Fill in the Blank: I love traveling the most when it comes to my work and my passion because I get to get to know local people making or growing or producing things that matter, whether a sake brewery, the rice growers, or those creating real meals from that season’s crop. I tend to be a fearful flyer, but I love new situations, new scenery, and new flavors.

The question people always ask me is do you have hot sake? But I wish they'd ask me do you have any namas? The sake that I import is almost all “namazake," meaning unpasteurized. It is all fresh and alive, and therefore has the most aromatics, body, and fruitiness.

If I had the chance, I would have lunch with Michelle Obama at her house. I'd like to ask her to run for president in 2024!

If I weren't doing what I’m doing now, I'd be opening a sake bar in Tokyo. Or seasonally open pop-up sake bars in some of my favorite places: Japan’s snow country in the winter, Argentina in the spring (or their fall, so conveniently timed with the grape harvest), Spain in the fall (ditto), and Iceland in the summer.

Is there anything else you'd like to share with edible readers?

How did you get to where you are now? What’s the backstory?

Please give cold sake a try! It isn’t your grandpa’s hot hooch.

I was spending quite a bit of time traveling, snowboarding, and going

www.floatingworldsake.com or www.izanamisantafe.com

NO M I NAT E YOU R M O S T L OV E D , FARMER, RESTAURANT, CHEF, FOOD ARTISAN, FOOD TRUCK, FOOD ORGANIZATION, FOOD RETAILER, BEVERAGE ARTISAN, FOOD WRITER, and LOCAL FOOD HERO

FO R A N E D I B L E L O C A L H E RO AWA R D .

Nominations must be made by November 1, voting opens November 15! ediblenm.com/localhero 8

edible Santa Fe | FALL 2016

NEW: indoor seating area just opened

indoor/ outdoor gathering place with localist choices 3600 Cutler Ave NE – Carlisle & I-40, Albuquerque · GreenJeansFarmery.com WWW.EDIBLENM.COM 9

LOCAL HEROES

Matthew Yohalem

Photo courtesy of Il Piatto.

EXECUTIVE CHEF/PROPRIETOR, IL PIATTO ITALIAN FARMHOUSE KITCHEN BEST CHEF SANTA FE James Beard Award-nominated Chef Matt Yohalem is one of the pioneers and spokespersons of the farm-to-restaurant movement.

He has appeared in countless periodicals over the last twenty years, including the Village Voice, Santa Fe New Mexican, New Orleans Times Picayune, Bon Appetit, Food and Wine, USA Today, Southern Living, New York Post, and Vancouver Sun. Chef Yohalem has appeared on numerous lifestyle shows, including New Mexico Style and programs for the Sundance Channel and The Food Network. He has also served the Santa Fe community by sitting on boards for the Santa Fe Restaurant Association, the Santa Fe Wine and Chile Fiesta, and the Santa Fe Farmers' Market Institute.

A graduate of Johnson and Wales University, Yohalem began his career in some of the most acclaimed kitchens in the world: Commander’s Palace with Emeril Lagasse, Le Cirque with Daniel Boulud, the Union Square Café with Michael Romano, the Coyote Cafe with Mark Miller, La Petite France with Paul Elbling, and the Hôtel de France with Andre Daguin. When Yohalem opened Il Piatto in 10

edible Santa Fe | FALL 2016

Santa Fe in 1996, he received an Esquire Top 20 Best New Restaurants in America Award. He was recently given an edible 2013 Local Hero Award for Best Restaurant.

Tell us about your life outside of the restaurant. I also am involved in: Travel, photography, skiing, my dogs, and my land.

What do you love most about local food? Why? I know who and where it came from and can guarantee its quality.

What’s your favorite way to spend a day off?

Cooking outside with my wife and three dogs or skiing the backside of the Santa Fe mountain.

Do you have a serendipitous moment?

The moment I met my wife in New Orleans.

What’s the best foodie city you have visited? Why? Old Montreal and Quebec City. They actually have better bagels than New York, they consider Armagnac a vegetable, foie gras a necessity, and are more passionate about raw milk cheese than they are about world politics.

If you knew you wouldn’t fail, what would you try?

If I knew I wouldn’t fail, what would be the point of trying?

What makes you laugh? Why? Seinfeld, because it’s still funny after all these years.

What gets you fired up? Why? When people think opening a restaurant is a glamorous hobby.

Why? Because of how much work, training, and dedication is actually involved.

Fill in the Blank: I love chaos the most when it comes to my work and my passion because it’s only through chaos that I can find clarity.

The question people always ask me is how did I get started? But I wish they'd ask me how I’ve lasted for so long.

If I had the chance, I would have lunch with Gene Roddenberry, the creator of all that is Star Trek, at Le Continental in Quebec City. I'd like to ask him how he knew so much.

If I weren't doing what I’m doing now, I'd be hungry!

Most people are surprised to learn that I get culinary inspiration from old Italian gangster movies.

Is there anything else you'd like to share with edible readers?

I’d like to thank the edible community for all their support over all these years. And to let them know that I look forward to seeing them at Il Piatto Italian Farmhouse Kitchen! ilpiattosantafe.com or chefmattyohalem.com

Il Piatto special, photo by Stephanie Cameron.

WWW.EDIBLENM.COM

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LOCAL HEROES

Photo courtesy of Los Poblanos.

Jonathan Perno

EXECUTIVE CHEF, LOS POBLANOS HISTORIC INN & ORGANIC FARM BEST CHEF ALBUQUERQUE Jonathan Perno, a native New Mexican, trained at the California Culinary Academy and spent time at Postrio under Wolfgang Puck; under Alain Rondelli, at Splendido, in San Francisco; at Sweet Basil in Vail, Colorado; at Splendido at The Château in Beaver Creek, Colorado; and at the Metropolitan in Salt Lake City, Utah. His résumé also includes the requisite European culinary tour, which included work at La Tante Claire in London. In addition, he spent a year in Berkeley, California, learning raised-bed farming at an organic farm.

long and sometimes I don’t get to see my daughter for a couple of days, so I value those moments with her and Lisa.

What do you love most about local food? Why?

When I make a mistake—and it works.

I know where it is coming from. I am truly supporting my community through home and work.

How did you get to where you are now? What’s the backstory, and what was the moment that brought you to your current work?

Tell us about your life outside of Los Poblanos.

I try and enjoy every minute at home with my family. My hours are 12

edible Santa Fe | FALL 2016

What’s your favorite way to spend a day off?

I have many favorite ways to spend a day off, but one is when we are able to go for a hike. It’s something that Lisa, Adian, and I really enjoy.

Do you have a serendipitous moment?

Patience got me to Los Poblanos. It’s a long story, so I’ll make it short. I spent twenty-five-plus years training and traveling. When

I finally came home, I took some jobs in the Albuquerque area. I met Lisa and about three years later we had our daughter, Adian.

I wasn’t happy with my job at that time, so I set out to find something more fulfilling.

Fill in the Blank: The question people always ask me is do I still enjoy what I do. But I wish they'd ask me about anything other than my work.

I love quiet the most when it comes to my work and my passion because it allows me to focus so I am able to process a lot of the moving parts at Los Poblanos.

If I had the chance, I would have lunch with Marco Pierre White at my house. I really just want to sit and talk and get to know him.

If I weren't doing what I’m doing now, I'd be farming or making bread.

Most people are surprised to learn that I’ve been cooking as long as I have. I like keeping my skills sharp in whatever I invest in.

Experience great taste through all five senses.

Built on La Fonda’s original 1920s patio, La Plazuela would be picture perfect even without its storied architecture and majestic skylights. If great taste is our benchmark, service is our hallmark. Treat yourself to a culinary adventure that engages all five senses.

What makes you laugh? Why? A lot of things make me laugh. But when it comes to work, it’s my team. They are all very witty. When we need a break from the pressure of work, someone will say something, and we will all laugh.

100 E. San Francisco St. • Santa Fe, NM 87501 505-995-2334 • www.lafondasantafe.com/la-plazuela

What gets you fired up? Why? Where to begin, because people will leave the door open for you.

As for me, I need to look at and choose how to address each new scenario. But probably the one that gets me the most is common sense and self-motivation. When cooks don’t work on these skills, it makes it harder to grow and move forward, both as a person and as a team member. So, needless to say, those types of cooks don’t last long with me, which is best for the whole.

Is there anything else you'd like to share with edible readers?

I’ll just be happy if edible readers and people in general keep supporting local food and their community as a whole. www.lospoblanos.com

Seasonal veggies from Los Poblanos, photo by Stephanie Cameron.

WWW.EDIBLENM.COM

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LOCAL HEROES

Farms, Films, Food is a collaboration between SFFMI, Center for Contemporary Arts, and the Street Food Institute. Photos courtesy of SFFMI.

Santa Fe Farmers’ Market Institute BEST ORGANIZATION

Founded in 2002, the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market Institute (SFFMI) is the nonprofit sister organization to the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market.

The market originated in a parking lot with six vendors in 1968 and has since grown to be one of the oldest, largest, and most successful growers markets in the country. With diminishing space for vending in the downtown area, the market was presented with the possibility of having to move to the outskirts of town. The SFFMI was founded to support the market and to lead the capital campaign for the Market Pavilion. After the pavilion opened in 2008, the SFFMI shifted focus to create programs to improve vendors’ businesses and educate the community about the importance of local food and agriculture.

What has been the biggest challenge for the SFFMI? What has been the biggest reward?

Our biggest challenge has been to provide equitable access to market products for everyone in our community. The predicament is equal parts access and perception. Many people think that farmers market produce is more expensive, which is not true. Considering the cost of subsidies for big ag (paid through our taxes); the cost and the carbon footprint of shipping; the unfair wages paid to most commercial farm workers; and the money that leaves local economies through chain 14

edible Santa Fe | FALL 2016

grocery stores; farmers markets are one of the only ways to truly know the cost of your food. Not to mention that market produce is often the same price as the organic food sold in chain groceries.

In collaboration with the New Mexico Farmers’ Marketing Association, our biggest recent achievement has been our Double Up Food Bucks program, designed to address issues of food security and access faced by so many in our community and throughout the state. Thanks to generous state and federal funding, customers can match their SNAP dollars each time they visit farmers markets throughout the state. In 2015, we nearly doubled both the number of transactions and the value generated in 2014. This program is a win-win-win for all of us!

How has the market changed over time?

The Santa Fe Farmers’ Market has grown from a few farmers selling out of their trucks, to a weekly event popping up in various parking lots around town, and finally, into a permanent home in the beautiful LEED gold-certified Market Pavilion in the Santa Fe Railyard.

The market is a diverse, community-wide event that takes place year-round on Saturdays, in addition to three other markets in the summer—including one on Santa Fe’s fast-growing south side. The

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LOCAL HEROES

Children’s Nutrition Program supported by SFFMI, photos by Daniel Quat Photography.

product line has diversified as well. We’ve seen local shrimp, milk, and ginger, in addition to an ever-growing array of greens and other vegetables—year round.

What do you see as the Institute’s role in the community, besides providing local food?

The Institute's role is not so much about providing local food; our amazing farmers and vendors do that. Our role is to advocate in the community, and at the state and federal levels, about the importance of local agriculture. More than just a fad movement, local agriculture has deep roots in this region. Farmers help maintain vital agricultural land and ancient water rights by keeping acequias running and land out of development. The sovereignty of our regional foodshed is nothing without local agriculture, and the livelihoods of small, rural farmers depend on people buying local food. We work with farmers and agency partners to emphasize the role everyone plays in local economies.

What role does the community play in the SFFMI? It can’t be overstated what a big role the community plays. Customers, obviously, are vital for the market. As a small nonprofit, the institute relies on volunteers to help us with nearly everything. They help organize our annual Fall Fiesta fundraiser, staff the information booth, and assist with the Market Fresh Cooking and Children’s Nutrition Program. Our market docents have the best job because they get to stroll through the market while answering customer questions and helping vendors. With such an incredibly diverse gathering each week, it’s really what makes the 16

edible Santa Fe | FALL 2016

market so special. It’s a place where people meet and connect, where they gather with their community.

Who would you like to see get more involved in the SFFMI? So many customers come to the market and don’t know about all the other great work happening to support farmers and the community. We’d love to see that diverse cross section of the community become involved. We want customers to know about what we do, and to volunteer, donate, and tell their friends about why they shop at the market.

We’d also love for chefs, especially those who are frequent market customers, to get involved with our Market Fresh Cooking and Farms, Films, Food cooking demos or volunteer to create a dish for Fall Fiesta. These are great opportunities for chefs to get to know their community as well.

Anything else you would like to share with our readers?

We want to be sure readers know about all the shopping options they have with the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market. We understand Saturdays can be hectic, and sometimes you just want to sleep in. There are three other markets: the Railyard on Tuesday mornings from 7am to 1pm or Wednesday afternoons from 4pm to 8pm. If getting downtown is a challenge, the Southside Market is active July to September in the parking lot at the Santa Fe Place Mall. While these markets are smaller than Saturday’s, you can find everything you need in a relaxed, family-friendly environment. www.farmersmarketinstitute.org

Thank You

Il Piatto would like to express our humble gratitude for making us a Local Hero winner.

N O M I NAT E YO U R M O S T L OV E D ,

Open for Dinner 7 nights, 4:30-10:30 Lunch, Wed thru Sat, 11:30-4:30 for reservations 505-984-1091 or ilPiattoSantaFe.com 95 West Marcy Street, Santa Fe

FA RM E R , R E S TAUR A N T, C H E F, FOO D ART I SA N , FO OD T RUC K , FO O D O RGAN I Z AT I ON , FO O D R E TA I L E R , BE VE R AGE ART I SA N , FO OD W R I T E R , a nd L O C A L FO OD H E RO

FOR AN EDIBLE L O C A L H E RO AWA R D .

Nominations must be made by November 1, voting opens November 15!

ediblenm.com/localhero WWW.EDIBLENM.COM

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ASK THE EXPERTS

Amendments for a Desert Soil EXPERT SAM McCARTHY, PAYNE'S ORGANIC SOIL YARD

By Katherine Mast · Illustration by Kelli Cameron Sam McCarthy spends a lot of time thinking about decomposition.

On Saturday mornings and Wednesday nights, he sets up a booth at the downtown Santa Fe Farmers' Market, selling bags of red wiggler earthworms (Eisenia fetida) and doling out advice on vermicomposting, or composting with worms. On weekdays, McCarthy works as the compost expert at Payne’s Organic Soil Yard.

“I’m passionate about composting,” he tells me in the soil yard at the south end of town, where several towering compost piles churn tons of food waste, dairy cow manure, and cotton plants mostly from Texas, and chipped wood into more basic elements. Diverted from the landfill, these materials are transformed through heat, moisture, and time—with the help of bacteria and fungi—into organic matter that can boost plant growth in New Mexico’s sandy and clay-based soils.

In places with more rainfall—such as the Northwest, Midwest, and East Coast—abundant grasses and trees grow, then die and decompose, feeding soil bacteria as well as fungi, earthworms, and insects. The carbon that sunlight turned to sugar, which helped build sturdy cell walls, breaks down into simpler forms, replenishing the soil’s organic matter.

But in arid lands like New Mexico, little rain means little biomass. Our soils contain little organic material.

Just as the dry climate creates unique soil conditions in New Mexico, our arid conditions require unique considerations for successful composting. Most of the literature and advice on composting comes from wetter climates, where maintaining adequate airflow and overwatering (imagine!) are primary concerns.

What's good advice for making a Midwestern compost pile thrive can create a pile that just won't break down in New Mexico. “Our biggest challenge is keeping a compost pile wet enough,” says McCarthy.

“It’s hard to overcome the dryness in the desert.” And for the backyard composter, this can create an especially challenging situation.

At large operations like the one McCarthy oversees at Payne’s, the sheer mass of the compost piles helps regulate temperature and moisture. Think back to geometry class: as an object gets larger, its internal volume increases faster than its surface area. That’s critical in composting. The larger the volume, the less material overall is exposed to the thirsty air.

But backyard compost piles often don’t get big enough. The surfacearea-to-volume ratio of small piles means that they dry out more quickly and can’t easily get as hot—and this is especially true in arid places.

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Composting in the desert, according to McCarthy, requires different techniques than the ones you can easily find in books or online. The pallet or chicken-wire construction often recommended to contain the pile, and the advice to turn a compost pile regularly, just help overdry compost here. “It’s hard to overcome this notion,” says McCarthy, especially for people who move to New Mexico from other parts of the country. “We go back to what we know.”

While challenging, home composting in the desert is far from impossible. Make sure the compost bin or pile is large enough—a cubic yard or bigger. Covering the pile to reduce ventilation can also help retain heat and water. But the very best approach for desert composting is to use worms, says McCarthy. They do the aeration—the turning— on their own; require minimal water; and can accept food scraps as you produce them, unlike a traditional compost pile, which works best if food and yard waste are added all at once and then “baked” like a cake.

In addition, worms process food scraps and yard waste differently than the bacteria in a traditional compost pile. Unlike bacterial decomposition, which uses enzymes to break waste down chemically, worms eat the waste, grinding it up with the gizzards in their body-length digestive tracts before expelling their castings, or poop. Vermicomposting relies on both mechanical and chemical processes. And plants love it.

“It’s helpful to have another organism doing its thing,” says McCarthy.

“Plants seem to really respond to worm castings in a way that they don’t to compost.”

“Vermicomposting,” says McCarthy, “suits our climate perfectly.” He’s heard a lot of misconceptions about worms: that they’re fragile and sensitive, that they must be kept indoors, that they won’t survive outdoors in New Mexican summers and winters. But, given adequate space and reasonably friendly conditions, they’ll thrive outside all year long.

What those conditions are can vary. A community effort in Eldorado to encourage home composting helps homeowners build strawbale bins to house and insulate the worms. Others use worm towers or even large plastic tubs.

McCarthy’s ideal recipe for successful backyard composting is this: a one-cubic yard wooden box with no added ventilation, filled with straw and red worms. Add kitchen scraps and yard waste as you produce them, and, in a short time, you’ll have the rich, dark compost your plants need.

6037 Agua Fria, Santa Fe, 505-424-0336 www.paynes.com/organic-soil-yard

3 Earthworm Facts: m rthwor a e n a year, sand In one te one thou ea can cr rthworms. ea more s in an n m r o w bi f nds o mposting u o p co Two vermi e to eight e g a r week. fiv r ave e e p m u e ns st can co of food wa s pound

ur rms are not yo o w g in st o p m Co worms orm. The earth average earthw ard your own backy in p u ig d n ca you t part of the eco an rt o p im an e ar tely ey are comple system, but th . rm composting o w r fo d e it su un rsery s at Payne’s Nu Ask the expert s. the right worm about sourcing

What can worms eat?

Fruit and veggie scraps Cardboard Grass clippings and leaves Egg shells Coffee grounds NO meat, dairy, or oil

Why compost?

Composting can help to reduce rotting waste in the landfill which creates methane gas. Methane gas is 30 times more potent than CO2.

Approximately two-thirds

of our household waste can be composted.*

How does compost help plants?

Roots, stems, and leaves are stronger; flowers and fruits are more plentiful; and it is safe to use around kids and pets. *According to the Center for Sustainability and Commerce at Duke University.

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EDIBLE COMMUNITY

Student volunteers work together to bag Reunity Resources' locally sourced compost (which is available at Agua Fria Nursery, San Marcos Feed and Cafe, and Reunity Resources). In the background, Reunity Resources' unique aerated static pile composting system and loader, screening finished compost. Photo by Juliana Ciano.

Diverting the Food Waste Stream REUNITY RESOURCES

By Katherine Mast In 2013, the United Nations published a report on global food waste concluding that roughly one-third of all food produced for humans isn’t eaten. At various points from farm to fork, thirty-three percent of the world’s grains, meats, fruits, and vegetables are discarded.

A study from the year before, published by the National Resource Defense Council, estimated America’s food waste even higher—forty percent. In the face of food insecurity at home in New Mexico and around the world, these numbers are troubling. But food waste is an environmental issue as well.

When food winds up in the landfill, it decomposes anaerobically, or without oxygen. This type of decomposition produces methane gas, a greenhouse gas whose heat-trapping powers exceed that of carbon dioxide. In addition, when food is wasted, all the emissions used to produce, transport, and store the food are wasted as well. In the US, agriculture makes up ten percent of our energy use.

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“If food waste was a country,” wrote Mother Jones when they covered the 2013 UN report, “its 3.3 gigatons of emissions would make it the third highest-emitting country in the world, after China and the United States.” Food waste is a problem. While we need to find solutions to losses throughout our food systems, some groups are working to help reintegrate that waste back into the nutrient cycle.

Reunity Resources in Santa Fe is one such organization. Led by Tejinder and Juliana Ciano, Reunity is doing its part to help divert community-wide food waste from the landfill and turn it into earthnourishing compost instead. Each month they collect forty tons of scrap food from restaurants, grocery stores, and schools where they have taught students to separate food waste from other trash. They also set up green waste bins at events around the region, helping to promote zero-waste gatherings.

Reunity Resources has been around for several years, continually adding to its list of waste-diversion services. They began by collecting used vegetable oil from restaurants, which would be converted to biodiesel by another company and sold back to the community.

They soon added recycling pick-up services, and, in 2014, received permission from the city to begin collecting food waste, which they brought to Payne's Organic Soil Yard to be composted.

This past January, Reunity Resources launched its own composting program in a corner of the Santa Fe Community Farm, forming a new partnership that helps them complete the nutrient cycle. In addition to selling bags of finished compost to residents and farmers, they’ll add their compost to the fields at the community farm, which helps supply some of the city’s shelters with fresh produce.

More than twenty restaurants in Santa Fe collect their food waste in large green bins similar to rolling curbside trash bins. And fourteen public elementary schools encourage students to separate waste in the lunchroom. Since their food waste collection program launched, Reunity Resources has helped divert roughly two million pounds of food waste—that’s one-hundred thousand tons—from the landfill.

SALUTES THE ARTISTS OF THE

On a hot August morning, Tejinder walks with me through towering heaps of compost as Juliana explores the farm with their two boys. Unlike many commercial compost systems that use heavy machinery to turn the piles for good aeration, Reunity Resources builds their piles over perforated tubes that are attached to air pumps. Every thirty minutes, the pumps shoot puffs of air through the piles.

Compost goes through two major stages. The first is a cooking phase where internal temperatures can reach one hundred sixty degrees, killing weed seeds and harmful bacteria. “It’s when all the microbiology is just going to town and devouring everything,” says Tejinder. The second curing phase promotes beneficial bacterial and fungal growth at lower temperatures. Tejinder picks up a long thermometer—the longest I’ve ever seen—and plunges it into one of the nearby curing piles. We watch as the gauge climbs until resting at one hundred sixteen degrees.

Composting wasted food helps to reduce the methane that would otherwise be produced in a landfill, but there are still some gases released in the process. For large composting operations, making sure piles get enough oxygen is a key element to managing the gasses produced. “Everything rots and decays,” says Juliana. “We can manage that to be either beneficial or toxic.”

JULIA CAIRNS

The entire cycle, from food waste to compost, takes at least sixty days. Reunity passes the final material through a screen, filtering out larger woody pieces that haven’t decomposed to add to the next compost pile, and bags the finished product.

New Mexico’s soils are challenging for farmers and gardeners.

The desert earth doesn’t naturally include the large amounts of organic matter—the carbon-based stuff of decomposed plants, animals, and manure—that make this country’s prairie lands so agriculturally productive. “Soil here is horrible,” says Tejinder.

“Compost allows us to feed people more nutritious food. We’re feeding the earth that feeds us.”

MAPS AVAILABLE AT ALL STOPS OR ONLINE

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DIGGING IN Sipping History DIGGING IN, EPISODE FOUR

By Natalie Bovis · Photos by Stephanie Cameron In this episode, I share one of my passions and the crux of my work as The Liquid Muse, by giving you a glimpse into the wonderful world of distillation. This visit to Los Luceros Distillería in Alcalde reveals the bloody-and-thundering history behind Taos Lightning whiskey. The Digging In team demonstrates how to dance with the New Mexican green fairy as we taste Brimstone absinthe with owner and mastermind, John Bernasconi. Is it simply Santa Fe woo-woo to filter through crystals? How does aging barrels outdoors through all four seasons affect the booze within? With the holidays approaching and home entertaining on the upswing, you will not want to miss an overview of some of the best booze west of the Mississippi!

Log on to www.ediblenm.com/diggingin to watch now.

diGGing in a recipe for sustainability

John Bernasconi and Natalie Bovis on location at Los Luceros Distillería; whiskey barrels aging in the elements; and Bovis pouring Brimstone absinthe with the traditional sugar cube method.

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October 28th | 5 to 9 pm

By Reservation | lospoblanos.com WWW.EDIBLENM.COM

23

BACK OF THE HOUSE

All That and Dim Sum IS SANTA FE ON THE VERGE OF A CULINARY RENAISSANCE? STATE CAPITAL KITCHEN

By Candolin Cook · Photos by Stephanie Cameron

Having fun in the HIPICO barn: painting the Gnarchow food truck with Bobby Beals, David Santiago, Arthur Martel, Mark Connell, and Gabrielle Ash. 24

edible Santa Fe | FALL 2016

I am standing in a horse barn, ankle-deep in soft dirt and hay, futilely swatting flies from my face. I’m waiting for Arthur Martel and Mark Connell, proprietors of Santa Fe’s wildly popular new artisanal American Dim Sum restaurant, State Capital Kitchen (SCK). Rather than conduct our interview in SCK’s rustic-chic dining room on Sandoval Street, Martel requested we meet here at the beautiful HIPICO Santa Fe equestrian facility, where SCK’s newest endeavor, the Gnarchow food truck, is getting a facelift, courtesy of Albuquerque artist David Santiago.

Santiago’s subject is the profile of a young woman with flowing white hair that wraps around the length of the truck. “When this is driving down the road, it’s going to look like the wind is blowing her hair back,” he tells me. I’ll later learn from Martel that the choice of a female image is intentional. Research shows that the food truck industry skews male in terms of aesthetics, cuisine, and clientele. With Gnarchow, he wants to take a different approach. “Most food truck designs are loud; we wanted ours to be a piece of art.”

Martel and Connell saunter in looking somewhat exhausted and crack open cans of PBR. They’re fresh off a marathon road trip to Denver to procure the exact shade of artichoke-green spray paint that Santiago needs to complete his design. If there’s one thing I learn about these guys over the next couple hours, it’s that they are committed.

I find myself seated in a circle inside the horse stables with not only Martel and Connell, but also Santiago, his art dealer Bobby Beals, and SCK manager Gabrielle Ash. “We wanted these guys to be here because they are all integral to what we’re trying to accomplish,” says Martel. They explain that their goal is to collaborate with local artists and artisans, musicians, chefs, entrepreneurs, and venues, such as HIPICO and Meow Wolf, to make Santa Fe the kind of city that retains and attracts talented young people. They call themselves the City Different Collab.

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Beals, owner of Santa Fe Exports, which supplies restaurants such as SCK with locally-made fine art, explains the potential impact of the collaborative: “What creatives have done historically for other places through art [in terms of creating a ‘scene’ or cultural zeitgeist], these guys are trying to do through food.”

Central to this initiative is providing young chefs with an opportunity to get their feet wet in the local food scene. Gnarchow will allow them to cook for events and pop-up dinners, while also getting a taste for what goes on behind the scenes in the restaurant industry. “Food trucks are as involved as any restaurant, so it’s a great way for young chefs to get their start,” says Martel. “It’s important to find out if this business is for you. The long hours, hard work, craftsmanship; then all the operational stuff, paying the bills, insurance—where there is no glory. This food truck can be a proving ground to find out if these people have what it takes.

New restaurants have a seventy percent failure rate in their first year, by year three that’s ninety percent in some cities. So when we do find those who can hack it, we want to help them succeed [through financing and mentorship] to open their own places.”

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25

BACK OF THE HOUSE

Top left, clockwise: Foraged chanterelles; Arthur Martel and Mark Connell; white chocolate torchon with raspberries and basil syrup; poussin (young chicken) with foie gras and cornbread.

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edible Santa Fe | FALL 2016

Beyond fostering new talent, SCK wants to create a space for more established chefs to stretch their creative culinary muscles.

“We are creating a stable, if you want to call it that, of local and national guest chefs to come in for pop-ups and stints at the restaurant and food truck. So even if they’ve left the city, they can stay involved with our food scene; or if they’re from elsewhere, scout out if they’d like to move here.”

Something Different!

When I ask Connell, SCK’s executive chef, why he remains in Santa Fe despite ample opportunity to take his acclaimed skills to a larger market, he answers as if it’s a no-brainer: “I live here because of the mountain right there,” he says, gesturing east, and because he believes that Santa Fe can be “what’s next. My friends are all getting priced out of Denver, Portland, Austin, and San Francisco. Once we’re established, if we have the kind of restaurant other people would want to own, they’ll start those here too.” Adds Martel, “We have the ability to create that smallerscale market where you still know your neighbors and have fruitful relationships within the community.”

While the clientele at State Capital Kitchen includes all ages and demographics, it’s fair to surmise that the restaurant’s hip and unpretentious ambiance, reasonable price points, and progressive cuisine will be a welcome option for millennial foodies looking for a Santa Fe fine-dining experience without it being so…

Santa Fe. For instance, they call their wine sommelier, Matthew Slaughter, the “anti-wine snob.” His eclectic wine selections from primarily small organic vineyards come in a range of prices under $100. “When I go out, I don’t want there to be only one bottle on the menu I can afford, and I want the staff to make me feel welcome and well cared for,” says Martel. SCK’s aesthetic is also approachable, with simple wood tables and Santiago’s artwork hung on reclaimed mahogany and brick walls. (Connell says the brick is a delight to some of his friends who frequented the building back in the day when it was a beloved Pizza Hut. “They said by re-exposing the brick we let in all the good Pizza Hut vibes.”)

There’s even a semi-private chef ’s table tucked next to the kitchen where you can witness Connell and his team make everything from scratch.

3339 Central Avenue, NE, Suite B • Albuquerque, NM 125 Lincoln Avenue, Suite 114 • Santa Fe, NM 505.988.4444 • 505.232.9796 • ojooptique.com • m

The Cellar Tapas Beer & Wine

But what is most exciting about SCK is Connell’s take on New American Cuisine, which incorporates myriad influences—Asian, French, Italian, farm-to-table, molecular gastronomy—with innovative approaches that are uniquely his own. “When I first met Mark, he made me want to cry,” says Martel, laughing. “I want to cry right now! Because it’s so rare to meet someone with such an innate intimacy with food. It’s the umami. It’s not just artistic or well-crafted, it’s an experience that’s so rare even some of the best chefs I’ve worked for around the country don’t have this gift that Mark has. He’s got it, and it’s fucking beautiful.”

When I ask Connell to describe his food ideology or cooking style he replies, “I just kind of…do what I want.” He relishes his freedom to make dumplings and steam buns, or foie gras ravioli, or a rabbit taco. SCK has a main à la carte menu with large plates, then an assortment of small plates (or dim sum) that you can snatch up as they come by your table throughout the evening.

1025 Lomas NW Albuquerque 505.242.3117 thecellartapas.com

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27

BACK OF THE HOUSE

Seared diver scallops, foie gras ravioli, and English peas from State Capital Kitchen.

These bites change daily, depending on what chef Connell has in fresh and what piques his imagination.

He says the menu at Gnarchow will be similarly inventive and sophisticated, only handheld and with food-truck prices. “If you can get Michelin or James Beard quality food at $10–$12 a plate, I think that’s crazy,” says Martel. Which is not to say all the truck’s dishes have to be fancy: “I’m working a new idea,” Connell says, “stuffed sopapillas on a waffle iron, brushed with honey.”

“We need to think about what we are offering the rest of the nation,” says Martel. “When the New York Times comes here to discover ‘what is Santa Fe cuisine?’ they need to see all these new creative people coming together as part of the answer. It’s not the whole answer, because we will always pay homage to the John Sedlars, 28

edible Santa Fe | FALL 2016

Mark Millers, Eric DiStefanos, and Mark Kiffins who put Santa Fe on the map,” vows Martel. “That’s the heritage. When those guys started their restaurants in the 1980s and 1990s, Santa Fe entered a golden age of fine dining. But we also want to show where we are now and where we’re going. That’s how we attract new people here.”

With our horse-stable bull session winding down, I ask Martel where he’d like to see Santa Fe’s food scene in five years. “I hope it explodes. We may have had our golden age of restaurants in Santa Fe, but now we want a renaissance. We’ll do whatever it takes.”

500 Sandoval, Santa Fe, 505-428-0073 www.statecapitalkitchen.com, www.gnarchow.com www.citydifferentcolab.com

Buy local.

Growing here isn’t easy, but people have beat the odds for centuries. They dug acequias to bring water from the Rio Grande and ranged cattle in the high desert. And along the way, they crafted a unique history that’s etched into our state’s art, culture, and cuisine. Support your neighbors. Buy local. New Mexico True Certified.

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FERMENTI'S PARDOX

Peter Valdez and Alexander Petusini exchange a toast and eggs at Chili Line Brewing.

New Mexico Breweries Give Back THEIR COMMUNITIES AND ENVIRONMENT BENEFIT FROM SPENT GRAIN

By Michael J. Dax · Photos by Stephanie Cameron What began as a simple date night at a local restaurant for Peter Valdez and his wife quickly grew into a business relationship reminiscent of an all-but-vanished barter economy. After their meal at Pizzeria da Lino, which houses Santa Fe’s newest brewery, Chili Line Brewing, Valdez, who owns and operates a tree removal and firewood service, inquired about where the restaurant sourced the wood for its ovens.

A few months later, not only does Valdez supply the restaurant’s firewood, but he receives the four hundred pounds of spent grain the brewery produces on a weekly basis to feed his fifty chickens. Extending this exchange, Valdez then provides the restaurant with eggs from the chickens fed by the spent grain.

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For him and Alexander Pertusini, the restaurant manager and head brewer, this relationship exemplifies what the local food movement is all about. “This new generation really likes farm to table. It cuts down on your carbon footprint, but more than that, it helps out the community, and you get a really good give-and-take,” says Pertusini.

The explosion of the craft brewing industry over the past decade has also meant a proliferation of spent grain—the byproduct left after the starches and sugars have been extracted from the grain by soaking it in warm water. The water goes on to become beer, but the grain, now reduced to its protein-rich shell, is often considered waste. For brewers like Pertusini, though, who equate

local with sustainable, sending thousands of pounds of grain to a landfill is antithetical to their business philosophy.

An hour northwest of Abiquiu, thirteen miles up a rough dirt road that follows the Rio Chama, the Monastery of Christ in the Desert seems an unlikely place for a brewery; yet, since 2005, Abbey Brewing has distributed its line of Monk’s Ales throughout the Southwest. While the majority of its beer is produced at a large facility in Moriarty, general manager and head brewer Berkeley Merchant still develops and refines every beer made at the monastery.

Merchant’s half-barrel system produces roughly two to three hundred pounds of spent grain a week, but, considering the brewery’s

Spent grain—not very pretty to look at, but a great resource.

isolation, even this modest amount of waste could prove difficult to remove. At first, the brewery either composted the spent grain or incorporated it into Monk’s Ale soap, where it acts as the exfoliating agent; but in 2010 the monks found a use for it that would directly benefit the brewery and the land.

That year the monastery started growing four varieties of native New Mexican hops.

Even though these neomexicanus hops evolved in northern New Mexico, the clayladen soil, which lacks organic matter and certain nutrients, such as zinc, does not offer fertile growing conditions. For this reason, the brewery started using a portion of its spent grain to fertilize the half-acre hop farm. Since then, Merchant has noticed an improvement in the soil quality, and the hop vines now exceed eighteen feet.

Merchant is not alone in observing how spent grain can improve the quality of a product. For Valdez, spent grain has been a marked improvement over the organic feed he previously fed his chickens, who can go through a forty-pound bag in a single day.

“They produce more eggs,” he observes, adding that “their shells are a lot thicker, too.”

However, Pertusini notes that finding ways of donating or reusing spent grain is as much about a sense of community as about trying to be sustainable.

Justin Hamilton started brewing professionally when he was twenty-two years old and has worked for a number of breweries in Santa Fe and Albuquerque. When he opened Boxing Bear Brewing in 2014, he

wanted to be on Albuquerque’s Westside, just a few blocks from where he grew up.

Early on, Hamilton reached out to a Corrales farmer he knew from one of his previous positions, and offered to donate all of his spent grain. The farmer leaves fiftyfive-gallon barrels that Hamilton fills with the 2,000 to 3,000 pounds of grain he goes through each week. When the barrels are full, he calls the farmer, who picks them up and feeds the grain to his livestock.

For Hamilton, the impulse of donating grain to help a farmer cut his costs is the same as hosting events to help local nonprofits or providing space for family and friends to get together. “Craft beer has a direct connection to the craft of life,” he remarks. “People want a better lifestyle— they’re looking for local, they’re looking for natural, they’re looking for organic.”

From feed to soap and pizza crust to dog biscuits, the uses for spent grain that brewers throughout the state have developed are plentiful. And as New Mexico’s brewery scene continues to grow, so too will the opportunities for brewers and local food producers to utilize grain in innovative and sustainable ways. Building on this, Hamilton wants Boxing Bear to be about more than just the beer. “We want to embrace the community, and we want the community to embrace us,” he says. “It’s all about giving back.” www.abbeybrewing.biz www.boxingbearbrewing.com www.chililinebrewery.com

BEHIND THE BOTTLE

Merlot grapes ready for picking at Milagro Winery.

The Emerging Terroir OF THE NEW MEXICO WINESCAPE

By Sam L. Melada · Photos by Stephanie Cameron New Mexico’s soil and climate have concrete but elusive impacts on the foods we eat and the beverages we make. Precipitation and soil drainage, air quality, temperature fluctuations, and our incredible New Mexico sunlight combine with a multitude of other factors exclusive to our land to create the flavor of Dixon apples, Chimayó chile, blue corn from Santa Ana Pueblo, Carrizozo cherries, and the bountiful crops of pecans from down south. How do we know this?

We taste it.

This notion of terroir, i.e. “the taste of place,” is hotly debated throughout the world of viticulture, among traditional and 32

edible Santa Fe | FALL 2016

modern winemakers alike. While I often use the geographic variations in New Mexico chile (e.g. between Hatch and Chimayó) as a way for everyday New Mexico wine drinkers to conceptualize how the place of origin is reflected in the taste of a wine, wine writer Matt Kramer argues that understanding terroir is not unlike understanding acupuncture. In his essay “The Notion of Terroir,” Kramer argues that terroir is akin to acupuncture in that the energy meridians, or “channels,” through which acupuncture functions cannot be “found by dissection…yet they exist. Acupuncture works. Its effects, if not its causes, are demonstrable.”

This is an excellent metaphor for the emer-

gent winescape of New Mexico because we can’t quite see it yet. I borrow the term “emergent” from Dynamic Systems Theory because our New Mexico winemaking is evolving and coming into clearer view. Our wines are developing, not in accordance with some winemaker’s set of instructions, but in a dynamic relationship with our soil, our rainclouds, and our sun.

I recently sat down with Rick Hobson, from Milagro Winery in Corrales, to discuss how we might begin to define New Mexican terroir in relation to the Central Region, comprised of Cibola, Bernalillo, Valencia, Torrance, and Socorro counties. “There are

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33

BEHIND THE BOTTLE

Volunteers harvest the abundance of Merlot grapes in Corrales in early September.

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edible Santa Fe | FALL 2016

a whole lot of positives here in New Mexico,” he says. “We have a dry climate, we don’t have to spray for insects or mildew.

But we do have to use soil amendments to help with the pH, because we have alkaline soils.”

As for the issue of microclimates within central New Mexico, Hobson says, “They’re real. I tried to grow Syrah here at the vineyards on the valley floor, and it didn’t take. It’s vigorous but can’t survive the early frost. I planted it one-third of a mile from here in the sandhills, up one hundred feet, and it’s fantastic. You know, it’s pure sand, but you see pictures of the Rhone Valley, where they raise Syrah, and you see the rocks and the sand, and the grapes like that—and it does well here.”

He went on to describe how the effect of our intense sunlight, coupled with our short growing season, changes the thickness of the skins, which in turn changes how we have to press the juice out, and how that juice tastes. Hobson also had to adapt to the ability of some grapes to grow in the valley. Sauvignon Blanc just didn’t thrive, while the Austrian variety Grüner Veltliner flourishes right off old Corrales Road. Some grapes are better at adapting to our climate and might begin to develop their own personality.

To get some perspective on the challenges faced up north, where the grape growing territory stretches from San Miguel west to San Juan, I spoke with Sam Aragon, president of the New Mexico Wine Growers Association and owner of Las Nueve Niñas Winery in Mora. The 7,600

foot elevation in Mora comes with unique challenges. While the frosts that plague the central region are not nearly as damaging to his crops, he has to contend with hail that can take down a potential harvest in an afternoon. He also has to contend with some insects that aren’t a problem in other parts of the state. Another factor is a lower volume of crops. “I had this Riesling from Velarde and it was so crisp, nice and dry. Such a freshness! But I only had forty-three gallons, and I had to blend it with a Riesling from way down south to make the wine.” This was my first glimpse into how subregions might develop their own characteristics as grape growing and winemaking continue to develop. Aragon is incredibly optimistic for the future, citing the the many styles of great wine being made by vintners throughout the state.

Both Hobson and Aragon point to the fact that great wine is not made in the winery; it is grown. It begins with the grapes.

“New Mexico wine is going to take time to develop as we grow more grapes,” says Hobson, “and perhaps, then, terroir will emerge.” Aragon says that despite the fact that blending might be necessary now, “It’s going to evolve, it’s going to become wine for wine’s sake.” The taste of New Mexico in our wines is not yet even as clear as an acupuncture channel, but it is something we can all look forward to experiencing as the industry adapts and develops its own unique identity. www.lasnueveninaswinery.com www.milagrovineyardsandwinery.com www.nmwine.org

PAYNE’S

ORGANIC SOIL YARD Our Organic Products Make Your Plants GROW!

Payne’s Organic Soil Yard has one of the most extensive selections of bulk, organic products in Santa Fe including: • Organic Composts • Rich Garden Soils • Wood & Bark Mulches • Decorative Mulches • Pecan Shells • Custom Mixes • Select Organic Fertilizers

Bring your own truck or we’ll deliver your mulch and compost for a small fee.

Happy Gardening!

Payne’s Organic Soil Yard ( POSY ) 6037 Agua Fria 505-424-0336 Payne’s Nursery North 304 Camino Alire 505-988-8011 Payne’s Nursery South 715 St. Michael’s Dr. 505-988-9626

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COOKING FRESH

Eat Your Veggies CARROT AND RADISH RECIPES FROM THE FARM

By Marjory Sweet and Seth Matlick · Photos by Stephanie Cameron

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edible Santa Fe | FALL 2016

Farmers market customers often ask for suggestions about how best to prepare the produce they purchase. Sometimes this is because they are trying a new vegetable, but it’s often simply because they only know one way to eat a carrot or radish. For this issue’s Cooking Fresh column, we asked two Albuquerque farmers, Marjory Sweet, of Chispas Farm and Otter Farm, and Seth Matlick, of Vida Verde Farm, to take two of their fall seasonal crops and share a few of their favorite recipes.

CARROTS I have struggled with carrots as a farmer. I’ve planted them too close together, I’ve watched whole varieties bolt on me, I’ve had ones with weak, messy tops and others with gnarly, knobby roots. You might wonder why I don’t just stop growing them. When they are successful, though, carrots are a dream crop. Long lasting in the field, an easy sell at market, versatile in the kitchen. Who can resist a vegetable that, when all else fails, can be turned into cake?

Growing carrots demands patience, even when things go well. Like most umbellifers, they are planted at the beginning of the season when fields are still clean and confidence is high. Carrot seeds are tiny. You could hold eight hundred of them in your palm at once. They are surprisingly fragrant, too. I always wonder why I don’t see “toasted carrot seed” on fancy menu dishes. Above all, carrot seeds are slow. They

take their time to germinate, and the wait is frustrating. After you plant, weeds will come first. Doubt usually comes second. Still no sign. Finally, a row of almost impossibly tiny green sprouts will appear—each shaped like a half-inch wispy V. In a month, the seedlings will put on their signature fluffy top growth. In three months, patience is finally rewarded and you can begin to harvest. Luckily, they do not need to be pulled immediately or all at once. Carrots do not burden you with a tiny harvest window like tomatoes or greens. You can pick them when they’re small or wait until they bulk up later in the season. You can pick ten or two hundred. Carrots practice patience, too.

Carrots have also taught me to be patient in the kitchen. My favorite way to eat them is pickled; second favorite is braised in their own juice. Both recipes take time, but are absolutely worth it. A particularly abundant yield this year has given me an opportunity to experiment with some other tasty ways to enjoy them: spiced and grilled with yogurt and sesame; frittered and fried; in carrot butter; and as carrot chips. I even found use for the slightly bitter tops (beyond just rabbit food).

I won’t grow them again until next spring, so my jars of spicy pickled Yayas and fermented Jeanettes will have to tide me over until then, a final lesson in patience from the garden's most surprising staple.

—M.S.

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COOKING FRESH

CARROT JUICE-BRAISED CARROTS WITH CARROT CHIPS Serves 2–4 This dish is carrot on carrot on carrot. I love the simplicity of this recipe combined with the complexity of the flavors that it produces.

I highly recommend getting fresh carrots from your local farmers market and experimenting with different varieties. This recipe calls for orange carrots because I’m partial to the orangeon-orange palette, but it works just as wonderfully with white, yellow, or purple carrots! The sauce stores well in the refrigerator, and I keep the surplus in a squeeze bottle to drizzle on roasted vegetables and grilled meats.

2 cups carrot juice 2 sheets of kombu or other dried kelp 3 tablespoons butter 1 pound of orange carrots, chopped into

1-inch chunks 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt Zest of 1/2 orange Juice of 1/2 orange Carrot chips (recipe to follow)

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Heat carrot juice and kombu over very low heat and steep for 45 minutes. Over mediumhigh heat, warm the butter in a wide pot until foaming; add carrots and salt. Toss carrots in butter and add carrot juice, discarding the kombu. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 6–8 minutes, until the texture is fork tender but not mushy. Drain, reserving the juice, and cover to keep warm. Add orange zest and juice to reserved liquid. Over medium-high heat, reduce by half until slightly thickened.

Serve braised carrots with their juice and top with crispy carrot chips.

CARROT CHIPS 2–3 large, long orange carrots, peeled Oil for frying Salt to taste Using a vegetable peeler, shave strips off the carrots lengthwise. Heat oil in dutch oven or cast-iron frying pan. When the oil is hot, fry carrot strips in several batches until crispy, 1–2 minutes. Do not crowd the pan and be careful not to burn them. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels. Season hot chips with salt.

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COOKING FRESH

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edible Santa Fe | FALL 2016

BARBEQUE GRILLED CARROTS WITH LEMONY YOGURT SAUCE Serves 2–4 When New Mexico’s summer days reach 100 degrees and turning on the oven sounds torturous, I rely on my grill to see me through. The grill also lures me outside during the fall and winter months when I find myself spending too much time indoors. Carrots love the grill and are delicious served both hot and cold. I grill a big batch and eat them all week right out of the refrigerator. The sweetness of the carrots pairs perfectly with the smokiness of the grill and the heat of the barbeque rub. Topped with a cooling and citrusy yogurt sauce, this dish is guaranteed to be your new go-to.

4 large carrots, cut in half lengthwise 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil Barbeque rub (recipe to follow) or spice

rub of your choice 1/2 cup Greek yogurt Zest of 1/2 lemon Juice of 1 lemon Toasted sesame seeds Bring pot of salted water to a boil. Trim tops off of carrots, leaving 1-inch stems attached, and cut in half lengthwise. Boil carrots until just fork tender, about 3–4 minutes. Drain and place in a large bowl. Toss carrots in olive oil and spice rub and let sit at room temperature for 1–3 hours.

Mix yogurt, lemon zest, and juice, and salt to taste. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Heat grill to very hot and grill carrots for 4–5 minutes per side, until slightly blackened and charred. To serve, drizzle yogurt over carrots and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.

BARBEQUE RUB 3 tablespoons brown sugar 1 tablespoon kosher salt 1 tablespoon smoked paprika 2 teaspoons cumin 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon black pepper 1/2 teaspoon cayenne powder Mix all the ingredients.

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COOKING FRESH

CARROT LATKE WITH CARROT TOP CHIMICHURRI Makes about 15 latkes

Carrot tops are usually discarded. Their texture can be feathery or spiny, with a tough consistency due to larger stems. The key is to strip the desirable, tender greens from the tougher stems. You can add these greens, chopped up, to meatballs or falafel; mix them into stirfry and soup; or purée them into sauce ot pesto. I use them as a substitute for their cousin parsley in this chimichurri recipe. This tangy, spicy green sauce also tastes great on grilled steak.

2 pounds large carrots, tops reserved 1 large yellow onion 2 large eggs, beaten 1/4 cup unbleached flour Salt and pepper to taste Canola oil for frying Carrot top chimichurri (recipe to follow) Sour cream (optional) Peel carrots and coarsely grate. Grate the onions and mix with carrots, squeezing out as much excess liquid as possible. Whisk eggs in large bowl. Mix carrots and onions with eggs, mix in flour, and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 inch of oil in a castiron skillet until hot but not smoking. Drop rounded tablespoons of mixture into the oil, being careful not to splash yourself, and flatten with a spoon. Fry for 1 1/2 minutes, turning once, until golden brown and crispy on each side. Drain on paper towels and lightly season with kosher salt. Keep in warm oven while frying the remaining latkes. Serve with sour cream and carrot top chimichurri.

CARROT TOP CHIMICHURRI Makes 2 cups

1 cup carrot tops, leaves and tender stems only 1/2 cup cilantro 1 serrano or jalapeño, seeded 4 garlic cloves 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1/3 cup red wine vinegar 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil Combine all ingredients except olive oil in a food processor and purée until smooth. While the food processor is running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil.

Transfer to squeeze bottle or airtight container and keep refrigerated.

—S.M. 42

edible Santa Fe | FALL 2016

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COOKING FRESH

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edible Santa Fe | FALL 2016

RADISHES In contrast to the carrot, the radish offers one of the garden’s most immediate rewards. If carrots are the patient root, radishes are their eager younger sibling. Most varieties are ready to eat less than a month after seeding. They should be picked as soon as they reach full size—when the flesh is still crisp, sweet, and faintly peppery. If left too long, they will become pithy and unpleasantly hot. I like to think the brief harvest window is a good excuse to quickly explore the many ways to prepare them. While not often the MVP of a market table, radishes certainly deserve the award for best supporting actor. They add sweetness to a plate of kale, crunch to a tomato sandwich, and color to a green salad. They are often the first burst of color in the spring and the last in the fall—from brilliant pink Shunkyos to glowing purple daikons. I can’t think of a meal that wouldn’t be improved by a sliver of raw (or wedge of roasted, or pile of pickled) radishes. Early spring lunches on the farm often center around a big plate of fresh, rosy radishes slicked in butter and showered with salt. In the fall, radishes taste even sweeter; most brassicas develop sweetness in the cold, and the radish is no exception. Come autumn, I prepare my radishes with an October twist: roasted with browned butter. This snack at once recalls spring and makes me eager for the shorter, colder days to come.

—M.S.

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COOKING FRESH BUTTER-DIPPED RADISHES Serves 2–4 This dish, above all others, highlights the humble radish’s amazing flavor and texture. Fresh and tender radishes, eaten right out of the field or, for those of you not growing your own, picked up at your local farmers market, are crisp and crunchy, sweet and spicy. Too often written off as a basic ingredient, this pairing with good unsalted butter allows the radish to be the star it really is.

10–20 radishes with their greens

(about 2 bunches), washed 1–2 sticks unsalted butter Course pink sea salt or other

finishing salt Wash radishes and their greens gently; trim off any long root tips. Discard any yellow or damaged leaves. Dry, bag, and refrigerate radishes until ready to use. Temper butter over medium heat by using a double boiler to gently heat butter, but not melt, whisking occasionally. Butter should have a consistency of melted chocolate. If too thin, let cool slightly until it thickens to the desired consistency. Dip the bottom half of each radish in the butter and shake off any excess. Place radishes on a sheet tray or plate lined with wax paper. Chill radishes until butter sets (about 5–10 minutes) and then dip a second time (you may need to reheat the butter). After the second dip, sprinkle generously with coarse pink sea salt and chill until the butter has set. Enjoy cold right out of the refrigerator!

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edible Santa Fe | FALL 2016

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COOKING FRESH BROWN BUTTER CARAMELIZED RADISHES AND GREENS WITH RADISH TOP SALSA VERDE Serves 2–4 I venture that most people have only eaten raw radishes, which can lead those who don’t like the bite and spice to dismiss it as a worthless crop. But radishes have a secret sweet side that can be coaxed out by roasting them, releasing a flavor that will convert even the most anti-radish person. This is a simple dish that shows the amazing depth of flavor that radishes contain. The greens, similar to carrot tops, are also an overlooked part of the plant. When buying radishes, look for bunches with tall, bright green tops, and ask your farmer for advice in picking them out if you’re unsure. Some varieties are better than others for their greens and we are always happy to help.

10–20 radishes with their greens (about 2 bunches) 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil Kosher salt and black pepper to taste 4 tablespoons unsalted butter Radish top salsa verde (recipe to follow) Heat oven to 400° F. Place sheet tray or baking dish lined with wax paper in oven to get hot. Wash radishes and their greens, separating the two; save the greens for later.

Chop radishes in half or quarters, depending on size, and toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Once the oven is hot, remove sheet tray and place radishes on it in a single layer. Bake for 15–18 minutes, turning once, after radishes have browned and softened. While radishes roast, gently brown butter in a sauté pan over medium flame, making sure not to burn it (butter will foam and then begin to brown). Roughly chop half of the reserved radish greens. When radishes are ready, transfer to a bowl, then mix in brown butter and raw greens to wilt. Top with salsa verde.

RADISH TOP SALSA VERDE Makes 1 cup 1/2 cup radish tops, washed 1/2 cup flat leaf Italian parsley 2 salt-packed anchovies (if substituting oil-packed

anchovies, make sure to blot off extra oil) 1 garlic clove, smashed Zest of 1/2 lemon 1/2 teaspoon chile flakes 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar 1/4 cup olive oil Salt Bring a saucepot of salted water to a rolling boil. Meanwhile, prepare an ice bath.

Once the water boils, add the radish greens all at once. Cook 1 minute or until wilted and bright green. Drain and immediately plunge in ice water to stop the cooking and set the color.

Add anchovies and garlic to a food processor. Pulse a few times until a paste is made.

Add radish greens, parsley, lemon zest, chile flakes, and vinegar; then pulse to mix and evenly chop the ingredients. With the food processor running, add oil until you have the consistency of a pesto. It should be thick, but pourable. Add salt to taste.

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edible Santa Fe | FALL 2016

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COOKING FRESH

QUICK REFRIGERATOR RADISH PICKLES Makes 1 quart jar With their great crunchy texture and spicy flavor, radishes make amazing pickles. Feel free to be creative when making pickles, and use what’s in season. Some combinations that I love are thinly sliced radish pickles with cider vinegar, coriander, cumin, chile, and fenugreek. Another option is quartered radish pickles with white vinegar, garlic, and white peppercorns. Try matchstick purple daikon pickles with rice wine vinegar, fresh ginger, cayenne, and star anise.

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edible Santa Fe | FALL 2016

1 bunch of radishes or 1 large daikon radish,

topped and washed 1 cup water 1 cup vinegar (white, cider, or rice wine all

work well) 2 tablespoons sugar 1 tablespoon salt Spices, herbs, and seasonings to taste Bring water and vinegar to a boil. Add salt and sugar and whisk to dissolve. Add spices and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. While the brine is cooling, slice, chop, or matchstick radishes to your liking. Pack radishes in a glass jar, leaving 1 inch of headroom at the top of the jar. Pour brine over radishes and refrigerate several hours to overnight. Flavor will intensify with time. —S.M.

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EDIBLE NOTABLES FARM & TABLE WELCOMES NEW WINE CURATOR JAMES KRAJEWSKI Farm & Table, located in Albuquerque’s picturesque North Valley, recently welcomed James Krajewski as its new wine curator. Krajewski brings an extensive knowledge of world wines to Albuquerque after an impressive stint in California’s Bay Area. He spent the past three years as a wine merchant with Paul Marcus Wines in Oakland and Prima Vini in Walnut Creek, which both specialize in European and domestic wines and emphasize French, Italian, German, Austrian, Spanish, Eastern European, and Californian producers.

Krajewski managed robust inventory programs, orchestrated food and beverage tastings, creatively marketed new products, and received certification from the Court of Master Sommeliers. Prior to his time in California, Krajewski worked for over ten years in the food and beverage industry in Albuquerque, with stints at Tierra Encantada Winery, Seasons Rotisserie Grill, and Synergy Fine Wines. “In New Mexico we have a viticultural history dating back to the seventeenth century,” shares Krajewski. “I am excited to bring my experience in pairing wines with great food to Farm & Table as I work alongside chef Carrie Eagle and her team.”

Farm & Table owner Cherie Montoya says, “James is a great addition to our family as he will continue to seek out the finest and most unique wines for our guests.” In addition to offering fresh seasonal cuisine, Farm & Table regularly highlights breweries and wineries through special multi-course meals. www.farmandtablenm.com

James Krajewski, photo courtesy of Farm & Table.

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edible Santa Fe | FALL 2016

LA COCINA DE MELA—WE’RE BACK! After a six-year hiatus, La Cocina de Mela returns to the Galisteo Studio Tour with an extensive menu of traditional New Mexican food, featuring Mela Montoya’s red chile.

Mela grew up in a family of sheepherders; with her five sisters, she learned to cook large quantities of food. Mela continued this tradition after marrying Onesimo Montoya. As you look at the photograph below, imagine Mela Montoya cooking for nine children, seventeen grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren. She could cook! And she taught her daughters and sons how to cook.

In 1987, while working at the information booth at the Galisteo Studio Tour, Mela’s daughter Anna was asked, “Where is the real native New Mexican food that the New Mexican advertised?” Anna spoke with her mother about it, and from that conversation, La Cocina de Mela was born. During subsequent studio tours, her five daughters, her sister Rosina, her cousins, and the rest of the family helped make tortillas, sopaipillas, beans, posole, tamales, bizcochitos, and, of course, Mela’s red chile, all at the Galisteo Community Center. Mela was the force behind the event until she passed away in 2010, followed by her husband, Onesimo, in 2012, and sister Rosina, in 2014.

Mela’s children, Geri, Jimmy, Angie, David, Ted, and Anna, and Rosina’s daughter, Berna, along with their families, will return this year to keep the tradition of La Cocina de Mela alive. “We miss our parents terribly,” they said, “but we feel their presence when we work together.”

They invite you to the Galisteo Community Center, where the smells of Mela’s red chile and other authentic New Mexican dishes will greet you.

The Galisteo Studio Tour is October 15–16 from 10am to 5pm. Street Food Institute will also have a food stop on the tour, near the church. www.galisteostudiotour.org

Mela Montoya, photo courtesy of Galisteo Studio Tour.

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edible Santa Fe | FALL 2016

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Farming, With a Sense of Humor PECULIAR FARMS LIVES UP TO ITS NAME

By Laura Jean Schneider · Photos by Stephanie Cameron

Thomas and Amanda Dollahite playing with their children in the cover crops.

If you’ve ever fantasized about a natural food farm and market that sells everything you need to go home and make dinner, Peculiar Farms shares your dream. If meeting the chicken who laid the green egg you hold in your hand or the cohorts of the grassfed and grass-finished steer who provided your steak is right up your alley, perhaps you’re feeling Peculiar. Peculiar Farms, that is.

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edible Santa Fe | FALL 2016

T

homas Dollahite, a former archaeologist with longtime experience digging in soil, is relatively new to the handson process of farming. The land he and his wife Amanda have turned into their sole source of income, however, was farmed for two centuries by his forebearers. When his grandfather died, he recalled asking himself, “How can we preserve this?”

A contagious enthusiasm for food production soon led him into a much larger enterprise than he could have anticipated. He admitted he had no idea “how much work and infrastructure” went into farming. It’s been five years of learning, sometimes the hard way, as the Dollahites have slowly built up their soil. Despite having “the luxury of land in the family,” Dollahite faced several challenges.

The area had been monoculture farmed, tilled, and plowed the conventional way; the soil was no longer that fertile or productive.

Flash forward five years, and this is what you’ll see on Peculiar Farms today: a fenced pasture system of three-acre paddocks seeded with a custom grass and legume blend (including peas, okra, buckwheat, millet, and black-eyed peas) for summer grazing, and a no-till drill for planting crops directly into a cover crop. The Dollahites’ grassfed beef cattle spend a few days in each paddock before moving on to the next, leaving a potluck of sorts for the free-range chickens, their other main enterprise. With limited acreage, the Dollahites implement what many ranchers have done for decades: they plant seasonally to provide different forages for different times of the year. Unlike most ranchers, however, the Dollahites finish their beef on a non-corn forage mix they raise. Country that is historically grazed in the summer is high-calorie and protein-dense feed, raised where the most rain falls. Winter grazing country is generally at a lower elevation, and must have high protein rations to get cattle through the dormant growing season. Since the elevation of the farm remains the same, the Dollahites work around it. After the summer crop is consumed by the Peculiar herd, a winter mix of brassicas is plugged in, including a turnip and kale hybrid. Dollahite cuts his custom forage blend and bales it to supplement his cattle in the winter.

While this system certainly produces high-quality beef, it also has its drawbacks. Namely, the use of irrigation and intensive management requires more resources and fossil fuel use (i.e. drilling, cutting, and baling hay) than grazing cattle on range with native, drought-tolerant grasses.

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Peculiar Farms sells its beeves to individuals and through the La Montañita Co-op groceries (under the Sweetgrass label) in New Mexico. So far, Dollahite is pleased with the marbling he’s seen his two-year-old animals produce on the forage mix he’s concocted. He’d like to expand his beef operation by getting some of the farmland certified organic, and selling organic beef, too. “I love the idea of having a natural outflow of our family’s larder,” he explained, sharing his desire to return some of the products they’ve tried in the past, such as milk, to the farm’s program.

Left: During high production time, Peculiar Farms produces one hundred dozen eggs per week, which in turn are distributed through La Montañita Co-op.

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Top: A custom grass and legume blend including peas, okra, buckwheat, millet, and black-eyed peas for summer grazing.

Below: Cows and humans alike enjoying the mustard greens coming up in the cover crops.

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edible Santa Fe | FALL 2016

Dollahite brims with enthusiasm, even when divulging the demands of running a one-hundred-acre farm. He recently spent eighty thousand dollars—a cost offset by a Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) grant—to put in a new well for Peculiar Farms. Why go through such a significant expense when they have access to irrigation water? He believes the runoff from Albuquerque lawns and fields that use pesticides, herbicides, and other chemicals contaminates irrigation water. Drilling over two hundred feet into the ground was his and Amanda’s solution.

“Flood irrigation is good for the valley,” Dollahite admits, because “it recharges the aquifer,” but the potentially toxic tradeoff is not one the Dollahites are ready to make. Instead, they have drip irrigation set up all over their farm, from the custom-seeded pasture ground to the vegetable plots. So far, Dollahite told me, they’ve seen a forty-percent reduction in overall water use and a crop increase of over one-third. While this sounds like an ideal individual solution, I couldn’t help but question what would happen if every farmer took this approach: the aquifer would certainly be depleted, salinization of soil would occur, and the water table would drop significantly.

Dollahite’s enthusiasm is matched with an impressive ambition. By December, Peculiar Farms will open a European-style market and coffeehouse, where customers can get a fresh pastry and a cup of coffee, as well as seasonal vegetables and fruit. Ideally, he’d like a space where shoppers can “leave with everything needed to prepare their supper.” Here, he laughs, adding that he needs a salt mine to be able to really complete the whole package.

“Local is not enough,” Dollahite insists, criticizing the lack of quality control for organic and local products. He wants Peculiar Farms products to both look and taste better than anything in a store. In fact, the Peculiar Farms motto is “growing sustainable all natural produce for connoisseurs.”

In addition to answering the questions of curious neighboring farmers, the Dollahites are passionate about learning and teaching. “We learn from people, and vice versa,” Dollahite shared when I asked about the Peculiar Farms tours they offer. Once a minimum of twelve people have signed up, they get a personalized tour of the premises—something even many larger farms don’t take the time to do. He marvels at the knowledge visitors have shared, and he’s committed to the idea that consumers need to “see the whole product,” acknowledging that there is a certain “affinity to the food because you know who raised it.”

The Dollahites have a real connection to food, and in this case a peculiar one. “It’s a pun,” Thomas shared, a play on a Bible verse about the Christian worldview they’ve chosen, as well as about themselves. “We’re people people,” he says with a laugh, “and we’re peculiar people.” Indeed, with their non-traditional agricultural practices, their Euro bistro shop, and their dream of food being both “aesthetically pleasing and tempting,” the Dollahites might be peculiar in the most appealing way. www.peculiarfarms.com

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Blazing a Trail for the Future THE FACE OF BIODYNAMICS IN NEW MEXICO

By Karen Davis-Brown

Photo by Jack Bitts.

The foundation of good agricultural practice in biodynamics—as in most other approaches to regenerative agriculture—is the soil. One may even say that biodynamic agriculture is about growing healthy, balanced, vital soil, with healthy crops and livestock as the inevitable outcome.

M

ost farmers and gardeners who strive to consistently, devotedly, and systematically practice biodynamics will tell you that what they do is just “good agriculture.” They have explored and applied this approach to farming and gardening in small pockets all over the world since 1924, when Rudolf Steiner (Austrian writer, educator, and social activist) gave his agriculture lectures. In the twenty-first century, our society’s growing disillusionment with industrial agriculture is resulting in a deeper understanding of what good agriculture is, and the organic, local, sustainable, and regenerative agriculture movements are leading many Americans back to what biodynamic agriculturists have practiced all along.

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The foundation of good agricultural practice in biodynamics—as in most other approaches to regenerative agriculture—is the soil. One may even say that biodynamic agriculture is about growing healthy, balanced, vital soil, with healthy crops and livestock as the inevitable outcome. Steiner’s lectures took place because farmers in Eastern Europe begged him to help them understand and heal the nutrient forces and quality of their soil, and most of the lectures address just those issues. He encouraged farmers to view their farms as a whole organism that, when healthy, would require minimal inputs other than the composted plant matter and animal manure generated from its own diverse land use and biodiversity.

Fast forward to New Mexico in 2016. What does it mean to have healthy soil so farmers and gardeners can provide healthy food to their neighbors and communities? What role can biodynamic agriculture play? Indeed, what is its current role, and how can that be deepened, strengthened, and expanded? Two very different, but complementary, farmers and farms can begin to answer these questions.

Morningstar Farm in Arroyo Seco, outside Taos, is a two-anda-half-acre vegetable farm at over seven thousand feet in the Sangre de Cristo mountains. Melinda Bateman began the farm in 1991 and converted to biodynamics in 1998. “I was an organic farmer looking to improve my practice. It was a practical move on my part,” she remembers. Morningstar Farm has a little over an acre of tillable land, which produces vegetables for restaurants in Taos and seed garlic, the farm’s specialty crop.

Bateman observed that it is a misconception to think of New Mexico as “all desert.” She points out, “There is good soil in New Mexico.” She listed the challenges in growing here: the dryness of the air and minimal rainfall; the short growing season and extreme daily fluctuations in temperature; and the effects of the sun at this altitude. She noted that root vegetables, such as garlic, grow well here, but other vegetables need shade cloth, row cover, or the greenhouse to extend the season and to provide them with an extra skin of protection from the intensity of the altiplano sun.

When asked what changes she has observed over almost twenty years of applying biodynamics, Bateman responded, “Using biodynamics has really opened up this adobe clay soil and improved its tilth. The earth smells sweet now.” She also noted that “pest control is less of problem than it used to be,” and that she has been able to cut the amount of time she waters her beds from sixty to just thirty or forty minutes a day. She closed by saying, “Biodynamics is like homeopathy for the earth, and the earth is much in need of healing.”

Tesuque Pueblo is seventeen thousand acres of mostly wilderness in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo mountains. The small pueblo has stood for over eight hundred years and currently has a population of fewer than a thousand members. In 2006, the pueblo decided to formalize their agricultural endeavors by creating an agriculture department, and hired Bolivian agriculturalist Emigdio Ballon as its director. Ballon came to the US in the mid-eighties to work on a PhD related to breeding quinoa, but his desire to integrate scientific and indigenous understandings of plant breeding and selection were at odds with the agricultural research establishment at the time. He left that program to pursue his work outside of academia. After several years of working both in Bolivia and the US, he was hired to oversee the Tesuque Farming Department and its Agricultural Initiative. The initiative currently has an orchard with a variety of fruits and berries; some vegetables; medicinal herbs; and traditional indigenous dryland crops grown by the Pueblo, Hopi, and Navajo peoples in Arizona and New Mexico. A seed bank that collects and stores seed from these indigenous crops is an important part of the work

匀甀猀愀渀ᤠ猀 䘀椀渀攀 圀椀渀攀 愀渀搀 匀瀀椀爀椀琀猀 伀渀攀 漀昀 琀栀攀 氀愀爀最攀猀琀 猀攀氀攀挀琀椀漀渀猀 漀昀 眀椀渀攀Ⰰ 挀爀愀昀琀 戀攀攀爀Ⰰ 愀渀搀 猀瀀椀爀椀琀猀 椀渀 琀漀眀渀℀

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done through the Agricultural Initiative. By including crops such as Hopi tobacco, beans, corn, squash, quinoa, chiles, barley, and oats, Ballon says, “We have the capacity to meet the basic seed requirements for these peoples to start growing these traditional crops on their lands again.”

Asked about his understanding of how biodynamic and American indigenous agricultural practices reflect and complement each other, Ballon observed, “Much of what is called biodynamics was largely practiced by indigenous peoples for thousands of years. Working with the moon and stars, using herbs as medicine for the earth, working prayerfully and as a partner with nature; this is nothing new for us.” He went on to explain that “mainstream science is not the only way to work with Mother Nature.

There is no higher science than indigenous science.”

Biodynamic agriculture is not solely about agronomy; it encompasses the social, economic, and cultural health of the individuals, farms, and communities it touches. In New Mexico, the wide scope of biodynamics reflects the strengths and challenges of the state’s geology, geography, hydrology, climate, cultures, and history. Mountain ranges and long stretches of desert—and sheer distance—make travel between farms prohibitive for many. The need for constant monitoring of temperature and crop access to water keeps many growers close to home. And, for many biodynamic growers in the Southwest, the distance to travel to learn biodynamic practice—individually or together—has historically meant traveling to the East or West Coast. This is starting to change, as longtime practitioners who live and farm in New Mexico, such as Bateman and Ballon, are more and more able to overcome these challenges and to host and present social and educational offerings.

The strengths in this far-flung, loosely connected community include a fierce independence and a down-to-earth practicality born of embracing these very same challenges to practicing good agriculture. Indeed, the stereotypical understanding of what defines good agriculture is challenged here. If the spirit of biodynamic agriculture lies in understanding and balancing earth, water, air, and warmth to bring them into their own unique proportions within a farm organism, then the New Mexican grower has to develop a unique toolkit and be willing to work creatively to grasp and grapple with what it means to utilize biodynamic practice in this part of the world.

One must also be open and creative in understanding the unique layers of community that support, and benefit from, the presence and products of biodynamic agriculture. For Bateman, her community is as close as Taos and Santa Fe restaurant owners and their clientele and as far-flung as the many buyers of her seed garlic. Through this crop alone, the influence of her soil and practice is scattered like seeds across the continent. Ballon sees the communities he serves as overlapping circles that encompass Left, from top to bottom: Melinda Bateman (center) explains her biodynamic preparations to Community Day attendees; tramping the compost pile; blessing the fields after applying preparations.

Photos by Stephanie Cameron.

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the employees of the farm, the residents of the pueblo, members of local churches, and senior centers, who receive or pick the fruit the farm offers. A primary goal for Ballon is to “define success, not in terms of dollars, but in terms of the health and well-being of the community.” The communities he serves then expand to include the Pueblo, Hopi, and Navajo peoples indigenous to the Southwest, whose seeds and practices he works to preserve. In the end, his community extends to students and visitors from as near as Santa Fe to the farthest reaches of the globe. His community also encompasses the past, present, and future, as he strives to integrate the knowledge and wisdom of his ancestors and the indigenous peoples of the Southwest with mainstream science, to develop and teach an agriculture for the future. In all of these circles, he is keenly aware that the most effective community is best created with “a few people at a time.”

As the North American biodynamic community and participants in the larger regenerative agriculture movement continue to explore agricultural practices and community models unique to this continent, much can be learned from the wisdom and experience of our brothers and sisters in New Mexico and throughout the Southwest—colleagues like Bateman and Ballon, who are pioneers and trailblazers with unique perspectives and stories to tell. Their stories, and more, will be shared at the North American Biodynamic Association’s conference, to be held this November in Santa Fe. www.morningstarfarmoftaos.com

GROW Y’OWN

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Above: Seed bank at Tesuque Pueblo Farm.

Left, top: Sangre de Cristo Mountains on the horizon at Tesuque Pueblo Farm.

Left bottom, left to right: Volunteers helping weed the fields; Emigdio Ballon (left) discusses seed for future plantings with Willy Carleton (right). Photos by Stephanie Cameron.

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This year, the North American Biodynamic Conference will be in Santa Fe November 16–20. The conference offers a tremendous opportunity to learn more about biodynamics and other regenerative practices for farmers, gardeners, or eaters. www.biodynamics.com/conference

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The Next Generation NEW AGRARIAN PROGRAM

By Sarah Wentzel-Fisher

Apprentice Amber Reed at the San Juan Ranch, Saguache, CO, photo courtesy of the Quivira Coalition New Agrarian Program.

The US Department of Agriculture Census reported that the average age of the American farmer in 2012 was sixty, and less than four percent of US farmers were under the age of thirty-five. Since that time, programs have sprung up everywhere to address the issue of who will grow our food today and in the future.

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hird-generation San Luis Valley rancher George Whitten and I cruise down County Road T to a field where Paul Neubauer, his apprentice, and Martha Skelley, his ranch manager, have spent the last three weeks cutting grass and raking it into tidy piles. I’m at the San Juan Ranch as part of my position in the New Agrarian Program at the Quivira Coalition, a Santa Fe-based nonprofit, where I coordinate a number of ranching apprenticeships. I love site visits because of how much I learn, the way I glean new information, and the opportunity it provides to reflect on the learning process. On this particular day, I help Whitten unload a horse to round up a herd and move it to another field, ride around on a four-wheeler with Skelley to move electric fence, and mow hay with Neubauer, all while we have informative conversations about how the apprenticeship process works for each of them.

The New Agrarian Program (NAP), started nearly ten years ago, creates eight-month to one-year apprenticeships for young people to develop the skills and experience they need to enter careers in regenerative agriculture, primarily ranching. In the program, I coordinate applications, train mentors to evaluate their apprentices, orient new apprentices to their positions, and function as a sounding board and safety net for both mentors and apprentices. Generally speaking, apprenticeship means working under a master craftsperson for a designated time to learn a trade. In the US, we have well-developed programs for apprenticeship in technical trades like plumbing, carpentry, and electrical work, but until recently, formal apprenticeship in agriculture did not exist.

•

In 2010, Joseph Tomandl, a dairy farmer from Wisconsin, successfully launched the first formalized, federally registered agricultural apprenticeship program, the Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship.

According to the US Department of Labor, registered apprenticeships are innovative work-based learning and postsecondary earnand-learn models that meet national standards. This means a program can document apprentices’ experience and prove that mentors provide comprehensive education and a legitimate work environment. In exchange, the federal government empowers registered programs to issue journeyworker certificates, comparable to a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college.

The US Department of Agriculture Census reported that the average age of the American farmer in 2012 was sixty, and less than four percent of US farmers were under the age of thirty-five. Since that time, programs have sprung up everywhere to address the issue of who will grow our food today and in the future. Historically, farmers learned their trade by growing up on a family farm. Today, young people who grow up on farms often have more career options than they used to, and they often choose more lucrative paths that take them off the farm.

Conversely, young people who grow up in cities have few options for learning their trade if they want to pursue a career in ranching or farming. When asked why apprenticeship is important to him, Neubauer, a twenty-three-year-old urbanite from Buffalo, New York, said, “I knew I wanted to work in agriculture. Having grown up in a city, there really were no other avenues for me to get the skills and knowledge I’m gaining from working on the San Juan Ranch.”

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Top, clockwise: Mentor Dan James at the James Ranch in Durango; apprentice Sam Ryerson with mentors George Whitten and Julie Sullivan at the San Juan Ranch; apprentices Shalini Karra and Samantha Bradford at the San Juan Ranch; apprentice Justine Sanfilippo at the James Ranch. Bottom: Mentor Margaret Yancey and apprentice Martha Skelley at Tooley’s Trees, Truchas. Photos courtesy of the Quivira Coalition New Agrarian Program.

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This combination of factors begs the question, how do we as a society make sure we don’t lose the knowledge base held by a generation of farmers set to stop farming in the next decade? Like other technical trades, agriculture is really best learned by doing.

Apprenticeship presents an ideal model for addressing farmer and rancher attrition, for understanding what it takes to teach young people who didn’t grow up in agriculture how to practice it, and, ultimately, to ensure that we have strong food systems in the US. Working in a sector that is in the process of developing a metaframework for learning requires experimentation, collaboration, and a good deal of deep thinking.

NAP has spent the last decade trying to understand exactly what it takes to teach someone agriculture, and how they can best measure their success. Developing this framework is further complicated by the variability of agriculture; teaching a person to raise livestock is different than operating an orchard or growing grain. But, at NAP, we believe certain tenets underlie any type of agricultural operation—healthy soil, humane treatment of animals, biodiversity, and good business planning, to name a few. We also understand that any formalized education requires certain structures—reflection on progress, goal setting, evaluation of learning, guided exploration of critical concepts, demonstration of knowledge, and clear benchmarks of when a learner is ready to work independently.

While most ranchers and farmers we work with have well articulated practices in terms of soil health and livestock treatment, not many are formally trained as educators. Programs like NAP can be critical in the development of agricultural apprenticeships as a viable form of education.

Two years ago, NAP recognized the need to expand its reach in an effort to capture and perpetuate generations of agricultural knowledge on the verge of expiration. The program director, Virginie Pointeau, conceived an ambitious research project to learn from existing agricultural apprenticeship programs, and to condense that information into a tool that could help others start new programs. With the help of researchers at UNM, she surveyed over thirty apprenticeship programs from around the US, then processed the resulting data into a guide to agricultural apprenticeship, including step-by-step information on how to start this type of program. In addition, this research has inspired a nationwide conversation about how to further develop agricultural apprenticeship as a credible form of education and a viable path to a career in food production.

While teaching young people to become competent agrarians may seem removed from a conversation about good food, farmers and ranchers need consumers to be aware of and to support agricultural learning environments as much as they need them to ask about growing practices and seed selection at farmers markets. When you shop from farmers who are actively teaching others their trade, you help ensure good and diverse food for future generations. www.quiviracoalition.org/New_Agrarian_Program

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Getting Down and Dirty ATMOSPHERIC CO2 REDUCTION WITH COVER CROPS

By Sarah Wentzel-Fisher · Photos by Ryle Yazzie

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David Johnson standing in sesbania cover crop.

Good farming practices could mean an additional revenue stream for small farmers if they could easily and affordably document the increase in carbon in their soil over time.

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lthough most of us don’t really associate eating with saving the planet, the truth is that our food choices can reduce our carbon footprint. Plants, when grown in carefully managed agricultural systems, not only feed many people, but can also pull, or sequester, carbon from the atmosphere and put it back in the ground. They are, in fact, by far the most efficient carbon-sequestering technology on earth. New Mexico is home to a preeminent researcher developing a set of tools to best harness this ancient technology for the good of farmers and the ecosystems we rely on.

ER

TY G YM

Through photosynthesis, plants take carbon out of the air and convert it to sugar, which microbes in their root systems then convert back into inert carbon in the soil. Organic matter in soil, about fifty-eight percent of which is carbon, fuels plant growth.

In healthy ecosystems, plants return as much (or more) to the soil as they take out. According to Johnson, however, industrial farms, reliant on chemical fertilizers and energy-intensive distribution, use ten units of energy (fossil fuels) for every unit of food energy they produce. With older, less fossil fuel intensive types of farming, a farmer could get six units of food energy for every unit of fossil fuel he or she used to produce a crop. Johnson’s field trials indicate that this biological approach to agriculture can produce (turning around the current equation) more food energy for plants and people than the fossil fuels required to grow them.

LIB

David Johnson, a molecular biologist working at New Mexico State University at the Institute for Sustainable Agricultural Research and the Institute for Energy and the Environment, has worked for the past twelve years to develop a low-cost strategy for farmers to increase the amount of carbon in the soil they tend.

His method involves several simple steps, which for many farmers would require relatively minor modifications to their existing cultivation methods. His process revolves around restoring a diverse and strong microbiome to the soil. Microorganisms are introduced to a special compost—just the right combination of fungi and bacteria—then the compost is applied to the farm field.

Once the microorganisms are there, he recommends planting cover crops and disturbing the soil as little as possible to create the kind of environment where they can eat the sugars plants produce through photosynthesis and convert these to stable forms of carbon and other organic matter in the soil.

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Sesbania cover crop.

Carbon sequestration through photosynthesis means that plants also increase soil organic matter.

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The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), through the Clean Air Act, has regulated greenhouse gas (GHGs) emissions since 2011.

The EPA requires any polluter, say a coal-fired power plant releasing large amounts of C02 into the air, to offset the excessive emissions by supporting another enterprise that pulls GHGs out of the air.

Scientists and engineers have worked for decades to develop ways to capture carbon in the air and then sequester the carbon by injecting it deep below the earth’s surface. This approach to carbon sequestration is inefficient because it often uses as much or more energy than it sequesters. Plants, in contrast, have evolved to be incredibly efficient at pulling carbon out of the air and returning it to the ground.

According to Johnson’s research, higher levels of organic matter in soil contribute to healthier and more productive plants. Happy plants also mean that the soil has a greater capacity to hold water in places where plants can access it, meaning that less water overall is needed to grow a crop. In New Mexico, every drop counts, especially in dry years. Using Johnson’s methods for sequestering carbon and building soil organic matter could have big implications for how we collectively stretch our limited water resources.

If a farmer could measure the amount of organic carbon in her soil one year, and could then measure it again the next year, she would know how much carbon she had sequestered. Hypothetically, she could document this carbon and sell it as a credit to companies exceeding and needing to offset their emissions. According to Johnson, “An electrical utility company could fulfill its CO2 emissions reductions

through purchase of soil carbon offsets from an agricultural trading exchange and offer them to their customers for approximately $0.01/ kWh. Fuel costs for gasoline and diesel would realize a fifteen to eighteen cent increase per gallon. Airlines could become carbon neutral where each passenger could contribute less than the cost of a beverage on that flight. Each of these examples represents an average six percent increase in energy costs for consumers.” In other words, good farming practices could mean an additional revenue stream for small farmers if they could easily and affordably document the increase in carbon in their soil over time.

While understanding how good farming methods can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions may not be at the top of the list of what informs our grocery choices, we have the science and technology to indicate whether or not the carrots we buy are negative or positive energy producers. We have the tools to collect data to better understand how much energy goes into producing a vegetable, how much C02 is released into the atmosphere to get it from a seed to the market, and how much the growing methods increase soil organic matter. I like to imagine a simple food label of a positive or negative number letting me know the impact of my tomato, bottle of wine, or chunk of cheese on our earth’s atmosphere and the overall health of the planet. In Johnson’s words, “Restorative agriculture demonstrates a logical win-winwin solution with multiple benefits for our society, our economy, and the environment.” aces.nmsu.edu/programs/sare

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SMACKDOWN ROUND UP A Chile-licious Event!

GREEN CHILE CHEESEBURGER SMACKDOWN

Melanie West

By Stephanie Cameron

S

even of Santa Fe's finest chefs competed in the fourth annual Green Chile Cheeseburger Smackdown on September 9. Two innovative iterations on the classic green chile cheeseburger took top honors: Living Room at Inn and Spa Loretto won the Judges' Award to become the Reigning Chomp, and Second Street Brewery won the People's Choice Award.

This year’s competition was open to any willing New Mexico restaurant. The seven finalists were: Anasazi Restaurant, Freight House Kitchen + Tap, Toddzilla’s Mobile Cuisine, Living Room at Inn and Spa Loretto, Red Sage at Buffalo Thunder, Second Street Brewery, and Plaza Café Southside. New features to the event included a Smackdown Passport, which got diners discounts to the participating restaurants during the online voting period; cash prizes for the winners and their charities; and the introduction of the Loyal to Local Program, in which farmers and producers sponsored individual finalists to help offset their costs to sample at the event.

Anthony Smith, executive chef of the Living Room at Inn and Spa Loretto, said, “It was fantastic and an honor to win the Judges' Award, Reigning Chomp, in the Green Chile Cheeseburger Smackdown, competing against very talented chefs. It was a great event and energy from all involved.” Smith selected St. Elizabeth Shelters,

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which serves homeless individuals and families, as his charity for the $500 donation.

Milton Villarrubia, executive chef of Second Street Brewery, said, “Second Street Brewery is honored to have received the People’s Choice award for the 2016 Green Chile Cheeseburger Smackdown.

After last year's shrimp burger, we knew that we had to take a less avant-garde approach to our burger concept. Our design and testing paid off in the end. I would like to thank our culinary team for all their hard work, and we are, of course, thankful to all y'all that voted for our burger to be the People's Choice. Thank you!” Pancakes on the Plaza, a community event held every Fourth of July, received Second Street’s $500 donation.

Edible thanks all our supporters, attendees, volunteers, and partners, including New Mexico Tourism, Tourism Santa Fe, Simply Santa Fe, Whole Foods, Wagner Farms, Fano Bread, and the countless others who helped make this event a success. In particular, we want to thank all the restaurants and chefs for their efforts in showcasing the green chile cheeseburger. Without them, we wouldn’t have a reason to celebrate. We look forward to seeing you again in 2017, on Friday, September 8, at this chile-licious event. www.ediblesmackdown.com

Stephanie Cameron

Chef Anthony Smith, Living Room at Inn and Spa Loretto

Enjoy fall dining on the patio and a walk on the farm.

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The Santa Fe Autumn Roast Celebrating New Mexico ingredients with grassfed beef, Angel’s Bakery bun, house-made pancetta, Tucumcari cheddar cheese, New Mexico Autumn Roast Green Chile, and creamy avocado spread. Sponsored by Bueno Foods.

Chef Milton Villarrubia, Second Street Brewery Plate Lickin’ Chile Cheeseburger Harris Ranch beef patty stuffed with American cheese, topped with Hatch green chile and bacon on a Fano brioche bun. Sponsored by Fano Bread and Savory Spice Shop.

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Stephanie Cameron

Melanie West Melanie West

Chef Ivan Labra, Plaza CafĂŠ Southside

Chef Thomas Hartwell, Red Sage at Buffalo Thunder Resort Red Sage Chile Cheeseburger New Mexico grassfed beef burger on a Fano brioche green chile cheddar bun, Tucumcari cheddar, Hatch green chile, smoked bacon, green and red chile salsas, and secret sauce. Sponsored by Southwest Grassfed Livestock Alliance and Big Circle Beef.

Stephanie Cameron

Stephanie Cameron

2016 Smackdown Burger New Mexico grassfed beef with extra sharp cheddar cheese and hot New Mexico green chile, served on a housemade bun. Sponsored

by Wagner Farms.

Chef Matt Schnooberger, Freight House Kitchen + Tap Plate Lickin’ Chile Cheeseburger Smashed chuck, brisket, and smoked pork burger with green chile ash, griddled green chile, cheese curds, red chile kimchi, and green chile ailoi, served on a potato bun. Sponsored by Old Windmill Dairy, Swiss Alps Bakery, and Ben E. Keith.

Stephanie Cameron

October 9, 10 am - 3 pm Chef Todd Alexander, Chef Toddzilla Mobile Cuisine

Arthur Bovino

The Zilla Smackdown Fresh housemade chorizo patty made with red chile, topped with Hatch green chile, Muenster cheese, a fried egg, and served on a Ciabatta bun. Sponsored by Graves Farm, Mama Tucker's Bakery, and 505 Southwestern.

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INSTAGRAM RO ediblesantafe TAG us or use #ediblenm and your Instagram pics could be featured here. We pick our some of our favorites every issue. #WeLoveOurReaders

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UND UP

GREEN CHILE CHEESEBURGER Take 2lbs of hamburger meat and place into a large bowl. Pour 16oz of 505 Southwestern Green Chile Sauce into the bowl and mix into the hamburger meat. Form meat into 4 half-pound patties.

Cook the bacon as normal draining fat off to make crispy bacon. Cook the patties to your preferred taste making sure product is cooked to an internal temperature of 165˚F. When almost done, place bacon on the patties and cover with cheese. Use a lid to melt the cheese.

Top burger with 505 Roasted Green Chile. — Enjoy!

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TOOLS OF THE TRADE

Fail-Safe Gardening GROW Y'OWN

Stephanie Cameron

A winter cover for a four-by-eight-foot bed is $75; a gopher-resistant screen is $35.

I have gardened every year since I moved back to New Mexico in 2007—with some successes and some failures—but this was the year I threw my hands up and said no more. After investing hundreds of dollars in plant starts and soil, I got four small Japanese eggplants before the pests demolished every plant in my yard. With everything from tomato worms to weird slug bugs eating my tomatillos, and rabbits and mice munching away every last Sandia chile pepper, every day this summer was a battle. A pastime that I had enjoyed for many years and that had proven very fruitful was coming to a hopeless end. Then I had the good fortune of meeting Ken Kuhne of Grow Y'Own. I shared all my woes with him and he grinned and said his cover technology could take them all away. As he flipped through his book of success stories, my hope slowly resurfaced. “Covers are the key to the success of Grow Y'Own hooped raised beds,” said Kuhne. With his beds, anyone can grow at any elevation, in any temperature, under any condition the elements throw at you.

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After thirty-six years of designing and building custom homes, Kuhne decided to build smaller boxes and help the planet cut down on the carbon footprint of shipping food thousands of miles. The inspiration came from Deborah Madison, renowned cookbook author, chef, and multiple-award winner, who suggested Kuhne build grow beds as a way she and others could produce their own crops year round. On the eve of retirement in 2008, Kuhne chose to stay in the game a bit longer to help schools, young mothers with infants, restaurants, shelters, youth centers, the elderly, pueblos, colleges, individuals, and families learn to grow their own organic, healthy, and free food supplies—locally. Now, after eight years, with beds in thirty states and Canada, Grow Y'Own continues to aid and educate.

WHAT IS THE TECHNOLOGY? Nobody else in the US has a system quite like Grow Y'Own, with summer and winter covers working in tandem during the coldest

HO RAIS OPED ED B A fou EDS r bywith every four-foot th b abou t $70 ing inclu ed d 0; ed foot is $9 a four-by is 00; -six eight -foot a four-by is $1 ,100 .

Performances

Thursday through Sunday Tickets start at $10

VIP tables & season passes available, 21+ venue, Sunday all ages

Tickets: TablaoFlamenco.org • • • •

World-class performances Exquisite Sevillan tapas Custom cocktails House-made sangria

Located in Hotel Albuquerque at Old Town 505.222.8797 | 800 Rio Grande Blvd. NW | HotelABQ.com A partnership between Heritage Hotels & Resorts and the National Institute of Flamenco

A summer cover for a four-by-eight-foot bed is $75, a pea / bean tower is $25. times of the year. The summer cover is a triple-weight, UV resistant, breathable, polypropylene called N-sulate. It keeps out the region’s harsh, high-altitude UV sun; the abrasive New Mexico winds; and all critters. The winter cover is a heavy-duty, UV resistant, six-millimeter plastic called Flex o’Glass that is used for greenhouse applications. When used over the summer cover in the winter, it creates a double-paned window effect, with the insulation layer below and the waterproof layer on top. Both covers are custom fit to the hooped frames. Kuhne’s beds and covers are built to last. Most of their winter covers have gone eight years without replacement or with only minimal tearing.

WHAT ARE THE MATERIALS? Grow Y'Own raised beds are made out of two-by-twelve-inch, kilndried, western red cedar from Cascadia. The kiln-dried process makes them stable in all conditions and more resistant to cracking and warp-

N O M I NAT E YO U R M O S T L OV E D , FARMER, RESTAURANT, CHEF, FOOD ARTISAN, FOOD TRUCK, FOOD ORGANIZATION, FOOD RETAILER, BEVERAGE ARTISAN, FOOD WRITER, a nd LOCAL FOOD HERO

F O R A N E D I B L E S A N TA F E L O C A L H E RO AWA R D .

Nominations must be made by Nov.1,voting opens Nov. 15! ediblenm.com/localhero WWW.EDIBLENM.COM

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Photos courtesy of Grow Y'Own.

ing than products you buy at the big box stores, which are often made out of plastic, not produced locally, and without a cover system.

WHAT CAN YOU GROW? In a four-by-four-foot bed, a single person can grow a continuous supply of food—summer and winter. In a typical bed, Kuhne will plant chard, kale, arugula, spinach, lettuces, beets, carrots, radishes, sorrel, leeks, onions, garlic, tomatoes, cukes, peppers, eggplant, herbs, and more. The only thing he won’t plant are corn and artichokes, because of height.

Biennials like chard and kale will keep going for two years. Kuhne stays away from broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and potatoes; despite growing well in a Grow Y’own system, these vegetables each take up about four feet, and gardeners will want to try to maximize the space available for plants they can harvest multiple times. For crop rotation, he will plant leeks, onions, and garlic in the fall for early spring harvests.

WHAT DO YOU GET? Customers can do as little or as much as they want with a Grow Y'Own bed. Typically, a system will include the assembled bed with 82

edible Santa Fe | FALL 2016

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built-in hoops; organic soil; an automatic drip system; a small heating system for the coldest periods of the year; a split-faced sand-colored block, if someone desires to have a bed and working space at a higher level; covers; and a large selection of starts and seeds.

Kuhne put in a four-by-four-foot bed for a single woman in Eldorado. After about one month, she called and said, “You didn’t tell me!” He couldn’t imagine what she meant until she said, “What do I do with all this food?” Kuhne told her to share it with her neighbors, and she said, “I did.” Kuhne told her to take some to the Food Depot or shelters and she said, “I did.” Kuhne told her to start drying or canning her surplus and she said, “I did.” A few weeks later, she called and ordered a four-by-eight-foot bed. Kuhne said, “I thought you said you had too much food?” She replied, “I know, but I want to grow more things!”

I left our meeting invigorated and ready to grow again, starting now, in the fall, not in the spring. With Kuhne delivering the bed, soil, irrigation, covers, plant starts, and installing, how could I resist? I hope to share many successful stories with you in the seasons to come.

505-490-1849, www.growyown.com

ALBUQUERQUE EAT LOCAL GUIDE

MIUM PRE

New Mexico has its own unique food traditions

Authentic

LO

Delicious

CA

L LY S O U R

D

EAT LOCAL GUIDE CE

—from Hatch to Chimayó—and we’d like to help you find some of the area's restaurants and chefs that create the distinctively New Mexico dining experience. Restaurants are chosen for this dining guide because of their emphasis on using local, seasonal ingredients in their menus and their commitment to real food.

SUPPORT THESE RESTAURANTS, AND SUPPORT LOCAL FOOD COMMUNITIES.

colombian bistro

now open

tuesday-saturday 11am-8pm

3216 Silver SE, Albuquerque 505-266-2305, www.ajiacobistro.com Ajiaco’s varied Colombian cuisine is influenced by a diverse flora and fauna found around Colombia.

Cultural traditions of different Colombian ethnic groups play a role in our choice of ingredients.

The

New Location Open in Old Town!

Country Club Plaza, 1710 Central SW, Albuquerque Green Jeans Farmery, 3600 Cutler NE, Albuquerque 505-554-1967, www.amoreabq.com New Mexico’s first and only certified Neapolitan pizzeria, creating Neapolitan recipes with house-made fresh ingredients and local flavor.

Brew by

villa myriam

311 Gold SW, Albuquerque 505-814-1599, www.villamyriam.com

8917 4th NW, Albuquerque 505-503-7124, www.farmandtablenm.com

Family-owned from farm to cup, we are steeped in three generations of coffee excellence.

A wonderful dining experience! Enjoy delectable seasonal dishes created from scratch, sourced from local farmers and our beautiful on-site farm.

1710 Central SW, Albuquerque 5901 Wyoming NE, Albuquerque 505-821-1909, www.5starburgers.com

3600 Cutler NE (Carlisle & I-40), Albuquerque www.greenjeansfarmery.com

11225 Montgomery NE, 505-271-0882 3403 Central NE, 505-266-7855 10701 Corrales NW, 505-899-7500 www.ilvicino.com

Fresh beef, free of hormones or antibiotics. Best burger in New Mexico says USA TODAY. A wide selection of sandwiches, entrees, salads, a kids menu, beer and wine. Happy hour 4 - 6 every day.

A unique indoor/outdoor gathering place that builds on ingenuity, localist choices, healthy living, and neighborhood.

Food, drink, fitness, fashion and fun!

A contemporary Italian Trattoria, offers authentic Italian wood-oven pizza, entrées, salads, sandwiches, baked lasagna, and more. Enjoy our own micro-brewed ales and home-brewed root beer.

4003 Carlisle NE, Albuquerque 505-884-3625, www.nmpiecompany.com

1403 Girard NE, Albuquerque 505-792-1700, www.piatanzi.com

Handmade sweet and savory pies with pure flavors and premium ingredients, locally roasted coffee and espresso drinks. Mention this ad to get 15% off your order!

Our fabulous small-plate Italian creations are crafted from the finest, freshest ingredients; organic, farm-raised, and locally sourced.

Featuring a beer and wine bar.

5

4803 Rio Grande NW, Albuquerque 505-344-9297, www.lospoblanos.com Rooted in organic ingredients from our own farm and the Rio Grande Valley region. Join us at La Merienda, Wed-Sun 6 - 9pm, by reservation only.

WWW.EDIBLENM.COM

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ALBUQUERQUE

The Cellar 10601 Montgomery NE, Albuquerque 505-294-9463, www.savoyabq.com

2031 Mountain NW, Albuquerque 505-766-5100, www.seasonsabq.com

California wine country in the Northeast Heights.

Farm-to-table dining from the area's best farms.

Wine tastings and happy hour.

Oak-fired grill, local ingredients, and the best patio dining Old Town has to offer!

1025 Lomas NW, Albuquerque 505-242-3117, www.thecellartapas.com An oasis of casual elegance where delicious wines, local microbrews on tap, and sophisticated tapas cuisine will transport you to Old Spain.

Tuesday-Saturday, 11am-9:30pm

TRIFECTA COFFEE COMPANY

600 Central SE, Albuquerque 505-248-9800, www.thegrovecafemarket.com The Grove features a bustling café experience serving breakfast, brunch and lunch. Local, seasonal, organic foods, Intelligentsia coffee and tea, beer, wine and signature sweets.

4500 Silver SE, Albuquerque 505-639-3401, www.vibranceabq.com Art Gallery • Vegetarian Cuisine • Live Music See our website for October and November hours and events.

2933 Monte Vista NE, Albuquerque 505-433-2795, theshopbreakfastandlunch.com Come in for breakfast or lunch, creative American classics with Latin and creole influences, made from local and organic ingredients.

3423 Central NE, Albuquerque 505-255-8226, www.zacatecastacos.com

413 Montano NE, Albuquerque 505-803-7579, www.trifectacoffeecompany.com We roast coffee, and brew it in unique ways utilizing some of the best methods available.

All of our baked goods, sweet, and savory are made in house.

3009 Central NE, Albuquerque 505-254-9462, www.zincabq.com

Zacatecas features recipes handed down from generation to generation with flavors that are true to the history and culture of Mexico.

Zacatecas is a real taqueria.

A three level bistro featuring contemporary cuisine with a French flair. Dinner daily, weekend brunch, fabulous cocktails, and tasty bar bites!

218 Camino La Tierra, Santa Fe 505-983-2100, www.arroyovino.com

505 Cerrillos, Santa Fe 505-469-2345, www.bangbitesf.com

Arroyo Vino, voted a top 100 restaurant in America by OpenTable reviewers, serves progressive American fare inspired by our on-premise garden and local purveyors.

Fresh. Local. Tasty.

A bunch of food enthusiasts obsessed with serving the very best crafted food we can get and delivering it the way it was meant to be enjoyed.

SANTA FE

60 East San Francisco, Santa Fe 505-983-6138, www.35northcoffee.com Committed to providing conscious quality coffee from crop to cup. Fresh, superior grade, coffee beans responsibly sourced from trusted growers at peak harvest for stand-out flavor and the highest coffee experience.

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SANTA FE

5 228 E Palace, Santa Fe 505-982-0883, www.eloisasantafe.com John Rivera Sedlar spent many years in Grandma Eloisa's kitchen. She lovingly taught him the origins and secrets of Santa Fe cooking. Inspired by this rich heritage. Chef John offers a unique vision of New Mexico cuisine.

El Nido

Te s u q u e ,

New

Mexico

Tesuque – Coming Soon

604 N Guadalupe, Santa Fe 505-983-8977, www.5starburgers.com Fresh beef, free of hormones or antibiotics. Best burger in New Mexico says USA TODAY. A wide selection of entrees, sandwiches, salads, a kids menu, beer, and wine. Happy hour 4 - 6 every day.

95 W Marcy, Santa Fe 505-984-1091, www.ilpiattosantafe.com

321 W San Francisco, Santa Fe 505-986-8700, www.ilvicino.com

72 W Marcy, Santa Fe 505-982-3433, www.labocasf.com

A local favorite since 1996, boasting an authentic Italian farmhouse experience, sourcing its ingredients directly from local farms, dairies, and ranches. Extensive wine list.

A contemporary Italian trattoria, offers authentic Italian wood-oven pizza, entrées, salads, sandwiches, baked lasagna, and more. Enjoy our own micro-brewed ales and home-brewed root beer.

With the feel of a lively European wine bar, La Boca offers modern Spanish tapas, unique international wine selections, and an extensive list of Spanish sherries.

CAFFÉ BAR TRATTORIA

100 E San Francisco, Santa Fe 505-982-5511, www.lafondasantafe.com

228 Old Santa Fe Trail, Santa Fe 505-989-1904, www.mangiamopronto.com

505 Cerrillos and 1098 S St. Francis, Santa Fe 505-982-9692, www.ohoriscoffee.com

Showcasing contemporary interpretations of old favorites with New World influences and classic New Mexican cuisine, accompanied by an awardwinning wine list.

Enjoy fresh, authentic, Italian street food; house-made gelato; Lavazza espresso; and wine and beer all day long on our beautiful sidewalk patio.

The original specialty, local micro-roasted coffee source since 1984. Along with our fresh beans, we serve espresso, pour-over, teas, pastries, donuts, burritos, chocolates, and more.

548 Agua Fria Street, Santa Fe 505-930-5325, www.radishandrye.com

815 Early, Santa Fe 505-989-1288, www.rasajuice.com

20 Buffalo Thunder, Santa Fe 505-819-2056, www.buffalothunderresort.com

Farm-inspired cuisine: simple yet innovative food and drinks sourced locally whenever possible. We work closely with local farmers and ranchers to build our menu.

An organic juice bar and café committed to offering delicious plant-based foods, cold-pressed juices, and innovative cleansing and detox programs.

Red Sage at Buffalo Thunder is perfect for your next romantic night out. Fare rotates seasonally. Enjoy the extensive wine list.

WWW.EDIBLENM.COM

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SANTA FE

500 Sandoval Street, Santa Fe 505-467-8237, www.statecapitalkitchen.com State Capital Kitchen, connected to local farmers, ranchers, and foragers. Crafts food with love, consisting of progressive courses.

Choose from carts or our menu.

304 Johnson, Santa Fe 505-989-1166, www.terracottawinebistro.com

653 Canyon Road, Santa Fe 505-982-4353, www.compoundrestaurant.com

A smart, casual restaurant located in a charming one-hundred-year-old adobe.

Seasonally changing, globally inspired cuisine and an extensive, value-priced wine list.

The Compound Restaurant has a heritage rich in history and regional influences. Chef Mark Kiffin continues to preserve a landmark tradition of elegant food and service at his Canyon Road institution.

LOS LUNAS

PLACITAS

Creative Casual Cuisine 142 W Palace, Santa Fe 505-428-0690, www.palacesantafe.com New American farm-to-table.

The wild west decor of the 1850s provides a distinct atmosphere for elegant dining and relaxed bar fare. Dinner Tuesday–Saturday.

TAOS

5 Thomas, Los Lunas 505-866-1936, www.greenhousebistro.com Good food always puts you in a good mood!

Fresh, seasonal ingredients provide the basis for a meal that promotes healthy living.

221 Highway 165, Placitas 505-771-0695, www.bladesbistro.com Chef and owner Kevin Bladegroen brings together fine and fresh ingredients, artistic vision, and European flair in every dish. Sunday brunch, fabulous cocktails, and an award-winning wine list.

5

125 Paseo Del Pueblo Norte, Taos 575-758-1977, www.taosinn.com Serving lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch.

Patio dining, fresh local foods, award-wining wines, and margaritas. Try our signature chile rellenos.

1032 Paseo Del Pueblo Sur, Taos 575-758-8484, www.5starburgers.com

100 State Highway 150, El Prado 575-776-8787, www.medleyinelprado.com

Fresh beef, free of hormones or antibiotics. Best burger in New Mexico says USA TODAY. A wide selection of entrees, sandwiches, salads, a kids menu, beer, and wine. Happy hour 4 - 6 every day.

A casual yet refined dining experience featuring world class wines and culinary delights inspired by regional American cuisines with a touch of international flair.

TAOS DINER I & II TAOS, NEW MEXICO

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103 E Taos Plaza, Taos 575-758-1994, www.parcht.com

908 Paseo del Pueblo Norte, 575-758-2374 216 B Paseo del Pueblo Sur, 575-751-1989 www.taosdinner.com

103 E Taos Plaza, Taos 575-758-8866, www.thegorgebarandgrill.com

/pärCHt/= the physical condition resulting from the need to drink wine, eat good food, and shop…in Taos.

Home to New Mexican and American homemade, homegrown, and organic breakfast, lunch, and dinners. Gluten-free choices. Beer and wine.

Our menu is straightforward yet eclectic, and chock full of favorites made from scratch using as many fresh and local ingredients as possible.

edible Santa Fe | FALL 2016

LAST BITE UNO FALL IS IN THE AIR

by Enrique Guerrero, Bang Bite Serves 2 1 cup sugar 20 sprigs thyme 6 tablespoons Santa Fe Spirits apple brandy 6 tablespoons bourbon 6 tablespoons fresh apple cider 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 2 dashes Angostura bitters Dried or fresh apple slice (optional) Bring sugar and 1 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Remove pan from heat; add thyme sprigs and let syrup cool completely (a clear thyme flavor should come through).

Discard thyme sprigs. (Leftover thyme simple syrup will keep indefinitely in the refrigerator.)

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add 1 tablespoon thyme simple syrup, apple brandy, bourbon, apple cider, lemon juice, and bitters. Shake cocktail vigorously 10–15 times and strain into chilled martini glasses. Garnish with apple slice.

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LAST BITE DOS

E’S DIA DE LOS MUERTOS COCKTAIL

by Enrique Guerrero, Bang Bite Serves 4

20 fresh sage leaves 12 ounces bourbon 6 tablespoons pumpkin butter (recipe below) 1 ounce fresh lemon juice 6 dashes Angostura bitters Reserve four sage leaves for garnish and muddle the rest gently in a cocktail shaker. Fill the shaker with ice. Add bourbon, pumpkin butter, lemon juice, and bitters. Shake until well chilled, about 20 seconds. Strain evenly into four coupe glasses and float a sage leaf on top of each drink.

Pumpkin Butter 1 1/2 pie pumpkins, baked until soft 1/2 cup apple cider 1/4 cup maple syrup 1/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon vanilla 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg Pinch ground cloves Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer gently, uncovered. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the pumpkin butter is thick and spreadable and bubbles burst very slowly, about 20 minutes. Allow the pumpkin butter to cool to room temperature. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

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GROWN IN OUR GARDEN

TRANSFORMED IN OUR KITCHEN 505.983.2100

ARROYOVINO.COM