Edible Santa Fe - Early Summer Issue 2014 by edible New Mexico

edible

MEMBER OF EDIBLE COMMUNITIES

SANTA FE 庐路 ALBUQUERQUE 路 TAOS The Story

Local Food, Season

Water

Issue 32 路 Early Summer JUNE/JULY 2014

Season

LEXUS STYLE. ALWAYS IN GOOD TASTE. LET YOUR LEXUS HYBRID TAKE YOU ALFRESCO DINING, BERRY PICKING, AND WINE TASTING

505.216.3800 | 6824 Cerrillos Road 505.341.1600 | 4821 Pan American Freeway

HER DRIVE: EARLY SUMMER 2014 - THE WATER ISSUE O THE PEAKS. DEPARTMENTS

62 EAT LOCAL GUIDE

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

69 EDIBLE GARDEN

CONTRIBUTORS

FRONT OF THE HOUSE

BACK OF THE HOUSE

Bird's Eye View, by Emily Beenen The High Art of Raw Food, by Emily Beenen

I'M A LOCAL Local Water Promotes Re-Use and Biodiversity, by Lisa Mase

COOKING FRESH

LIQUID ASSETS

COLLABORATION

The Brew's Brothers, by Valerie Ashe Rising Tide, by Valerie Ashe

WILD THING Pack Them In, Fish Them Out, by Rachel Shockley

EDIBLE NOTABLES

TABLE HOPPING Distilled, by Sergio Salvador

Home Grown NM Kitchen Garden & Coop Tour

72 MEMOIR

Ditch Cleaning, by Peter Leonard

O N T H E C OV E R

FEATURES 36 VIRTUALLY PARCHED By Willy Carleton

38 WATER RESILIENCY By Kate Greenberg

42 IT'S ALL CONNECTED By Amy White

44 ADJUSTING TO ARIDITY By Lisa Brown

46 LEARNING FROM THE ACEQUIA By Sarah Wentzel-Fisher

Radishes in Motion Photo by Stephanie Cameron.

48 A LOVE AFFAIR WITH THE RIVER By Sarah Wentzel-Fisher

50 THE RAISED PATH, SUNKEN BED, SPONGE GARDEN OF AMOS ARBOR By Joshua Johnson WWW.EDIBLESANTAFE.COM

letter from the editor and publishers At edible our mission is to grow our local food community because we believe a regionallyscaled food system is fundamentally better for our neighbors, land, and economy. In New Mexico, and in fact in the entire Western US, we cannot talk about our food systems without talking about water. Food production in New Mexico relies primarily on surface water, but increasingly on ground water. Surface water availability, determined by annual precipitation, is complicated by increasing demand and outdated regulatory structures. When surface water runs low, growers turn to well water, which lowers the water table and impacts the health of the entire watershed. This time last year many farmers sighed with exasperation as their mayordomo or ditch master informed them irrigation for the growing season would be curtailed by the end of May. According to the US Drought Monitor, most of New Mexico is experiencing the most severe drought in a century. Many farmers lost young crops. Those growing hay for animals got fewer cuttings or did not plant at all, driving up the price of feed. Professor Timothy Richards of the W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University recently completed research showing significantly higher costs for most US-grown produce because of the severity of drought in California. More conventionally grown produce from China and South America will appear on grocery store shelves. And the cost of this food will also be dictated by the cost of fuel to deliver it great distances. New Mexico faces serious challenges in the coming years to be able to grow our local food systems, in particular because of water issues. In January 2014 the state of Texas sued New Mexico for failing to deliver enough water in the Rio Grande to meet our obligations according to the Rio Grande Compact. Northern New Mexico struggles to keep water in ditches and the Rio Grande because of language in the same compact that allows Colorado to deliver water on their schedule. Growers have felt the pinch of this agreement for years, but more now than ever they will have to adapt to limited water. The conversation about water for food production is further complicated by the needs of delicate ecosystems that rely on the life our rivers supply. Native plants and wildlife find a voice with conservationists, who historically have been at odds with food producers in the state when it came to prioritization of water. Scarcity has brought these groups to the table in ways that indicate the severity of the situation, but also that there’s hope in our ability to work together. Farmers recognize that water-use practices that compromise the overall health of a watershed, in the long run, mean less water in the system. Conservationists recognize that farms become important habitat and riparian zones to support struggling species, and that farmers can be amazing land stewards. We talk about water because without it, there is no local food. The question is what can we, as consumers and citizens, do to practice and encourage sustainable water practices that support resilience in local food? The next time you talk to your farmers, ask them about their water. Do they use a well? Irrigate from a ditch? Rely on rainwater? Rethink how you water your garden. Take a walk along the river. Know that food and water are inextricably linked, and here in New Mexico, they work in a delicate balance.

P.S. Many new advertisers have stepped up to support our efforts to build a stronger local food economy and many devoted advertisers have renewed their commitment to a strong regional food system. As always, please make it a point to patronize our advertisers and thank them for making this publication possible. It is the single best thing you can do if you love the magazine. Enjoy your summer, dine out on good food, buy lots of local food from your farmer, and enjoy some of the many adventures that await you, from the Santa Fe Opera to the mountains of Taos to the many, many events going on that celebrate our region.

edible Santa Fe | EARLY SUMMER 2014

PUBLISHERS Bite Size Media, LLC Stephanie and Walt Cameron

EDITOR Sarah Wentzel-Fisher

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Jodi L. Vevoda

COPY EDITORS Margaret Marti, Willy Carleton, Kate Downer

DESIGN AND LAYOUT Stephanie Cameron

PHOTOGRAPHY Amos Arbor, Lisa Brown, Stephanie Cameron, Andrés Esteban, Kate Greenberg

WEB AND SOCIAL MEDIA EDITORS Stephanie Cameron, Sarah Wentzel-Fisher

ONLINE CONTRIBUTORS Wendy Borger, Ashlie Hughes, Selena Hardy, Joseph Mora, Nissa Patterson, Sergio Salvador, Amy White

VIDEO PRODUCER D. Walt Cameron

ADVERTISING D. Walt Cameron, Jodi V. Vevoda

CONTACT US: 3301-R Coors Blvd NW #152 Albuquerque, NM 87120 info@ediblesantafe.com www.ediblesantafe.com Phone/Fax: 505-212-0791

SUBSCRIBE ∙ BUY AN AD ∙ LETTERS 505-212-0791 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. No part of this publication may be used without the written permission of the publisher. © 2014 All rights reserved.

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contributors VALERIE ASHE Valerie Ashe, with her husband Jonathan, is co-owner of Thunderhead Farms in Bosque Farms, NM, specializing in pimiento de Padron peppers from Spain. When Valerie is not telecommuting full-time for Autodesk, Inc., a California-based software company, she writes articles for edible Santa Fe, keeps bees, participates in Albuquerque's Slow Food chapter, and dabbles in memoir and fiction writing. EMILY BEENEN Emily Beenen is a humanities teacher and instructional coach at the Native American Community Academy, as well as mother to Nina and Sam.

LISA BROWN Lisa Brown is a water-rights lawyer—turned farmer who lives and works in Corrales, NM. You can contact her at lisadb@q.com.

WILLY CARLETON Willy Carleton, an avid vegetable grower, forager, and editor, is currently working on a dissertation on the agricultural history of New Mexico in the twentieth century.

JOSHUA JOHNSON Joshua Johnson practices landscape design and installation, specializing in environmental specificity and appropriateness. His love for gardens has inspired four years as a nurseryman at Plants of the Southwest in Albuquerque, a lot of landscape maintenance, and various design-build projects in environments as different as New Mexico and the Netherlands. PETER AND LEE LEE LEONARD Peter, Lee Lee, and Thatcher Gray Leonard developed a multigenerational approach to creative engagement in their permaculture garden through pop-up dinners, garden tours, and the SEED Taos exhibition, which will travel to Denver in 2015. They’ll host a celebration of the three-hundred year acequia anniversary next summer. Until that event, Peter will post water stories at www.talesofthatchergray.com. Lee Lee’s paintings are at www.Lee-Lee.com. SERGIO SALVADOR Sergio Salvador is an Albuquerque-based professional photographer, an occasional writer, and a graphic designer, sometimes. His work has been featured in New Mexico Magazine, Su Casa, The Santa Fean, Popular Plates, Vegetarian Times, edible Santa Fe, American Way Magazine, Ebony, and other fine publications. If you have a scoop for Sergio, send it to sergio@salvadorphoto.com. SARAH WENTZEL-FISHER

KATE GREENBERG Kate Greenberg, based in Durango, CO, travels the West organizing young farmers for the National Young Farmers Coalition. She has worked on farms and ranches in four states and managed land studies programs through her alma mater, Whitman College. Kate sits on the board of the Quivira Coalition and, when not on the road, can be found farming, or floating Western rivers.

Sarah Wentzel-Fisher is the editor of edible Santa Fe, the assistant director of membership and community outreach at La Montañita Co-op, and is the New Mexico field organizer for the National Young Farmers Coalition. Twice a week she works at the Alvarado Urban Farm in Downtown Albuquerque with the Veteran Farmer Project. In her free time she visits farms (she highly recommends this activity), experiments in her kitchen, and keeps chickens in her backyard.

RACHEL SHOCKLEY

AMY WHITE

Rachel Shockley is spokesperson for the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish and is an avid outdoor enthusiast. She lives in Santa Fe.

Amy White, blogger is totally obsessed with vegetables and fruits. Amy can be found on www.ediblesantafe.com and on her blog, www.veggieobsession.com.

edible Santa Fe | EARLY SUMMER 2014

Wine Tasting:

featuring PIEDMONT 9 spectacular wines (96-99 points) from La Spinetta, Azelia, Vajra, Conterno Fantino June 29th, 1-3 pm, Prairie Star Restaurant $85 + tax and gratuity Presented by Prairie Star's Dual-Certified Sommelier Samuel McFall, C.S., C.S.W. And Synergy Fine Wine’s Dustin Cassidy

• • • •

Wine Tastings Wine Events Retail All New Wine Club

Tuesday Half-price Wine Bottle Wednesday Wine & Dine Friday Night Patio Series

Golf · Dining · and of course more wine!

Call For Reservations: 505.867.3327 | 288 Prairie Star Rd, Santa Ana Pueblo | prairiestarrestaurant.com

front of the house

Bird's Eye View ZINC WINE BAR AND BISTRO

By Emily Beenen · Photo by Stephanie Cameron

Chef Joseph Bower oversees Zinc's kitchen.

A successful restaurant in this town, I think, has to cater to diverse needs. Take Zinc Wine Bar and Bistro. It is comfortably multi-generational, as well as sophisticated but not snooty. Over the course of its eleven years, I’ve had a raucous girls night out in the Cellar Bar complete with giant, salty martinis and sweaty dancing, romantic champagne dinners up in the intimate mezzanine, and even a sweet, goofy family meal in the front banco, my daughter repeatedly throwing silverware on the floor where our server efficiently and patiently retrieved it.

edible Santa Fe | EARLY SUMMER 2014

Zinc sources food locally, and considers local food a commitment to quality. The restaurant also demonstrates this commitment by design, as the open kitchen is literally in the front of the house. “It’s a really unique feature,” comments Colleen Keeley, general manager since the doors opened. “New diners will sit up [in the mezzanine] on the railing overlooking the main kitchen or at the exhibition bar—the ten-seat zinc countertop—not planning to have that kind of experience and they will leave, saying, ‘That was a lot of fun to watch.’” What better way for former Executive Chef (now Corpo-

rate Chef/Partner) Chris Pope and former Sous Chef (now Executive Chef ) Joseph Bower to showcase local ingredients? Farms such as Cecilia’s Organics in Polvadera, Vida Verde in Albuquerque’s North Valley, Talus Wind Ranch Heritage Meats, and Old Windmill Dairy have partnered with Zinc since opening, when “local” meant green chile and beans. “Sourcing locally is obviously something the restaurant group is passionate about,” Keeley says, referring to Zinc’s sibling restaurants Seasons and Savoy, where similar values are practiced. “We’re all growing together. We’ve expanded and offer more local menu items based on growing awareness and more people wanting to know where their food comes from. The number of farms that we can source from has grown dramatically because the community has responded so positively.” As the restaurant trio has grown, so has their role in local food. If they decide to support a farm or get behind a certain product, they add more value for everyone. The farmer has a predictable buyer, the restaurants have a reliable source for local ingredients, and the diners have an extraordinary dining experience and rest assured their dollars support multiple local businesses. “People can really taste the quality of those fresh ingredients when they were in the ground yesterday and on your plate tonight,” Keeley says with pride. “We have guests who comment that they’ve never had a beet this flavorful or they’ve never even heard of a garlic scape but will now look for it next time they are at the farmers market.” While Zinc locally sources certain staples almost year-round, such as greens from established growers, they also purchase from dozens of smaller or more seasonal farms, say, a particular variety of tomato, or a certain mushroom that is available for two weeks only in the mountains outside of Santa Fe. Chef Bower explains, “Many of the farmers have expanded their crops to include more boutique items for restaurants like ours.” This year, both Cecilia’s Organics and Vida Verde have already planted certain specialty items at his request. “Cecilia is going to have really amazing purple okra that I want to use for special events,” he says with much enthusiasm. “She also does really amazing green beans. This year, Seth [from Vida Verde Farm] is growing a lot of salad turnips. I experimented with them a little bit last year, and they were absolutely delicious—all the nuttiness and the light, bitter acidity of a turnip, but much, much sweeter. Just shave it thin, without even cooking it.” With firmly established rapport in the community, Zinc settles into its second decade in the heart of Nob Hill. Patrons happily hunker down for happy hour and finger food in the Cellar Bar. They see and are seen in the main dining room. They tuck themselves up and away from the crowd on the mezzanine, or pull up a chair to the open kitchen. Innovative and inspired cooking is a part of any experience at Zinc, with ingredients close to home. 3009 Central Avenue NE, Albuquerque, 505-254-9462 www.zincabq.com

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back of the house

The High Art of Raw Food RASA JUICE BAR

By Emily Beenen 路 Photos by Stephanie Cameron

edible Santa Fe | EARLY SUMMER 2014

ASA, which is Sanskrit for “juice” or “essence,” opened its doors about four years ago. Wendy Borger made the short trip from owning the adjoining yoga studio to opening RASA Juice Bar with business partner Pam Sweeney because she noticed that many people would practice yoga on a regular basis, sometimes for years, and not have the transformation they might expect. “What I put together,” Borger explains, “was that there were a lot of dietary roadblocks that were happening for people and I got very inspired. I’m also an Ayurvedic practitioner. I saw a connection between diet and how people feel. There is so much that can transform health, or expand health, that is connected to dietary issues.” So she created RASA—a space that gives some options to people looking beyond what Borger refers to as “hippy café standard fare.” At RASA, you’re not going to get a pile of beans on greens, which she says is, “wonderful, homey, yummy food. But, we want something a little more elevated. What we try to do is a little more gourmet-oriented.”

crackers, macadamia nut soft cheese, olive tapenade, preserved lemon yogurt, hemp tabouli, za’tar crackers (a tomato-based sesame and flax cracker), and eggplant chips. Layering flavors is paramount in raw food preparation. “We want to engage all of your taste centers; the sweet, the salty, the rich. We want you to taste the umami of the cheese and the tartness of the chutney,” Borger explains. “All those flavors satisfy a diner’s appetite with a smaller amount of food. Taste comes first. Raw food can seem cold and unsatisfying to the inexperienced, so building layers of flavors is important.” Sweeney echoes this sentiment. “People are a little timid or shy to try raw food at first, but when they do it’s pure, beautiful, and delicious food. You can have it one night, and then you can have Italian another night—we want raw food to be acknowledged as a cuisine.”

This means a more refined set of ingredients and presentation. Borger attended Matthew Kenney Culinary, one of the leading educational institutions in gourmet raw food. She and Sweeney wanted RASA to be accessible to people who like to go out to eat, who might choose to eat a raw vegan lunch that would be as wonderful as going to any other upscale Santa Fe restaurant. But to be clear, Borger says, “We’re not fanatics. If you walk in [to RASA] and you’re a heavy meat and dairy eater, I won't preach to you, but I’d like to open your mind to adding some more plant food to your diet.” And she is masterful in demonstrating the rich and diverse flavors that well-prepared raw and living foods offer. RASA offers all organic and vegan fare, as well as the only coldpressed juices in Santa Fe. The nutrient density of the juices, smoothies, and other RASA menu items is impressive. Superfoods like kale, sweet potatoes, blackberries, flax, goji berries, maca, almond butter, chlorella, and ginger line the menu—beacons of vitality, detoxification, and strength—as well as being packed with flavor, texture, and color. “We want everything to be beautiful because you eat with your eyes first,” Borger says. What elevates the eating experience at RASA is the intensive food preparation. Take their chocolate cupcake. Borger makes it from Irish moss (a type of seaweed), squash, apple puree, raw cacao nibs, a little bit of agave, and some oat flour. “We don’t go out and buy oat flour,” she shares, detailing the process. “We buy the organic groats, we soak them, dehydrate them, grind, and sift them to make our own oat flour.” Not everything RASA offers is raw, but the way Borger interprets classic dishes as raw, you would be remiss to order any other way. For example, the meze and cheese plate requires meticulous preparation. Borger likes to offer these plates because almost every high-end restaurant has them. Her raw, plant-based interpretation of this standard gives diners an entrée to the flavor spectrum that distinguishes RASA. She serves hummus made from zucchini, tomato chutney, herb chia

Left: RASA take home, cold pressed juices. Above: Wendy Borger and Pam Sweeney and raw chocolate cupcake.

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

WWW.EDIBLESANTAFE.COM

JIM &SABINE Pristina Natural, Inc SANTA FE, NM

NOW AVAILABLE AT LOCAL WHOLE FOODS MARKETS

速

ALBUQUERQUE:

SANTA FE:

Academy, 5815 Wyoming Blvd. NE

Cerrillos, 753 Cerrillos Rd.

Indian School Plaza, 2103 Carlisle Blvd. NE

St. Francis, 1090 S. St. Francis Dr.

edible Santa Fe | EARLY SUMMER 2014

Local Water Promotes Re-Use and Biodiversity By Lisa Masé In honor of Santa Fe’s motto, el agua es vida, husband and wife team, James McMath and Sabine Steinhardt, has launched Pristina Natural. This bottled water company strives to honor water as source and promote biodiversity. McMath, a fourth generation New Mexican, returned from Oregon to start Emerald Earth, a business offering natural cleaning solutions. As an alternative to antiseptic cleaners that destroy all bacteria, whether beneficial or harmful, these products are non-toxic. In addition, their synergistic microorganisms return nutrients to soil and septic systems. Because water is such a precious resource, McMath and Steinhardt shifted their focus from probiotic cleaners to nutrient-rich water. Enter Pristina Natural, a Santa Fe-based project focused on energetically vital bottled water. The company bottles living water with intact crystalline structure and with a neutral pH. According to McMath and Steinhardt’s research, conventional purification systems generate low pH water. According to the United States Geological Survey, optimal water pH is neutral. “The pH of water determines the solubility (amount that can be dissolved in the water) and biological availability (amount that can be utilized by aquatic life) of chemical constituents such as nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen, and carbon) and heavy metals (lead, copper, cadmium, etc.).”

The couple has developed a unique water revitalization system to offer a product with neutral pH. McMath explains, “Humans are comprised of over two-thirds water. The quality the water we consume can have a profound impact on our overall health.” Pristina will further test their product’s capacity to restore nutrients to crops, remediate contaminated soil, and provide a mineral-rich hydration source. Pristina is committed to sustainable practices with the long-term goal of minimizing waste. They supplied bottled water and encouraged bottle re-use at the September 2013 Globalquerque Music Festival. In an attempt to mimic nature, McMath sees a future in using bio-plastics and glass as alternatives to petroleum-based plastic bottles. “If I truly want to create healthy solutions to our environmental crises,” he muses, “I must think the way nature thinks.” The company is also developing a concentrate, which will be available online, to enhance drinking water to provide, “the highest quality hydration to as many people as possible at an affordable price.” The couple envisions an enterprise that will serve as a model of sustainability for other bottled water companies. To this end what better place than eco-friendly Santa Fe to grow the business? www.pristinanatural.com Whole Foods is sponsoring this series to support local producers. Look for the "I'm a Local" tags on market shelves. Visit www.ediblesantafe.com/wholefoods for producer video spotlights.

Photo by Stephanie Cameron

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cooking fresh Photos by Stephanie Cameron

edible Santa Fe | EARLY SUMMER 2014

ÂŠEdible Pix

Summer Tomato Tart with Savory Basil Cream

Snap Pea and Pistachio Pasta Salad

Recipe from Joseph Bower, Zinc

Recipe from Amy White

Serves 6 Dough 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon salt 4 ounces unsalted butter 3 tablespoons ice water 2 large eggs Filling 1/2 cup ricotta cheese 2 tablespoon fresh thyme 1/3 cup Fontina, grated 6 fresh local tomatoes, sliced thick 3/4 cup leeks, melted 1 tablespoon butter 2 tablespoons white wine Basil Cream 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh basil 1 cup heavy whipping cream, very cold 1/4 teaspoon powdered gelatin 1/2 teaspoon pink peppercorns, ground 1/2 teaspoon sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt

Serves 4 as a light meal

Pulse flour, salt, and butter in mixer until mixture is the size of a pea. Whisk eggs and water together, then incorporate into flour and butter mixture. Let rest for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 325° F. In a skillet on medium heat, sauté leeks, butter, and wine until caramelized and golden. Roll out dough to 1/4inch thick and ten inches across. Place crust into a glass pie plate or tart dish. Layer the following components in this order: ricotta, thyme, Fontina, 3 tomatoes, leeks, 3 tomatoes. Fan out the tomatoes like a deck of cards in each layer. Bake for about 45 minutes or until golden on top.

A great pasta salad is all about the vegetables. This one is delicious with fresh peas, but it would also be nice with green beans later in the summer. Here are a few other tricks to creating a truly excellent pasta salad. Use champagne vinegar because it is mild and not bitter. Choose high-quality pasta because it is denser and doesn't fall apart easily. Fresh herbs make the salad really special. I am partial to lemon thyme, and thyme, in general, is one of the most versatile herbs—it tastes great in everything. And my final trick (because I don't like it raw) cook the garlic briefly with the pasta to make it sweet and mild. 8 ounces uncooked gemelli or other curly pasta 1/2 pound sugar snap peas 3 garlic cloves, peeled 2 tablespoons champagne vinegar or lemon juice 5 tablespoons olive oil 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/2 cup shelled pistachios, chopped 2 large sprigs thyme or lemon thyme 2 green onions 1 ounce Parmesan cheese, shaved Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until almost tender. Add the peas and garlic cloves during the last 2 minutes of cooking. Drain and rinse the pasta and vegetables with cold water. Mince the garlic. Trim tops and tails off the snap peas and cut into bite-size pieces. Whisk the vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add all remaining ingredients and toss well.

In a food processor, combine basil, whipping cream, gelatin, and seasonings. Pulse on medium speed until it forms soft peeks. Serve pie warm with a dollop of savory whipped cream.

DIY Ricotta Cheese This is a must try with only four ingredients! 4 cups whole milk 2 cups heavy cream 1 teaspoon kosher salt 3 tablespoons good white wine vinegar Set a large strainer over a deep bowl. Dampen 2 layers of cheesecloth with water and line the strainer with the cheesecloth. Pour the milk and cream into a stainless steel or enameled pot. Stir in the salt. Bring to a full boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat and stir in the vinegar. Allow the mixture to stand for 1 minute until it curdles. It will separate into curds and whey. Pour the mixture into the cheesecloth-lined strainer and let it drain into the bowl at room temperature for 20–25 minutes. The longer you let the mixture drain, the thicker the ricotta will be. Use immediately or store in plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 4–5 days. WWW.EDIBLESANTAFE.COM

Gluten-Free Fried Fish Fillets

Blue Corn Crusted Trout with Chipotle Cream

Recipe from Rachel Shockley I love fish, and caught-then-cooked trout are exceptionally tasty. When I switched to a gluten-free diet I had a hard time finding a breaded fish recipe that was as delicious as my old favorite; fluffy, beer battered fried fish. This easy recipe uses cornmeal breading to create a satisfying crunch. The spicy crust is versatile enough to use for any white fish for pan-frying, deep-frying, or baking. It’s especially good in the backcountry while camping; make the breading at home, store in a gallon bag and shake-and-bake in camp.

Recipe from James Africano, Vermejo Ranch New Mexico is famous for blue corn and fiery chiles. I experimented with this variation of the classic fish fry. The feedback was great and I have adopted this as a regular trout appetizer in the restaurant. Sauce 3/4 cup cream 1/4 cup tequila 2 teaspoons shallot, minced 1 tablespoon chipotle pepper, pureed 2 teaspoons unsalted butter

2/3 cup finely ground cornmeal 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon pepper 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon paprika 1/2 teaspoon cayenne 1/2 teaspoon rosemary 4 trout, filleted 1 egg, beaten 2 tablespoons water, plus a splash 1/4 – 2 cups high-heat oil for frying Lemon wedges Fillet fish and set aside. If you don’t have fresh trout on hand, substitute with white fish of choice. Add a splash of water to the egg and beat until smooth. Pour egg into a low bowl or a gallon bag. Mix breading ingredients in a separate bowl or gallon bag. Over a medium high flame, heat oil in a deep cast-iron pan, using 1/4 cup for panfrying or up to 2 cups for deep-frying. Test temperature by adding a bit of breading. If it sizzles at once, the oil is ready. Soak fillets in egg mixture, transfer to breading and coat by dredging in the bowl or gently shaking the bag. Carefully lay the fillets in the oil, frying 2 – 3 minutes on each side, gently turning with a spatula. Cook until golden brown. Cast-iron retains heat, so turn down the heat if the oil becomes too hot. After frying, transfer to a cooling rack or a plate layered with paper towels. Garnish with lemon wedges and serve immediately.

In a small saucepot, melt butter over medium heat. Add shallots and cook until soft and translucent. Remove pot from stove and add tequila. Return pot to heat, being aware that the evaporating alcohol may catch on fire. Bring the tequila to a boil and reduce by half. Add chipotle puree and cream; mix thoroughly. Bring entire mix to a boil and reduce by half again until sauce is thickened. Salt to taste. Fish 2 large trout, filleted 1/2 cup buttermilk 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup blue cornmeal 1/2 teaspoon cumin 1 teaspoon red chile powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 2 cups vegetable oil Pour buttermilk into a small baking dish and add the trout fillets. Soak for about 15 minutes. In another large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, cumin, chile powder, salt, and pepper. Mix thoroughly. In a large, deep pot heat the oil to 375° F over a medium-high flame. Remove the trout from the buttermilk and coat thoroughly with cornmeal and flour mixture. Place 2 fillets very carefully into the hot oil and cook for about 2 minutes on each side until golden brown. Remove from the oil and place on a paper towel-lined. Repeat with remaining fish fillets. Plate with cream sauce and serve.

Recipe with a an exic New M ist Tw

edible Santa Fe | EARLY SUMMER 2014

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Roasted Carrots with Salsa Verde Recipe from Amy White Serves 4 – 6 as a side 1 pound carrots 1 clove garlic, finely chopped 1 tablespoon capers 1/2 cup parsley (substitute up to half with other herbs) Zest of one lemon 1/2 cup olive oil plus 1 tablespoon for carrots 1/2 teaspoon salt Cut carrots into similar-sized pieces about 4 inches long and 1/2 inch thick. Toss with olive oil and roast at 400° F for about 30 minutes, until soft and caramelized at the edges. (Use a toaster oven to avoid heating up the kitchen too much.) Finely chop garlic, capers, herbs, and lemon zest, either by hand or in a food processor. Mix with olive oil and salt. Toss a few spoonfuls with the carrots, and save the rest for another use.

Cherry, Chicken, and Radish Salad Recipe from Amy White Serves 4 2 bone-in chicken thighs 1 pound sweet cherries, pitted 1/2 pound lettuce (preferably Little Gem or butter lettuce) 4 radishes, sliced 1 tablespoon chives, chopped 3 tablespoons duck or chicken fat, butter, or olive oil 1 cup cubed dry bread 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard 1 teaspoon honey 1 clove garlic, minced 1/4 cup olive oil Salt and pepper Pit cherries by squeezing them over a bowl to catch the juice. Salt and pepper 2 chicken thighs. Grill over medium heat about 12 minutes on each side until the meat is 165° F at thickest point. Slice the meat from bones and reserve any skin, then cut meat into 1/2-inch cubes. Wash lettuce, dry thoroughly, and tear into bite-size pieces. Arrange cherries, chicken, radishes, and chives over the lettuce on four plates. Melt fat in a skillet on medium heat. Add bread and chicken skin and toss to coat. Fry, turning frequently, until the bread cubes are golden, about 2 minutes. Drain on paper towels and season with salt and pepper while still hot. Whisk vinegar, mustard, honey, garlic, and olive oil together and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle dressing (and any remaining cherry juice) over salad and garnish with croutons and chicken skin.

edible Santa Fe | EARLY SUMMER 2014

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Oyster Mushrooms Rockefeller Recipe from Amy White Serves 2 1 green onion 1 sprig flat-leaf Italian parsley 1 sprig tarragon 1 sprig chervil A few celery leaves 2 tablespoons good French bread crumbs 3 tablespoons butter, softened Salt and pepper Tabasco sauce 1/2 tablespoon Herbsaint, Pernod, or other pastis (optional) 1 tablespoon olive oil 1/4 pound whole oyster mushrooms (8 nice large ones) Mince the green onion, parsley, tarragon, chervil, and celery leaves as finely as possible (you can do this in a food processor). Mix with the breadcrumbs and butter to make a fairly smooth paste. Season as desired with salt, pepper, Tabasco, and Herbsaint or Pernod. Preheat your broiler. Trim the stem off each mushroom (you can mince these up and mix them into the filling). In a wide skillet, heat the olive oil on a medium flame. Lightly salt the gill side of each mushroom and sautĂŠ them gill side down until nicely browned,

edible Santa Fe | EARLY SUMMER 2014

about 7 minutes. Remove from skillet and spread the filling onto the topside of each mushroom. Place the mushrooms on a baking sheet and broil until the filling is bubbling and browned, 5 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 10 minutes, watching carefully to make sure they don't burn. Serve hot, garnished with fresh chopped parsley.

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Lemon Verbena Panna Cotta with Mulberries Recipe and photo from Amy White This dessert is a real gemâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;spectacular, but incredibly simple to make. The recipe combines two flavors that are hard to find in stores, but easy to grow or forage in urban areas at this time of year. If you can't find mulberries or lemon verbena, experiment with any other kind of berries or herbs.

Serves 4 1 packet gelatin 3 tablespoons cold water Grapeseed oil or other neutral-tasting oil 2 cups heavy cream or half-and-half 1/4 cup sugar A handful of lemon verbena leaves 2 cups mulberries Juice of 1 lime 1 tablespoon sugar Combine gelatin and water in a bowl big enough to hold all the cream. Lightly oil several small ramekins. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring cream, sugar and lemon verbena leaves to a near boil. Pour cream mixture through a strainer into the bowl with the gelatin, making sure to remove leaves. Whisk thoroughly to combine. Pour the mixture into the ramekins and chill for at least 2 hours. Just before serving, combine mulberries, limejuice, and sugar to macerate. Run an oiled knife around the edge of the ramekins and invert each panna cotta onto a plate. Top with mulberries and garnish with fresh lemon verbena leaves.

Mulberries are a fantastic fruit; they grow wild all over city streets, but most people somehow overlook them. They taste like blackberries, but are chewier and less tangy. In fact, I like to add a little limejuice to balance their sweetness. They ripen around the same time the lemon verbena leafs out, and the two taste amazing together.

Lemon Verbena ÂŠ Richard Villalon, Mulberries, ÂŠ xalanx - at Fotolia.com

Lemon verbena is the best of all the lemon-scented herbs. It smells clean, fresh, and floral, with none of the citronella tang that other lemon herbs have. Easy to grow, it matures into a medium-size shrub and its heavenly scent brushes off whenever you walk by.

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Chocolate Martini Recipe from Don Quixote Distillery 1 1/2 ounces Blue Corn Vodka 1 1/2 ounces coconut milk 1 ounce heavy cream 1 ounce chocolate syrup Chocolate, grated Pour all ingredients over ice in a shaker. Shake well and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with grated chocolate and extra syrup.

Pisco Sour Recipe from Don Quixote Distillery 2 ounces Don Quixote Pisco 1 ounce fresh lime juice 1 ounce simple syrup 1 ounce egg whites 3 dashes of aromatic bitters Pour all ingredients except bitters over ice in a shaker. Shake well and strain into a martini glass. Top with a dash of bitters.

Classic Tom Collins Recipe from Left Turn Distillery This refreshing old-time favorite was originally made with Old Tom Gin, hence the name “Tom” Collins. 2 ounces Brothers Old Tom Gin 1 ounce lemon juice 1 ounce simple syrup 3 – 4 ounces club soda In a Collins glass filled with ice, gin, juice, syrup, and club soda, then stir. Serve with a lemon curl.

Moscow Mule Recipe from Left Turn Distillery This tasty cocktail is traditionally served in a copper mug. 1 1/2 ounces La Luz Vodka Juice of 1/4 lime 4 ounces ginger beer (Goslings or Fever Tree) Fill mug with ice, mix in the vodka and lime juice, then top with ginger beer. Read about New Mexico's distilleries in "Table Hopping" on page 58. Left: Moscow Mule.

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The Brew’s Brothers

TWO BROTHERS FROM COLOMBIA BRING PREMIUM ROASTED COFFEE TO NEW MEXICO By Valerie Ashe

The year was 1999. A 6.2 magnitude earthquake shook Colombia, a country embroiled in armed conflict between the government, paramilitary groups, and drug lords. Kidnapping for ransom was still the primary means of funding revolutionary groups, and David Certain was only nineteen years old when he escaped the last of several kidnapping attempts in his hometown of Cali. All this just a few days before he finally left his country to emigrate to the US to join his brother Juan waiting for him in Miami. Since then, the brothers have

edible Santa Fe | EARLY SUMMER 2014

worked hard to sow the seeds of success in their journey to build a coffee business, and continue the legacy their grandfather began five decades ago in Colombia. Joaquin Esteban was a pioneer in the Colombian coffee business. His family owned land in the small village of Piendamo, in the Cauca Department, where citrus crops dominated but coffee bushes were non-existent. In the 1960s, Esteban seized the opportunity to differentiate his land from other farms in the area. He hired a farm manager, planted

several arabica caturra coffee plants, and successfully harvested the region’s first coffee crop. He eventually went on to become director of the Colombia Federation of Coffee Growers for that region. Esteban named his farm estate Villa Myriam after his eldest daughter, who tragically died at age sixteen from a brain hemorrhage. Forty years later, Juan and David gave the name of the estate to their Albuquerque business, Villa Myriam Coffee Roasters. “Aunt Myriam died before I was born,” says David and Juan Certain on plantation in Columbia. Photo by Andrés Esteban.

David, “I know her through the family stories. When you visit my grandpa’s home, the first thing you see is a huge, beautiful painting of her. That’s how I will always remember her.” The Certain brothers grew up visiting the farm often, as evidenced by their business motto, “We grew up knowing great coffee.” The family still owns the Villa Myriam finca, or farm, in Colombia, now run by one of Esteban’s children, the brothers' uncle, who grows coffee from more than one hundred thousand bushes planted on about one hundred and fifty acres. Juan and David buy exclusively from the family farm, and ship the coffee beans fresh from Colombia to their roasting operation in Albuquerque. The brothers weren’t always in the coffee business. After moving from Miami to Albuquerque in 2002 to join an aunt who had already moved to the city, David worked as a systems analyst for T-Mobile, while Juan worked in the budget office for the New Mexico Department of Education. Having grown up on the farm as children, sipping coffee as early as two years old and playing among the caturra, they decided to pursue their passion and bring the family business to New Mexico. Since then, Juan and David have burst out of the roasting room and onto the New Mexico business scene. Villa Myriam now supplies its Rainforest Alliance Certified beans to local New Mexico businesses such

as The Range Café, Los Poblanos Historic Inn, M'Tucci's Kitchina, Standard Diner, La Montañita Co-op, and Hotel Parq Central, to name only a few. The brothers run their own café, The Brew, in downtown Albuquerque, and will open a second location on Paseo del Norte this summer. They also have dabbled in direct trade, helping farmers in countries such as Colombia and the Republic of Congo by purchasing coffee from them, roasting and distributing it, then sharing profits with them from the sales. They hope to support more struggling farmers through direct trade in the future. Colombia now boasts one of the strongest economies in South America due to growing political stability and business innovation, and David admits to missing his home country. “I still love it and miss it very much. Every morning I wake up and read about it online,” he says of his native land. “I hope to retire on the farm when I grow old.” Until then, David says he is happy to raise his family in New Mexico and contribute to the growing community he and his brother have established here. They keep New Mexico’s cup filled to the brim with Villa Myriam’s single-source, certified organic coffee, which stimulates their passion and demand for quality. 311 Gold SW, Albuquerque 505-363-9453 www.villamyriam.com www.thebrewabq.com

Payne’s Nursery Firmly Believes in Sustainability. Your Organic Gardening Headquarters Payne’s has one of the most extensive selections of organic products including: • Organic Fertilizers for Trees, Plants, Lawns, etc. • Organic Soil Amendments • Organic Fungicides • Organic Pesticides • Organic Potting Soils • Organic Animal Repellents • Organic Compost Starters We GROW over 40 varieties of heirloom/open-pollinated tomatoes and 20 varieties of peppers and native chiles.

We have a great NEW selection of pottery! Payne’s South 715 St. Michael’s Dr. 505-988-9626 Payne’s North 304 Camino Alire 505-988-8011 Payne’s Organic Soil Yard 6037 Agua Fria 505-424-0336

www.paynes.com David and Juan Certain at The Brew. Photo by Stephanie Cameron.

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Rising Tide

RANCHO ENCANTADO’S EXECUTIVE CHEF CELEBRATES ABUNDANCE IN THE DESERT By Valerie Ashe · Photos by Stephanie Cameron

Chef Andrew Cooper introduces his chef's table.

The desert is analogous to struggle, scarcity, and survival. Yet in New Mexico, food producers and advocates have managed to strike water from the proverbial rock: farmers supply year-long markets; consumers continue to demand local and organic produce, dairy, and meat from grocers and restaurants; and there is a chef at a luxury resort in Santa Fe who brings it all together. Since arriving in October 2012 as the executive chef of the Four Seasons Resort Rancho Encantado Santa Fe, Andrew Cooper has become a rising tide in the local food movement who helps to raise all ships in New Mexico’s local food economy. From area dairy and meat ranches, wineries, and distilleries to farmers markets, schools, and homeless shelters, and through his kitchen staff, servers, and the 32

edible Santa Fe | EARLY SUMMER 2014

resort’s guests, Cooper seeks every opportunity to connect local growers and ranchers to food preparers and consumers. Cooper’s commitment to including local ingredients at Terra, the resort’s restaurant, is admirable. But his passion for food and community extends well beyond the menu. While Cooper’s primary role is to provide a memorable dining experience for the resort’s guests, he goes above and beyond by including them in the culinary process through his innovative chef’s table. Guests don aprons and are expected to participate in preparing their meal, à la a Food Network reality show. He hosts other activities, such as six-hour culinary adventure tours through local farms and markets, and “Cooking Under the Stars,” an alfresco meal prepared tableside on the resort’s Monte Vista terrace.

But Cooper’s passion and vision don’t end with his day job. He influenced planting the resort’s first garden last year, which he and his staff use in Terra’s daily menu, and he championed installing an apiary to supply the resort with its own honey as well as beeswax for the resort’s spa products. Cooper volunteers with several food-related charities: the Santa Fe Souperbowl, an annual event that raises funds for the Food Depot, which distributes food to struggling Northern New Mexicans; and Cooking with Kids, an organization that aims to increase children’s awareness, appreciation, and knowledge of healthy eating. With two young children of his own, he is driven to educate children about where food comes from and how to make healthy food choices. “It’s all about education and knowledge. With children’s education comes sustainability,” Cooper says.

GEOs, and Monsanto, it’s so important to know what’s in our food,” Cooper says.

His passion stems from both experience and continued learning. Cooper spent part of his early culinary career in Hawaii, where the lush tropical climate and rich soil yielded a bounty of produce and a healthy environment for livestock and fish; however, the Hawaiian hospitality industry didn’t always fully maximize the local harvest. He set out on a mission to visit local farms and markets on weekends and bring fresh ingredients back to the kitchen. From that experience, he learned how to appreciate and incorporate local growers and the community into his life’s work. “Especially in this day and age of GMOs,

With his characteristic enthusiasm, Cooper beams, “We’re in a desert, and we’re producing incredible stuff! I just want to tap into all of that abundance and be part of this growing community.” He continues, “I want people to know that real food tastes good.”

Now that he runs his own kitchen, he not only indulges his zeal for local, healthy foods, he also brings his staff along for the ride. He takes them to the Santa Fe Farmers Market on Tuesdays and weekends to learn about and experiment with new and different products. Earlier this year, he took them to visit Old Windmill Dairy, about eighty miles south of Santa Fe, in Estancia. They spent the day touring the dairy, milking goats, and making cheese with dairy owners Ed and Michael Lobaugh. “I want to give my chefs and cooks an opportunity to be creative and tell a story about the food. I take them on these trips so they think of food as more than just stuff that arrives on the docks in a truck,” he says.

198 State Road 592, Santa Fe 505-946-5800 www.fourseasons.com/santafe/dining/restaurants/terra

Indulge Your Inner Foodie Find culinary inspiration around every corner: from local chocolates and imported confections, to unique condiments and ﬁne wines. You can shop at a grocery store, or you can shop at Kaune's.

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wild thing

Pack Them In, Fish Them Out By Rachel Shockley

The sound of sloshing water emanating from the panniers made the horses uneasy as they edged their way up the four-mile trail to Horseshoe Lake, nestled high in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. They were still adjusting to their cargo. Forty-five minutes earlier, New Mexico Department of Game and Fish employees Eric Frey, Ty Jackson, and Tony Jacobson had loaded the horses with “fish bags” teaming with hundreds of Rio Grande cutthroat trout to stock high mountain lakes. Jackson brought his own red dun quarter horses—two for riding and two for carrying fish—for the trip. Frey planned to follow Jackson as far as Lost Lake, and then peel off to release more than two thousand cutthroat trout. Jackson would continue on to Horseshoe Lake, where he would also release trout.

edible Santa Fe | EARLY SUMMER 2014

Earlier that morning, Department Fisheries Biologist Frey and Department Conservation Officer Jackson readied their stock at the trailhead. They watched Seven Springs Hatchery Manager Jacobson ease the hatchery’s one-ton flatbed truck into the parking lot. The September air felt cool and the sun sparkled in the clear New Mexico sky. Jacobson climbed onto the truck bed and dipped a bucket into the tank used to transport fish. Schools of two-inch gray-green Rio Grande cutthroat trout dashed away from the bucket's lip. He lifted out a few gallons of oxygenated hatchery water and poured it into a thick clear plastic bag used to transport fish. He netted a cluster of trout and gently shook them into the bag. Almost one hundred tiny fish darted around inside.

Top left: Volunteers hike Rio Grande cutthroat fingerlings into the Rio Grande Gorge, near Taos, New Mexico. Photo courtesy of New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, Rachel Shockley. Bottom left: Rio Grande cutthroat trout, the New Mexico state fish. Photo courtesy of New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, Rachel Shockley. Right: Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout Technician Laurence D’Allesandro loads a bag teaming with Rio Grande cutthroat trout fingerlings into his backpack for transport. Photo courtesy of New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, Eric Frey.

Working together, the men quickly filled eight bags with more than five hundred fish in each. Frey gently placed two bags in each pannier and poured ice over the top to keep the water cool. Within five minutes, four thousand fingerlings were packed and ready to go. Horseshoe and Lost Lakes, high mountain cirques north of Wheeler Peak, are not accessible by car. Since 2008, the department staff, on horseback, has stocked the state fish—colorful cutthroat trout—that delight anglers. Cutthroats have grown as large as twenty-four inches in some lakes, and a few areas even support self-sustaining populations. “Stocking these lakes with Rio Grande cutthroats helps the public connect with the fish in a valuable way. It helps people understand the inherent importance of this species and why it is worth conserving,” Frey said. Increasing the number of fish in the wild not only gives New Mexicans the opportunity to see and even catch the trout, it has also helped keep the fish off the Endangered Species List. The trout is a candidate species for federal protection. It faces many challenges, including habitat loss, competition, drought, fire, and climate change. To ensure the purity of its genetic strain, Rio Grande cutthroat trout are the only species of fish raised at the department’s Seven Springs Hatchery near Jemez Springs. Adult fish have a red slash mark below the jaw and large black spots decorating the tail and sides. Stocking is just a small piece of the complex and ongoing restoration effort for Rio Grande cutthroat trout. Since 2003, the department has restored Rio Grande cutthroat trout to nearly seventy miles of streams and fourteen acres of lakes across New Mexico. Trout can now be found in many high mountain lakes and streams in the Pecos River, Rio Grande River, and Canadian River drainages.

Ongoing restoration, pared with scientific management, of Rio Grande cutthroat have made it possible to allow anglers to catch four and keep two trout per day in some waters. Once caught, the fish are easy to cook; they are delicious filleted, breaded, and roasted over a campfire.

LICENSES New Mexico residents can purchase an annual fishing license for $25 or non-residents for $56. One-day licenses for residents and non-residents are $12. For more information about fishing licenses and where to fish, please contact New Mexico Department of Game and Fish. 888-248-6866, www.wildlife.state.nm.us

Juvenile trout typically eat midges and other small insects at the water’s surface. As trout grow, they feed on larger insects and even small fish. Rio Grande cutthroat trout can grow quite large; the New Mexico state record was caught in a high country lake. It weighed ten pounds and measured almost twentyfive inches long. Anglers often use artificial flies, such as elk hair caddis, made to look like a caddis fly about to take off, or lures that spin through the water imitating a minnow swimming.

FISHING OUTFITTERS AND GUIDES

However, conservation is not free. “Anglers have been the backbone of the effort, contributing millions of dollars, as well as volunteer hours, to cutthroat trout conservation and habitat restoration,” Frey said. “Recovering wild populations of native fish takes many people working together.” By the time Frey reached Lost Lake, his horse was bathed in sweat from climbing up the trail’s steep switchbacks. He tied the horse under a fir and removed the heavy panniers filled with trout. The fish were alert and healthy. Frey picked his way down the steep talus slope to the lake, carrying bags of fish. He prepared the fish for release by cooling the fish bags in the lake and then adding lake water a little at a time. One at a time, he tipped each bag on its side so the fingerlings nearest the opening could swim out into the wild. Soon the bags emptied and Frey could see only a few tail flicks as the newly released trout hid behind rocks or disappeared into the depths of the lake.

Taos Fly Shop Gear, guided fly fishing, clothing, fly tying, classes, hosted fly fishing in Argentina, and more! 308 Paseo del Pueblo Sur, Taos 575-751-1312, www.taosflyshop.com The Reel Life Gear, guided fly fishing, outdoor clothing, fly tying, classes, women's fly fishing clinics, hosted fly fishing in Alaska, and more! 526 N Guadalupe, Santa Fe 505-995-8114, www.thereellife.com Land of Enchantment Guides Fly fishing guides take you trout fishing on all types of waters—from large rivers to high mountain spring creeks and lakes—we have them all here in Northern New Mexico. Santa Fe, 505-629-5688 www.loeflyfishing.com Solitary Angler Superior fly fishing without the crowds. El Prado, 575-758-5653 www.thesolitaryangler.com Dos Amigos Anglers Fly Shop & Guide Service Orvis-endorsed outfitter bringing you excellence in guided fly fishing and fly shops to fit every angler's needs. 536 Paseo del Pueblo Norte, Taos, 575-758-4545 247 Therma, Eagle Nest, 575-377-6226 217 W Main, Red River, 575-754-6455 www.dosamigosanglers.net FE Guides Specializing in tiger muskie and ice fishing trips. FE Guides offer guided fishing trips at Bluewater Lake State Park, Eagle Nest Lake State Park, Cow Creek Ranch, and the historic Cimarroncita Ranch Retreat. Albuquerque, 505-433-7393 www.feguides.com High Desert Angler An independent, locally owned, full service fly shop, school, and guide service, offering year round fly fishing on private and public waters all over New Mexico. 460 Cerrillos, Santa Fe, 505-988-7688 www.highdesertangler.com WWW.EDIBLESANTAFE.COM 35

= Virtual Water Virtual water, or embedded water, refers to the water used to produce any material product. Be it a car, appliance, or vegetable, they all carry a certain amount of virtual water.

You eat 924 gallons of water every day! In an industrial beef production system it takes an average of three years for a cow to be slaughtered. One cow produces 440 pounds of boneless beef. During the three years the cow consumes 29 pounds of grains. The cow also consumes 15,873 pounds of roughage such as grass and hay. This totals 792,493 gallons of water. The cow drinks 6,340 gallons of water. Servicing and slaughtering the cow takes 1,850 gallons of water. In total, we need 816,556 gallons of water to produce 440 pounds of beef.

That is 1,855 gallons of water for 1 pound of beef. Visible water is our domestic consumption; the water we can see ourselves use every day. The average American uses 37 gallons of visible water per day to bathe, flush toilets, do laundry, cook, clean, and drink. That person also uses 44 gallons of invisible or virtual water per day for industrial products such as cotton, paper, and clothes. The average American eats 924 gallons of virtual water on average, or 92% of his or her total water consumption, everyday.

In the US, 70% of all water used is for agriculture.

Chicken 1,136 gallons per pound 36

Cheese 840 gallons per pound

edible Santa Fe | EARLY SUMMER 2014

Wheat 483 gallons per pound

Wine 31 gallons per glass

Potatoes 6 gallons per potato

Resources: Water Footprint Network and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

Virtually Parched By Willy Carleton · Illustration by Stephanie Cameron A friend and I decided this year to grow a few acres of vegetables to store for the winter. While we plan to shape our winter diet around these sweet potatoes, onions, squash, and potatoes, we hope to sell the lion’s share. One basic hurdle in this plan is to convince market shoppers that buying locally grown storage vegetables is worthwhile. Perhaps the most obvious sales pitch, though maybe counterintuitive for storage crops, is taste. Often, locally grown storage vegetables actually taste much better than imported ones because local farmers are not beholden to commodity pricing and can more easily experiment with smaller amounts of tastier varieties that are less suited for large-scale industrial farming and shipping. Anyone who has taste-tested a Ginseng sweet potato can confirm this. But taste is not everything. Most readers of this magazine could easily list many social, environmental, and economic reasons to buy local produce that go beyond taste. One of the best reasons, however, is also one that doesn’t often make the list. It has everything to do with water, and specifically the concept of virtual water. Virtual water, or embedded water, refers to the water used to produce any material product. Be it a car, appliance, or vegetable, they all carry a certain amount of virtual water. For instance, the virtual water of a bunch of carrots includes all the water used to germinate, irrigate, and wash the carrots; the virtual water of a sirloin steak includes the water used to irrigate hay fields, grow the finishing corn feed, water the cow, and process the beef. National Geographic reports that one pound of beef contains roughly eighteen hundred gallons of virtual water. Currently New Mexico imports roughly as much virtual water as it exports. Most of the exported virtual water is in agricultural goods such as dairy, pecans, cotton, and chile from the southern part of the state. Meanwhile, most of the imported virtual water is in food and goods imported to consumers in the urban centers, Albuquerque and Santa Fe. Buying more local food, in all seasons, is one of the best ways to reduce both our virtual water imports and exports. Increasing or maintaining our dependence on virtual water in our imported food at the expense of local production carries risks. Producing our food in a distant watershed can lead to a decline

in environmental stewardship. People tend to care more and act more when the pesticides, herbicides, and synthetic fertilizers from upstream farms enter their own rivers and water supply. Also, our long-term food security as a state is jeopardized as we become ever more dependent on far-off industrial monocultures. The more we import food from California, the Midwest, or China, the more a drought in those places will affect us. While virtual water imports allow for some resiliency in time of local drought, from a food security perspective it makes good sense to be most reliant on the same water we have the most political and legal jurisdiction over. When we rely on distant water to grow the food we eat, we risk losing important water buffers. Agricultural fields effectively act as emergency reservoirs in time of catastrophic drought. It is far easier to turn off the gates to an irrigation ditch than to turn off the faucets of a home during an emergency. Keeping virtual water in New Mexico means we have more flexibility in our system as availability of our real water fluctuates. In terms of virtual water exports, some recent studies have argued that arid regions should shift focus from exporting waterhogging crops to varieties that need less water. Such a shift makes some sense in terms of global efficiency, but it does not address the problems of industrial monocultures. It also creates the potential for a Jevon’s Paradox, a phenomenon when conservation through increased efficiency actually increases, or at least maintains, consumption of the conserved resource. Industrial-scale growers would most likely use the same amount of water to grow more of the low-water crop, and the net virtual water export would remain unchanged. Further, it would not likely reduce our virtual water imports. To reduce our virtual water imports we must focus on producing more local food for regional markets. Instead of growing a small number of commodities at a scale that local markets cannot possibly consume, we should shift production to a diversity of crops to meet more of the needs of nearer markets. Such a shift would reduce our dependence on other watersheds, and would mean living more within the limits of our own watershed. So, the next time you shop for vegetables—no matter what time of year—add virtual water to the growing list of good reasons to buy local. WWW.EDIBLESANTAFE.COM

Water Resiliency Story and Photo by Kate Greenberg

Colorado's San Luis Valley.

On a crystal clear March day, Brendon Rockey palms a handful of soil from his family potato farm near the headwaters of the Rio Grande. The sandy loam still holds moisture from the last snow, though the spring sun has melted all but the highest snowpack on the surrounding Sangre de Cristo and San Juan mountains. Center pivots stand dormant, dotting Colorado’s San Luis Valley as they wait for the irrigation season to begin.

scratching their heads. Few expected this kind of success in the grips of drought.

My colleague Daniel Fullmer and I are visiting Rockey for two projects with the National Young Farmers Coalition which highlight farmers and ranchers who build water resiliency through efficiency improvements and conservation. With five hundred acres under production, Brendon is considered small-scale for this valley, but he and his brother Sheldon, who together own and operate Rockey Farms, are among those leading the way out of a looming crisis.

What Rockey faces in the San Luis Valley is a marker of what is to come—or what is already here—for many agricultural regions around the West. Both surface and groundwater are under unprecedented pressure as population increases and climate variability challenges the status quo. The key to Rockey’s success is the same ever-soslight tweak of the prevailing agricultural paradigm that growers in the local foods movement also hold at their roots: instead of growing solely for yield, he focuses first on rebuilding the soil, the foundation of his enterprise. In reconnecting the farm to its ecology, what began as scarcity now sprouts abundance. Through holistic thinking across agricultural sectors we can overcome the new problems facing Western water—and the food it grows.

Seven years ago, drought in the valley hit a new extreme. The shallow aquifer had dropped so low that many wells started spewing air. To save water, Rockey began rotating his potato crop with a cover crop, using only one quarter of the water previously used for his barley rotation. The next season his potato yields were up, his pumping costs down, and the quality of his produce had nearby growers

West of the Continental Divide runs a river named for the rich rusty sediment it carries toward the Sea of Cortez. This river feeds the nation, connecting all of us, if not through the water in our taps, then by the food we eat. This river, the Colorado, irrigates nearly one fifth of our nation’s produce. From four-star restaurants in New York City to taco trucks in Austin, from diners in Denver to grocery stores

edible Santa Fe | EARLY SUMMER 2014

2014

Food+Folklore Festival September 12–14, 2014

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FUZE.SW returns this September 12, 13, and 14. Join in the lively discussion and sample great food prepared by Native and local chefs as the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture and the Museum of International Folk Art present the fare, folklore, and fun that make New Mexico cuisine … well, just the best. More award-winning chefs. More award-winning restaurants. More outstanding speakers and artists. More tastings, more food … and just plain more! Stay tuned! Visit fuzesw.museumofnewmexico.org for updates or call Steve Cantrell at (505) 476-1144. Tickets go on sale at a mid-July launch party hosted by the Center for Contemporary Arts (CCA). To be included on the guest list for this kickoff event, send your contact information to fuze.sw gmail.com.

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The National Young Farmers Coalition is conducting extensive outreach to gain producer input for a fall farm tour on water resiliency in the Colorado River Basin with our project partner Family Farm Alliance. In addition, with the help of our trusty team of Western staff, NYFC is producing a series of farmer profiles and guest blogs sharing stories of water resiliency on farms big and small. We plan to take the stories and profiles from both projects to our legislators as we continue to advocate for the melding of agricultural viability and ecological health. To share your own water story or sign our pledge for conservation, visit www.farmersforCORiver.com or contact kate@youngfarmers.org. For more on what NYFC is up to, check out www.youngfarmers.org.

Conservation means more than simply saving water—it means being good stewards of a limited resource to make sure it meets needs and doesn’t run out. Below are just a handful of local organizations offering opportunities to make a difference in your community and to get involved in the conservation of water for agriculture, recreation, and personal use. Gila Conservation Coalition–Organized in 1984 to protect the free flow of the Gila and San Francisco rivers and the wilderness characteristics of the Gila and Aldo Leopold wilderness areas, the Gila Conservation Coalition (GCC) is a partnership of local environmental and conservation groups and concerned individuals that promotes conservation of the Upper Gila River Basin and surrounding lands. Join them for their annual celebration in September. www.gilaconservation.org New Mexico Audubon/Western Rivers Action Network–Working to improve river health and resiliency. Join the Western Rivers Action Network. nm.audubon.org/conservation-efforts Save Water Santa Fe–City of Santa Fe Water Conservation Office–Rethinking the way we use water, indoors and outdoors, at home and at the office, will stretch our current supply of water in times of drought and for future generations. www.savewatersantafe.com The Red River Restoration Group–(R3G) is a community-based public interest organization devoted to informing the public about the proposed Red River clean-up plan and encouraging public participation throughout the Superfund process. www.r3group.org The New Mexico Acequia Association–The mission of the New Mexico Acequia Association is to protect water and our acequias, grow healthy food for our families and communities, and to honor our cultural heritage. Become a supporting member today! www.lasacequias.org Amigos Bravos–Amigos Bravos focuses on the ongoing goals of protecting and restoring watershed health, holding polluters accountable, and building a water ethic and stewardship for the future. Take action and get educated today. www.amigosbravos.com New Mexico Soil and Water Conservation Districts–SWCDs are independent subdivisions of state government authorized to conserve and develop the natural resources of the state, provide for flood control, preserve wildlife, protect the tax base, and promote the health, safety and general welfare of New Mexicans. bit.ly/1qe9mrs 40

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everywhere, the Colorado River runs through it. Wherever you are there is probably Colorado River water in your diet. But, like the Rio Grande, the waters of the Colorado dwindle. Oft considered one of the most managed rivers in the world, the Colorado is piped, pumped, stored, diverted, litigated, and legislated to meet the needs of over forty million people in the US and Mexico. It irrigates approximately five million acres of cropland in seven US states, including New Mexico where, in addition to irrigation, the Colorado supplements municipal water in and around Albuquerque and Santa Fe. But the Land of Enchantment feels the same strains reverberating through the rest of the system. Nearly a century ago the Colorado was divvied up in a time of unusually high flows we have yet to see again. Now we are tasked with reconciling the gap between what we have on paper and what the river channels and reservoirs actually hold. What does this mean for agriculture in the West? Until recently, it meant water wars and, somewhat more civilly, “buyand-dry” scenarios where thirsty cities purchase coveted agricultural water rights without mitigation, often leaving rural communities bone dry. But today, though buy-and-dry has not disappeared, new paths emerge. Once unusual bedfellows, farmers and conservationists now look for ways to work together. They are developing alternatives to buy-and-dry, such as the Colorado River water bank, which would provide producers with revenue from voluntary, temporary leases of water that could be used to meet critical needs in times of shortage without sacrificing their operations. Groups like the Santa Fe based Quivira Coalition have long brought together diverse constituents to restore ecological health and agricultural vitality. The sun follows us back as Daniel and I drive west over the Continental Divide. I think of how farmers like Rockey and others on the ground need to be at the helm of what to do about water—they see the nuance, feel the shocks, and are the first pressed to adapt. But city dwellers can, and must, step up, too. We can participate in conservation rebate programs, xeriscape our lawns, install low-flush toilets; we can take kids down rivers and let them get their hands dirty on farms to instill in them the value of soil and water; we can talk with people who are different from us and engage our political leaders; we can show up at the table, and do so with more questions than answers. We can either let drought buckle us at the knees or spark in us creativity and collaboration. Though we may feel parched by aridity, the deeper we look the more we can define ourselves by abundance. We have the brainpower and the innovation; we have young people ready to tend the soil; and we have communities joining them in stewardship. Rivers like the Colorado can meet the needs of the many. Farmers can enhance the agriculture dependent on those waters as we collectively work to meet the new challenges knocking at our door. Our relationships and resilience are our abundance. In the West, we are all bound by water.

The Official Multitasking of 2014. With summer on its way, remember summer water restrictions for Santa Feans are in effect from May 1 to October 31. During the summer months, don’t water your yard from 10 am to 6 pm and only water three days a week. You pick the days. When you water when it’s hot, you lose water to evaporation, some gardeners say you will burn your plants, and you could be fined by the city. Santa Fe is entering it’s fourth year of drought and forecasters say it’s not going to get better. To find out more about city water rules and ways to conserve, visit savewatersantafe.com.

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It's All Connected

CONSERVATION, EDUCATION, AND FOOD IN OUR WATERSHED By Amy White RiverXchange Fifth Graders

Amy White Watershed Model

Gathering Samples Water Testing

Photos courtesy of RiverXchange. 42

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Most children I meet tell me that they have never actually been to the Rio Grande, they have only seen it from a car window. When I work with kids and adults, I usually ask, "What is a watershed?" The fact is, we all live in a watershed. It is simply the area of land that drains into any body of water. But it's more complex. The watershed feeds our river, and our river feeds us, both physically and spiritually. I teach about watersheds and rivers, and I write about local food because I want the next generation to feel a sense of pride and love for our particular place—the Rio Grande watershed. Seven years ago, I created RiverXchange, a year-long program in which fifth graders learn about a wide range of issues in their watershed, and communicate with online pen pals in another state or country. They are amazed by what they learn about rivers like the Mississippi or the Columbia, but perhaps more important is what they learn about their own place. Guest speakers from various local agencies teach students about their watershed: why it's important to prevent stormwater pollution; where their drinking water comes from; where their wastewater goes; and how water is used in agriculture. They take a field trip to learn about the Bosque ecosystem and to participate in restoration projects such as tree or shrub planting. Writing to their pen pals requires them to think deeply in order to explain to other kids what they know. Writing is teaching, and through any kind of teaching, we learn. Writing helps us think through things in new ways. When kids write about their watershed, they understand it better. Every time I write a grant proposal, I learn more about what I want to accomplish. Through writing about food, I continually learn about growing food in our climate, the nuances of local food systems and organic production, and what it takes to build a stronger local food economy. Writing, water conservation, and food flow together in my personal and professional life like streams to a river. Like a watershed, all of our experiences come together to make us who we are. My father's family were farmers, and my mother's relatives were fishermen. My mother went back to school to become a civil engineer, attending community college while I was in high school. Farmers and fishermen feed us, but the food system has become so industrialized that most Americans no longer know how to feed themselves. The knowledge of what vegetables grow in what seasons, how to fish, or how to identify wild edibles is lost to all but a few. Civil engineers design stormwater, drinking water, wastewater, and irrigation systems, not to mention buildings and transportation systems. We enjoy the convenience of these largely unseen systems, but many people no longer understand their limitations, or how they participate in them. In Albuquerque and Santa Fe, about half of our drinking water comes from the river. What's really interesting is that we don't actually have water rights to the Rio Grande. That water is already promised to the Pueblos and farmers throughout the Rio Grande Valley. In the 1960s, the federal government allowed several of New Mexico's major cities to purchase water from the San Juan Basin, a part of the Colorado

River watershed. In the 1970s they built tunnels underneath the Continental Divide to pipe that water into the Chama River, which brings it into the Rio Grande. Today, we take our share via the San Juan-Chama Drinking Water Project in Albuquerque and the Buckman Direct Diversion in Santa Fe. Stormwater from much of the eastern half of Albuquerque drains into the Rio Grande, about a mile upstream from the diversion dam that sends water to our drinking water treatment plant. Anything we put on the ground—fertilizer, pesticides, oil, antifreeze, dog waste, litter—eventually ends up in the river. This is called nonpoint-source pollution, because it comes from everywhere, not just one point. Many people don't think of the mountains and forests as connected to our river, but after a forest fire, water rushes down bare slopes, plowing new arroyos, filling the river with sediment and ash. Our drinking water treatment plant shuts down to avoid clogging, but our agriculture depends on this untreated river water. The watershed also feeds our aquifer, where water is held in the cracks and pores of the rocks beneath our feet, like a giant sponge. The aquifer acts as our savings account, while the river is like a checking account. When water sinks into the ground it can make its way into the aquifer, but this process happens very slowly over weeks, months, and years—our aquifer is running low. Now we use river water as much as possible, but when demand exceeds what the river can supply, we draw from the aquifer. Whenever we conserve water, those saved gallons are stored in the aquifer for later use. The river and the aquifer sustain our agriculture. In fact, about eighty percent of the Rio Grande's flow goes to agriculture. Without the acequia system, we would not be here. Our cities were built near rivers because without irrigation, we could not grow food. In recent years, more and more farmers use groundwater to irrigate, because it is more reliable and cleaner than the river water that flows through the acequias. But the river and the aquifer are connected, which can lead to lawsuits like the one Texas has brought against New Mexico claiming that groundwater pumping is draining the Rio Grande and reducing the amount of water we deliver to them. We all share these limited resources, and in the current drought it's not easy. We must conserve water to support our local food economy. Like all the raindrops that come together to fill our watershed's arroyos and make our river, small actions by individuals can have a big effect. When each of us makes choices that save a few gallons of water, it makes a big difference in the amount of water in our aquifer. As more of us make choices such as using fewer chemicals on our landscape, or picking up our dog's waste, it leads to a big change in the water quality of our river. As we learn more about our food system and choose more local and organic food, it adds up to a collective change in the way we think about food. I teach about our watershed and write about local food because knowing how food production and watersheds work together as a system helps us understand how our actions and decisions make an impact. WWW.EDIBLESANTAFE.COM

Adjusting to Aridity MIDDLE RIO GRANDE CONSERVANCY DISTRICT By Lisa Brown Looking east from my home to my field on Toad Road, I watched the sun’s first light begin to glow behind the Sandias. I had closed my check, the gate that allows water into my field, the night before, finally getting the go-ahead to irrigate after two dry weeks. It was the middle of July, and the monsoons hadn’t arrived. The ditch rider cut our irrigation schedule back to once every other week. I anticipated the dryness I’d find when I got to the field, and worried whether there would be enough ditch water to make the effort worthwhile. My field is directly west of the Sandoval Lateral, the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District (MRGCD or the District) ditch that diverts water from the Rio Grande River north of town and feeds most of the land in Corrales east of Corrales Road. Once I turn out the water from the ditch, mine is the first field it touches.

edible Santa Fe | EARLY SUMMER 2014

As I approached my check, I observed water spilling over the dam. I let out an audible, “Yes!” My potato plants were flowering, their thirstiest time, and they would now live long enough to develop sweet earthy tubers, small as they might be. I retrieved my weighty pipe wrench from behind the bush where I kept it stashed, and cranked open the head gate. Trading the wrench for my shovel, I watched, satisfied, as the water flooded onto my field and filled the cracks in the desiccated land. Midmorning sunlight glistened on the water like a mirage. I sunk my shovel into the ground, moved dirt as needed to direct the flow into each furrow. Will I be so lucky this year? With hotter, longer (but drier) growing seasons becoming the norm as the climate changes, farmers must adapt. The MRGCD can help, says board member Adrian Oglesby,

by changing its traditional “use it all until it’s gone” approach to irrigation, and using its infrastructure to harvest conserved water and extend water availability during the growing season. The MRGCD’s formation was authorized by the New Mexico Legislature in 1923 when it passed the Conservancy Act. Petitioners— a small group of Albuquerque business owners and property holders—asked the state, working in cooperation with the US government and federal reclamation law, to build dams and diversion channels to drain saturated lands in the valley and control periodic floods. They believed that the future economic viability of the Middle Rio Grande Valley depended on it. Prior to that, the land within the MRGCD’s boundaries (now extending from Cochiti Dam in the north to the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in the south) contained around seventy acequias working as communities, as those still existing in northern New Mexico operate today. The parciantes of these acequias, mostly farmers, opposed the MRGCD’s formation because as constituents they would be required to pay assessments to the District in exchange for its services. Ultimately their fears were realized, and by 1944, thirty-six percent of them had lost their land and their water rights when they couldn’t pay. The MRGCD’s position is that in accordance with the Conservancy Act, irrigators within the District with private senior water rights— those that existed prior to the MRGCD’s inception—are on par with those in the District irrigating “newly reclaimed lands,” or those that were made irrigable through the District’s construction. Still, a hierarchy of water rights comes into play during times of shortage. The Pueblos within the District have “prior and paramount” water rights according to federal law. They agreed to allow the construction of the District’s works on their lands provided the MRGCD would serve them. Because they were the first to settle in the valley, their lands have been irrigated longest. Therefore, the MRGCD delivers their water—currently legally recognized to irrigate 8,847 acres— first. Next in line are the previously mentioned irrigators with senior rights and those irrigating newly reclaimed lands (newly reclaimed Pueblo lands also fall here in the hierarchy). Finally, the MRGCD delivers water to irrigators who lease water from their “water bank.” These are the first to be cut off during a water shortage.

tier irrigators, meaning these growers will have a designated number of hours to water every second or third week instead of every week. Starting with the 2015 irrigation season, a new manager will oversee the MRGCD. Subhas Shah, the District’s chief engineer and manager for the past thirty-six years, will retire in December. Oglesby hopes fresh eyes and imagination will change the business-as-usual culture of the MRGCD and ultimately benefit all irrigators. The current attitude of “agricultural water conservation doesn’t work in New Mexico” provides the State and the District with, what Oglesby refers to as, “a shield against modernization and efficiency and kills imagination and innovation.” He believes the MRGCD can save water and put it where it’s needed. Oglesby cites last year’s extended season as an argument for making small efficiencies. Water saved in reservoirs allowed irrigation into the fall season, even during drought. And he has a few ideas the MRGCD might try when competing uses vie for water. “There is evidence that hot-season alfalfa isn’t as nutritious as spring and fall cuttings,” he says. “Maybe farmers who want to help address our endangered species problems might lease out their rights and reduce irrigating alfalfa just in July and August so that that water could remain in the river when it is most likely to dry.” And farmers, like me, have to adapt. If weather patterns continue as they have lately, with the monsoon season occurring in the fall instead of the summer, maybe some of that moisture could be captured in reservoirs for use the following spring and early summer when snowpack runoff might not provide sufficient water supply through August. Next year, maybe I’ll try short season, early varieties like a Dark Red Norland or Warba, and plant my potatoes a little earlier.

Users of the water bank are primarily those who have sold off their senior private water rights to municipalities or developers. The theory of a water bank is that water conserved from not irrigating lands that no longer have water rights is then available elsewhere on an as-needed or as-available basis. When water levels in the District’s reservoirs or in the river drop below a certain level, the MRGCD can cut off water bank users. Enforcement is key, however, and enforcement is tough. So what happens this year? According to the MRGCD’s hydrologist, David Gensler, who continually assesses water levels and conditions within the District, water bank users may not receive any water. The MRGCD will keep, as long as possible, a regular irrigation schedule for senior water right holders. They will assign long rotations to middle

Left: Irrigating potatoes at Toad Road. Photo by Lisa Brown. Above: Lisa Brown at Toad Road. Photo by Stacia Spragg-Braude.

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Learning from the Acequia AN INTERVIEW WITH JUAN ESTEVAN ARELLANO

By Sarah Wentzel-Fisher · Photo by Stephanie Cameron

The Rio Grande near Embudo.

Juan Estevan Arellano was born and raised in Embudo, New Mexico, where his family traces its roots to 1598. Several years ago, I worked with Arellano on a research project through the University of New Mexico documenting the built landscape of his hometown and, in particular, the acequias there. Arellano’s extensive knowledge, stories, and passion about his place, and the acequias that irrigate the small farms that sustain his community, quickly became the basis of our conversations. Arellano is a lifelong scholar who has followed an unconventional path. After returning to his Northern New Mexico home in 1971, he worked with Tomas Atencio to establish La Academia de la Nueva Raza, a grassroots effort to formalize and elevate the value of community knowledge with storytelling, documentation, and the sharing of information. Often, such knowledge was shared through resolana, the activity of men gathering at a warm, southeast-facing place to exchange community news, for La Academia. This became a metaphor for building community wisdom. 46

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When asked about his life, he tells me, “Though I had thought of going to graduate school, I decided to use my life as an experiment, and educate myself by talking with the picaros, mayordomos, and the downtrodden (los de abajo) since they had such interesting lives, and I don’t regret it because they taught me a lot more about real life.” For Arellano, his sense of community, place, and history—what he calls querencia—are all intimately connected with the centuries-old water system that feeds him and his neighbors, keeps the land healthy, and teaches people to work together. Community has always been at the heart of a vibrant acequia and ultimately it is a system rooted in sharing. The acequia system divides the common uplands where families historically grazed livestock, from private, irrigated land closer to the river known as a suerte in a land-grant landscape like that of Embudo. “Without water,” Arellano shares, “there is no life. Water is the most important resource in a community, and without an acequia, a land-grant community could not survive.”

Arellano says an acequia is important to a community because it provides not only water to grow food, but it also replenishes the aquifer, which is then pumped via wells for home use. It extends the riparian areas that provide necessary food and habitat for many species, and filters water for downstream communities. In addition, it requires a community to work together for it to work for everyone. For a community like Embudo to grow food, an acequia system needs well-maintained infrastructure to deliver the water from the first to the last parciante, or shareholder. Each parciante gets a share of water based on the amount of land he or she has to irrigate, and this sharing is managed by the mayordomo.

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For the system to work, everyone must chip in to ensure the ditches function in the most efficient way. If the acequia’s infrastructure does not function well, if the banks or gates leak, then water won’t make it through the entire system, and parciantes at the end of the system will be less inclined to contribute. In small communities like Embudo, acequia systems, while physically the same as they have been for generations, are under new cultural pressure. Historically, the water from the acequia grew food primarily to feed families, and to produce a little extra to share with neighbors. Families did not require large amounts of supplemental income to meet cultural and economic pressures like owning a car, or having health insurance. Today, parciantes use their water in a variety of ways: to grow food for their families, to grow food to sell for income, or simply to water a lawn. A modern, globalized economy puts pressure on communities like Embudo, forcing them to adapt to new paradigms, and to determine the best way to meet the diverse needs of water users.

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For Arellano, this shift requires the same tools needed to maintain the acequia, or to engage in resolana—participation, dialogue, hard work, and sharing the fruits of one's labor. When the acequia does not function properly, people won’t be able to grow food, and the community will suffer. For a small community like Embudo, an acequia means local food, and all the benefits that come from the practice of working together. UNM Press is publishing Juan Estevan Arellano’s new book, Enduring Acequias: The Wisdom of the Land, the Knowledge of the Water. The book opens with a global perspective of community-scale agricultural systems, and culminates in the hyper-local exploration of an almunyah, or an experimental field for climatizing crop varieties, on Arellano’s own acequia, La Junta de Los Rios. (Available in September at Bookworks in Albuquerque or Collected Works in Santa Fe. To pre-order, visit unmpress.com.) WWW.EDIBLESANTAFE.COM

A Love Affair with the River LOS RIOS RIVER RUNNERS By Sarah Wentzel-Fisher

Above: Native Cultures Feast and Float. Photo by Louie Hena. Right page: Cisco Guevara. Photo by Southern Exposure Photography.

Perhaps nothing better illustrates the precious nature of water in New Mexico than the dramatic change in vegetation from the banks of the Rio Grande in the Taos gorge to the plains of Taos mesa. At once severe and fragile, the river is, and has been for centuries, the artery that feeds and sustains the state. Perhaps few know this section of the river better than Cisco Guevara, owner of Los Rios River Runners and staunch advocate for the river’s health, freedom, and conservation. Guevara was born in Los Alamos in 1952 and grew up fishing, swimming, and floating the Rio Grande. In high school he and a few good friends relished the opportunity to ride sections of the river with class three rapids during the high waters of spring, often with near fatal results. Concerned local Boy Scout troop leaders called Guevara and his friends to the principal’s office one morning to encourage them to take up life jackets and to instruct them in proper boat handling. By the time he graduated, he was safely guiding church groups through the Taos Box as his weekend job. By 1978 Guevara owned Los Rios, which he still operates today, and which is one of the larger employers in Taos. Guevara spends at least some part of most days on the river and bears witness to all the plants, animals, and people who rely on its health. Through such intimate 48

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knowledge of the Rio Grande, Guevara has become a spokesperson for conservation. While the river feeds acequias that feed the community in a literal sense, Los Rios and other rafting and fishing tour companies keep food on the table by providing work for many local residents. Conservation is an intrinsic part of being a river runner, as Guevara tells it. It comes with the job, he says, and from years of a long love affair with wild places. The river is his livelihood, and if the river doesn’t run, both his business and, ultimately, his community suffer. In 1938 Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas signed the Rio Grande Compact, a legal document that still requires Colorado to deliver to New Mexico, and New Mexico to Texas, specific amounts of water based on runoff measured at four index stations near the river’s headwaters. This agreement was made at time when fewer than five hundred thousand people lived in New Mexico and the country struggled to recover from the darkest economic times in its history. Guevara says our world has changed since then. “We have more people with different expectations and economic pressures competing for a water supply that gets smaller and more unpredictable every year.” “The way water gets shared between Colorado and Northern New Mexico is not fair,” says Guevara. Large farms in the San Luis Valley

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take the lion’s share of the water from the river during prime river running months because the compact allows them to, so long as Colorado delivers required volumes throughout the year to New Mexico. The situation for Taos river runners is further complicated because Colorado irrigation districts also divert water farther north, and return it to the river and deliver it to New Mexico by way of the Chama River, which joins the Rio Grande south of Taos. According to the US Drought Monitor, New Mexico, like much of the rest of the Western US, has increasingly experienced moderate to extreme drought since the spring of 2011. The way authorities move water around the West quickly gets complicated and competitive. Consumptive uses, like agriculture, and non-consumptive uses like river rafting, rural communities, and urban centers, all vie for limited and increasingly erratic water supplies due to climate change.

“We must embrace change and a new paradigm when it comes to water.” For Los Rios, embracing change means adapting. During low water season, Guevara keeps his crew working with a fleet of funyaks (inflatable kayaks). He also offers a number of float trips on mellow sections of the river that involve the healing experience of moving water, picturesque views through canyons and meadows, and delicious meals at the end of the ride. In particular, his Native Cultures Feast and Float takes visitors along sections of the river through Pueblo villages. These trips culminate in a feast from ingredients primarily grown on-site and prepared in traditional fashion. 575-776-8854 or 800-544-1181, www.losriosriverrunners.com

Guevara knows and acknowledges that everyone—farms, communities, wildlife—suffer in times of drought. He also believes that large amounts of water to grow feed in the San Luis Valley for cows in southern New Mexico dairies that produce cheese to feed the nation, at the expense of poor rural communities like Taos, is not the most judicious or compromising use of Western water. But, he says, people working together can creatively come up with a better way to share so that limited water meets more needs. Such a creative solution begins by recognizing the myriad uses of the river and by embracing the opportunity to maximize their social and environmental benefits throughout the valley, Guevara maintains. WWW.EDIBLESANTAFE.COM

The Raised Path, Sunken Bed, Sponge Garden of Amos Arber By Joshua Johnson · Photos by Amos Arber

Water—when it's in the form of rain, comes down hard in the high desert. However, this is not a reliable quotidian, weekly, even monthly occurrence. Our gardens often reflect this, and, so often, these gardens come and pass like the summer monsoons—a flourishing deluge that quickly evaporates. A single veronica flower from a crack in a foundation shows a remnant of what once was, a reminder that gardens need attention and that we are necessary participants. I observe a lot of gardens, it’s one of my pastimes. The most successful are always those that receive regular love and maintenance, and account for the environments in which they exist. One of my favorites is the vegetable garden of my good friend and Albuquerque BioPark arborist, Amos Arber, who I met while studying landscape architecture at the University of New Mexico. With a history of working as a nurseryman at Plants of the Southwest, as an organic farmer, and as a landscape designer, to name a few—he’s spent a substantial chunk of his life giving critical thought to growing plants. Going against the fashion of raised beds in wooden boxes that lift tender plants into New Mexico’s sun and wind, Arber elevated his mulched garden paths and planted in the lowered spaces in between. This method has so many benefits, but to start, even in the heat of summer he typically waters just once a week. 50

edible Santa Fe | EARLY SUMMER 2014

A few years back, Arber began a garden on a barren dirt lot in Albuquerque’s Old Town neighborhood in late fall with a collection of organic material—specifically, wood chips, leaves, grass clippings, pine needles, and an assortment of other vegetative detritus. This became the garden’s paths, but it also accomplished so much more. Laid out in rectilinear arrangement roughly fourteen inches deep by three feet wide (dictated by doubling comfortable reach when kneeling), the vegetative material outlined the garden’s beds. Into these, Arber dug in a liberal amount of compost and soil amendments such as earthworm castings, rock phosphate, molasses meal, and partially decomposed vegetative material. This process fluffed up the beds and brought their depth to within three or four inches of the path surface. He then planted a cold-season leguminous cover crop to fix nitrogen and to further aerate the soil. Come spring, Arber turns in the cover and he plants veggie starts. Fortunately, the raised paths break seasonal strong winds, nestling the new plants in a protective microclimate. Sunlight also makes less direct contact with the freshly planted vegetables, and they can establish a root system while the topography of the paths acts as a buffer from the elements. Once proud from the path elevation, the plants are well rooted into their new soil and poised to synthesize direct sunlight.

As Arber’s garden shows marked growth above ground, below grade, a complex social network develops. Fungi, associated with the decomposing organic material from the paths, attaches to developing plant roots and acts as a sort of surrogate parent. Mycorrhizae or “fungus roots” couple with the plants’ own roots and enormously increase their uptake potential for both water and nutrients. In return for this water and nutrient transport, the fungus receives carbohydrate derived from the plants’ photosynthesis. The paths, which hold onto moisture and provide nutrition for plants, also guard the subgrade soil from becoming compacted, further facilitating root development. In fact, in a sunken garden started on a compacted site, the soil quickly becomes less dense as worms, roots, and microbial activity provide tilling of their own. Arber irrigates via a few different methods in concert. A general soaking of the beds comes from drip irrigation attached to a hose bib, while hand watering provides a supplement for individual plants that appear thirsty. Once or twice a month he also utilizes a hose-attached sprinkler on a tall spike, casting overhead water to the beds, making sure the paths also receive a liberal soaking. This general dousing assures that the paths stay moist and thereby readily decompose over time to become nourishment for growing plants. Upon setting foot in this garden for the first time, visitors remark that the paths feel spongy and the garden seems vibrant.

When I asked him where he got the idea for this type of garden, I learned that it was in part informed by traditional waffle garden design, part happy accident. While living near the University of New Mexico he noticed city workers felling nearby Siberian elm trees and chipping them on-site. As he went to school one day he inquired if he could have some of the wood chips. Upon returning home, a veritable mountain greeted him in his driveway. He either had to move the mountain or pay parking tickets. The chips became garden paths, the veggies leapt, and if you know Arber, chances are you have tasted the surplus fruits of his raised-path-sunken-bed labor of love.

COMPOST TEA Have you ever considered making your own compost tea? This fun and easy project will make your garden the envy of your neighbors. You will need a rain barrel, active compost, molasses, fish emulsion, humates, and a willingness to get messy. New benefits of compost tea are still being discovered. For instance, it has been shown to help plants speed up the remediation of toxic soil. Get the recipe and directions online at: ediblesantafe.com/composttea.

WWW.EDIBLESANTAFE.COM

edible notables LOCAL BUSINESSES & PARTNERS JOIN EFFORT TO PROTECT STATE’S WATER AND ENCOURAGE ECONOMIC GROWTH New Mexico businesses and partners have joined a groundbreaking project developed by The Nature Conservancy that will help ensure water security, create jobs, and support the state’s tourism and recreation industry. Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation, PNM Resources, Avalon Trust, Wells Fargo, and Dekker/Perich/Sabatini have all provided support to the Rio Grande Water Fund, which engages partners in protecting forested areas upstream to ensure clean and safe water downstream. Forested mountains serve as nature’s water storage and filtering facilities. Frequent, highseverity wildfires and subsequent post-fire flooding increasingly threaten the Rio Grande and its tributaries, which provide water to nearly half the state’s population. “We know thinning our forests makes them safer and healthier but we’ve been unable to reach the scope and scale to have a real impact,” says Terry Sullivan, The Nature Conservancy in New Mexico’s state director. “The Rio Grande Water Fund will generate sustainable funding for a ten to thirty year program of large-scale forest restoration to approximately seven hundred thousand acres. The effort includes thinning overgrown forests, restoring streams, and rehabilitating areas that flood after wildfires.”

575-758-8866 www.thegorgebarandgrill.com located in the historic Taos Plaza

EAT DRINK LAUGH

The project highlights the importance of investing in our natural capital for a brighter future. “Our success is linked to a strong economy, the social well-being of the communities we serve and a healthy environment,” says Amy Miller, manager of environmental stakeholder engagement for PNM Resources. “The Nature Conservancy develops collaborative and science-based solutions that ensure a high quality of life for New Mexicans and we are proud to support their conservation initiatives.” The Rio Grande Water Fund also supports economic growth. A sustainable supply of trees removed from the forest could be used for products such as flooring and mulch. A revitalized timber industry will create new jobs. Additionally, clean and scenic rivers, forests and mountains entice people to visit the Land of Enchantment, helping the tourism and recreation industries. www.nature.org/riogrande

(NOT NECESSARILY IN THAT ORDER) © Alan Eckert Photography

edible Santa Fe | EARLY SUMMER 2014

NEW MEXICO PIE COMPANY OPENS BRICK AND MORTAR SHOP IN ALBUQUERQUE New Mexico Pie Company has officially opened its bakery in Albuquerque. It offers freshly baked, handmade sweet and savory pies made with pure flavors and premium ingredients. The company's signature pies include Caramel Apple Green Chile and Cherry Rhubarb Streusel along with Green Chile Bacon Quiche, and Pie Tarts, a delicious all-natural version of a Pop Tart. You'll also find handpies, cookies, whoopie pies, breakfast pastries, espresso drinks, and a custom coffee blend roasted especially for New Mexico Pie Company by Fat Boy Coffee Roasters in Albuquerque. Owner/chef Andrea Schulte studied at Johnson & Wales University and has been a pastry chef for more than ten years at several locations, including at Disney World, the Scottsdale Princess Resort, the Ranchers Club, Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort, the Marriott Pyramid Hotel, and the St. James Tearoom. She has won numerous awards and competitions, including the New Mexico Chocolate Fantasy and the National Bacardi Classic, which she won for a plated dessert. It has always been her passion to open a bakery. She believes that, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Life is short. Eat pie.â&#x20AC;? New Mexico Pie Company offers shipping and catering sevices as well as signature wedding pies. 4003 Carlisle NE, Albuquerque, www.nmpiecompany.com

Family owned from farm to cup www.villamyriam.com

Emma Marie Photography

Single Origin Coffee - 311 Gold Ave SW - (505) 814-1599 WWW.EDIBLESANTAFE.COM

edible notables GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER The Santa Fe Community Foundation will host its popular annual event, “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner,” on July 19 in Santa Fe. Known as the “non gala gala” of the summer season, it consists of more than twenty simultaneous dinners in some of the finest homes in the city, catered by some of Santa Fe's best chefs. Guests learn the location of their dinner a week before the event; after dinner they will come together for a dessert party in the Fogelson Library at the Santa Fe University of Art and Design, to sample creations from Café Pasqual’s, Todos Santos, Clafoutis, C.G. Higgins Confections, Revolution Bakery, Zia Diner, Harry’s Roadhouse, and others. “One of the things guests love about this event is the element of surprise that comes from not knowing where, or with whom, they’ll dine,” said Jenny Kimball, the event’s co-chair. “Guess Who is a twist on the traditional fundraising model.” Proceeds from the event go to the Community Leadership Fund at memior

the Foundation to support grants to local nonprofits and to program educational events.

Tickets are $145. Make sure to act quickly. This popular event will sell out! 505-988-9715, www.guesswhoinsantafe.org

.com Albuquerque’s Daily Source for What to Do Looking for something to do? Look no further than ABQ365.com. From sporting events to dance performances, it’s your one stop shop for what’s going on in Albuquerque…every day.

@ABQ365 © Derek Mathews –Gathering of Nations, Albuquerque Isotopes Baseball Club, Megan Ryan, Pat Berrett

"Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" Home, July 2013.

edible Santa Fe | EARLY SUMMER 2014

Allspice-BAy simple syrup Spring goodness.

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Mon-FRi: 10 am -6 pm , sat: 10 am -5 pm , sun: 11 am -4 pm (505) 819-5659 . santaFe@savoRyspiceshop.coM FRESH GROUND •HAND CRAFTED

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edible Santa Fe | EARLY SUMMER 2014

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table hopping

edible Santa Fe | EARLY SUMMER 2014

Distilled Story and Photos by Sergio Salvador I like to boast about New Mexico craft beers, to emphasize the prestigious lists they appear on, and the international awards local brewers have won. Those that remain unimpressed might hear about our increasingly sophisticated winemaking scene, particularly the world-renowned sparkling wines and pinot being made in Albuquerque by Gruet. And don’t get me started on the superiority of our independent restaurant scene. Now, though, I have cause for new bragging rights: New Mexico spirits. In the wake of similar trends in the wine and beer industries, a swell of interest in small-batch, artisan distillers has taken hold of the liquor market, both nationally and internationally. Better ingredients and purity of process draw discerning consumers, and give a sense of connection to where spirits are made and to the people that make them. Not long ago our choices in beer or wine were limited to a few major brands. Now diners take time to determine the right microbrew or consult with waiters trained in the nuances of varietals for the proper wine to go with dinner—and it’s happening with spirits, and it’s happening here. In March 2011 the New Mexico Legislature passed unanimously Senate Bill 546. The legislation called for the creation of a craft distillery license similar to the craft brewer license. The new license is affordable and permits local distillers to offer tasting rooms and to sell their product directly to the public. This new frontier for legal distilling brought a number of wonderful small-scale spirits to the fore. Olha Dolin, Don Quixote

Add to this a couple of enterprising importers already based in New Mexico and one senses the presence and prowess that will place New Mexico on the craft spirits map. New Mexico’s first distillery, Don Quixote Winery and Distillery, started in 2001. Ron and Olha Dolin own the business and operate two tasting rooms, one in White Rock near Los Alamos and the other in the fabulous space just north of Pojoaque that was long home to the legendary Linecamp Nightclub. Don Quixote offers ten spirits on its menu, including a Pisco brandy. The Dolins are the only American distillers allowed to make the popular South American spirit. The fascinating backstory involves a grandfather clause having to do with histories beyond my word count here, but provides the perfect conversation piece during a tasting. Olha Dolin is a third-generation distiller, originally from Ukraine, and is the nation’s only female master distiller. She uses the slower malting process from her homeland to make the vodkas, gins, and bourbons at Don Quixote. The organic distilling process imparts a subtle flavor profile to the finished product. Ron, who balances his role at the distillery with a full-time job as a mechanical engineer at Los Alamos National Laboratory, designed and built the Don Quixote stills. Their best sellers are their sublime Blue Corn Bourbon and the Blue Corn Vodka. Gin lovers are encouraged to try the Spirit of Santa Fe Gin that features handpicked botanicals from Northern New Mexico. “We hand pick the juniper, chamisa, and piñon in New Mexico forests and use rose hips harvested along the Rio Grande,” says Olha. When not busy distilling, Olha creates eighteen different wines, a line of chocolates, and nine unique extracts, including a delicious Blue Corn Vanilla, all with Don Quixote spirits as their base. The Dolins are pursuing a wholesaler’s license to self-distribute their product, so soon you should be able to find these spirits at a store near you if you can’t make the drive north. Fifteen miles north of Don Quixote’s Pojoaque tasting room, in the village of Alcalde, is the home of another local craft spirit maker: KGB Spirits. The 2,800-square-foot distillery is located on a historic ranch along the Rio Grande that was once home to the Los Luceros Winery. Owner and distiller John Bernasconi started with a five-gallon still and a batch of experimental vodka in 2009, but soon installed two state-of-the-art stills imported from Germany. This boosted his production capacity to more than fifty thousand bottles per year, made distillation more efficient, and yielded a more consistent finished product. Bernasconi optimistically invested in the future. He sees micro-distilleries, by virtue of the small batch process, achieving more complex flavors and better products, and capturing the imaginations of new customers. WWW.EDIBLESANTAFE.COM

2011 Craft Distillery legislation passed, Langwell took it as a sign to leave a long career in metalworking to try his hand at doing what he loved full-time. Early returns suggest he made the right choice. Currently Left Turn has two products, both of which are available at the tasting room and at a number of local liquor stores. His flagship, Brothers Old Tom Gin, is based on a pre-Prohibition era profile originating in England. Only a handful of companies in the entire world make this style of gin, and it is considered by many gin lovers to be a sort of Holy Grail—in large part because of its rarity— characterized as sweeter, with more citrus, and lighter in juniper than other styles of gin. Left Turn also makes La Luz Vodka that Langwell describes as clean, smooth, and completely transparent. Both can be tasted from 3 – 9pm Tuesday through Saturday at the tasting room in the heart of what our state legislature officially recognized as a Brewing District (La Cumbre and Il Vicino Tap Room are within walking distance).

John Bernasconi, KGB Spirits

KGB Spirits is best known for its historical line of Taos Lightning whiskeys. The Simeon Turley, a six-year single barrel named after the original Taos Lightning distiller from the mid-1800s, won gold at the 2013 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. His whiskeys have been so successful, in fact, that Bernasconi anticipates a new category of western whiskey to be recognized by the industry in the near future. “The New Mexican altitude and temperature extremes that these whiskeys are aged in is just the opposite of Tennessee and, as you’d expect, the resulting flavor profile is unique and becoming increasingly sought after,” he says. Luke Murphy, inventory manager for the Anodyne, a great downtown Albuquerque bar, agrees, “We are seeing more interest in local spirits from our customers. Taos Lightning, for example, is ordered at almost the same clip as Maker’s or Jack Daniels.” Murphy goes on to compliment KGB’s Hacienda Gin, a bronze medalist in the 2012 San Francisco World Spirits Competition; “I recommend Hacienda Gin whenever possible and use it, along with Taos Lightning, as an example to educate our customers about the extremely high quality of local spirits.” KGB also offers an awardwinning absinthe, a vodka, and an orange liqueur. KGB does not have a tasting room, but their products are available at many bars and liquor stores throughout the state. Left Turn Distilling, the first-ever licensed distillery in Albuquerque, opened less than a year ago and has already received a silver medal for its Brothers Old Tom Gin. This accolade comes by way of the American Craft Distillers Association (ACDA) 2014 craft spirit judging held in March. Owner Brian Langwell experimented with distilling as a teenager growing up in the mountains east of Albuquerque. “Back then,” he shares, “it was more about making fuel, which is basically what it tasted like when I started.” As Langwell matured, so too did his process and the sophistication of his hobby. When the

Now we turn our attention from local distributors to local importers of artisanal spirits. In 2006, Larry Keeran started Santa Fe–based SilverCoin Tequila, importing twenty-four hundred bottles of the tequila to New Mexico. After winning a double gold in March at the 2014 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, he now expects to bring over sixty thousand bottles to sell throughout eight western states. While still considered small-batch production, the volume speaks to the interest that SilverCoin has piqued with tequila lovers in our region. SilverCoin is produced from the blue agave that thrives in the volcanic soil in the Los Altos (highlands) region in the state of Jalisco, Mexico. The largest and sweetest agaves in the world grow there, and are the origin of the finest tequilas. SilverCoin, a blanco tequila, is distilled twice to proof then aged for thirty days in oak barrels before bottling. This process provides an Brian Langwell, Left Turn Distilling

unmistakable agave flavor and a very smooth finish. The quality of the spirit is excellent—on par with the best premium tequilas on the market. I met Keeran at a recent tasting at Total Wine in Albuquerque and witnessed a number of patrons replacing the high-end bottle of tequila in their cart with SilverCoin after tasting the product. Plans are in place to offer eight-month-aged SilverCoin Reposado tequila as well as fourteen-month-aged SilverCoin Añejo. You can find SilverCoin tequilas at most restaurants and liquor stores. Only one New Mexico–based entity was distinguished as a James Beard Award Finalist this year: Del Maguey Single Village Mezcal, a craft spirit importer based in Taos. And so we arrive at the benchmark, not only for New Mexico spirits, but also for small-batch artisan distillers worldwide. Ron Cooper is an artist, and considers his line of sixteen single village mezcals an extension of his expression—an art project that became big enough to become a business. “Art transforms those that experience it, and our mezcals meet that criteria,” he says. To be certain, these are not the mezcals with moth larvae in the bottom that you may remember from college but wish you didn’t. You won’t need lime and salt to mask the complex, nuanced hints of roasted agave, the fruit aromatics, or the hints of honey and vanilla that you will find inhabiting these world-class spirits. Cooper is known as El Chapulin, the border-hopper, by the Oaxacan villagers that produce Del Maguey’s mezcals. He spends ten days a month in Oaxaca, the traditional center of mezcal production, visiting the palenques (artisanal distilleries) and the villages that produce Del Maguey mezcals. He speaks passionately about the purity of the process that goes into each bottle: from the emerald green bottles themselves to the smoky goodness inside to the handwoven baskets that hold the higher-end bottles. All Del Maguey Larry Keeran, SilverCoin Tequila

VISIT DON QUIXOTE WINERY AND DISTILLERY 18057 US 84/285, Pojoaque, 505-695-0817, www.dqdistillery.com LEFT TURN DISTILLING 2924 Girard NE, Albuquerque, 505-508-0508 LITTLE TOAD CREEK BREWERY & DISTILLERY Little Toad Creek is a nano-brewery and distillery located in the Gila National Forest right next to Sapillo Creek. They offer five craftbrewed beers on tap and their hand-built copper still produces small batches of craft spirits. Their locally procured bar menu offers Santa Fe Spirits and several other New Mexico brews, as well as other locally sourced items, including grass-fed beef from the Gila River Ranch Market. Little Toad Corner Pub 200 North Bullard, Silver City, 575-956-6144 Little Toad Creek Inn and Tavern 1122 Hwy 35, Lake Roberts, 575-536-9649 www.littletoadcreekbrewerydistillery.com SANTA FE SPIRITS Santa Fe Spirits was founded by Colin Keegan in 2010 with the goal of becoming the Southwest’s preeminent artisan distillery. With products ranging from silver whisky to barrel-aged apple brandy, Santa Fe Spirits is a relatively small distillery proud to produce exceptional spirits designed to capture and accentuate the essence of the Southwest. Distillery: 7505 Mallard, Santa Fe, 505-467-8892 Tasting Room: 308 Read, Santa Fe, 505-780-5906 www.santafespirits.com

TASTE DEL MAGUEY SINGLE VILLAGE MEZCAL www.mezcal.com KGB SPIRITS www.kgbspirits.com SILVERCOIN TEQUILA www.santafetequilas.com

READ AMERICAN SPIRIT: AN EXPLORATION OF THE CRAFT DISTILLING REVOLUTION Craft distilling has exploded in the US in recent years, and this indepth look at the intrepid characters at the forefront of the liquid revolution will have you rethinking what's in your liquor cabinet—and possibly your career choice. James Rodewald, a veteran journalist and New Mexico native who spent more than a decade at Gourmet magazine, most of that time as Drinks Editor, traveled the country talking to the men and women at the heart of this remarkable industry about the challenges they face, the rewards of their hard work, and the delicious spirits they make. Pre order a copy on Amazon. amzn.to/1nj2szh WWW.EDIBLESANTAFE.COM 61

ALBUQUERQUE

PREMIUM

The

New Mexico's only certified authentic, handcrafted, wood-fired Neapolitan pizza. Handmade mozzarella, dessert pizzas, local beers, Italian wines. Casual atmosphere and rooftop patio.

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

villa myriam

311 Gold SW, Albuquerque 505-814-1599, www.villamyriam.com Family owned from farm to cup, we are steeped in three generations of coffee excellence.

300 Broadway NE, Albuquerque 505-265-4933, www.hartfordsq.com

EAT LOCAL GUIDE LO

2929 Monte Vista NE, Albuquerque 505-554-1967, www.amoreabq.com

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Support these restaurants, and support local food communities.

600 Central SE, Albuquerque 505-248-9800, www.thegrovecafemarket.com

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

Our seasonal menu features local ingredients and changes weekly—enjoy the variety! Breakfast, lunch, and dinners-to-go. Sunday Brunch. Specialty coffee. Wonderful baked goods. Catering.

88 Louisiana SE, Albuquerque 505-268-0206, www.talinmarket.com

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

Talin T-Bar Traditional flavors Made quickly and with love Ramen. Monday: Dumplings!

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

Rooted in organic ingredients from our own farm and the Rio Grande Valley region. Join us at La Merienda, Wed-Sat 6-9pm, by reservation only.

1828 Central SW, Albuquerque, 505-842-5507 www.vinaigretteonline.com

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

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

Our salad-centric philosophy focuses on bold flavor combinations and savory proteins to compliment a huge variety of organic greens.

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

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

edible Santa Fe | EARLY SUMMER 2014

An artisan café serving breakfast, lunch, and brunch; fine coffee, tea, and wine. Featuring the highest quality seasonal ingredients available.

4803 Rio Grande NW, Albuquerque 505-344-9297, www.lospoblanos.com

mezcals are certified organic and embody the purity and small batch aesthetic that is (thankfully) garnering market share in the US after years of an industrialized bigger-is-better mentality about spirits. Cooper is also passionate about the craft spirit community here in New Mexico that he considers Del Maguey to be very much a part of. “Some of us are distillers, some importers, but we’re all family in one thing: we want to bring to market authentic, handmade beverages that go way beyond massive marketing smokescreens and industrialized approaches to production.” While writing this article, I called Michael Trujillo, director of mixology and spirits education at Southern Wine and Spirits. A man whose life revolves around tasting spirits and educating people about trends in the spirits industry, Trujillo spoke with great enthusiasm about the community of New Mexicans that have devoted themselves to sharing craft spirits with the world. “We are so proud of our local distillers and importers. It’s a very exciting time for craft spirits worldwide, and some very important momentum is happening right here. This is not a passing fad.” During our chat Trujillo made it very clear that the quality of our local products is top-shelf and the values embraced by craft distillers and small-batch importers among the best that Southern represents in their distribution chain. So the next time you are out to eat or looking for a good bottle for the home bar, ask about locally available spirits. Ron Cooper, Del Maguey

ALBUQUERQUE

3109 Central NE, Albuquerque 505-268-9250, www.yannisandlemoni.com

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

Yanni’s and Lemoni Lounge, located in Nob Hill for California wine country in the Northeast Heights. twenty years, serve the freshest seafood, steaks, chops, Savoy strives to serve as many local ingredients as pasta, gourmet pizza, and homemade desserts. possible. Wine tastings and happy hour.

116 Amherst SE, Albuquerque 505-919-8022, www. noshnobhill.com A delicatessen and bakery featuring authentic Jewish dishes with a modern twist made fresh and from scratch daily. Open for breakfast and lunch.

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.

4003 Carlisle NE, Albuquerque 505-884-3625, www.nmpiecompany.com New Mexico Pie Company creates handmade sweet and savory pies with an emphasis on simple, pure flavors and premium ingredients. Life is short. Eat pie.

3423 Central NE, Albuquerque 505-255-8226, www.zacatecastacos.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. WWW.EDIBLESANTAFE.COM

ALBUQUERQUE

SANTA FE

NEIGHBORHOOD TRATTORIA

CATERING

505-205-4337, www.mothertruckingourmet.com Offering a variety of catering options that always start with the freshest ingredients. Upscale, gourmet, and comfort foods for any occasion.

322 Garfield, Santa Fe 505-995-9595, www.andiamosantafe.com

1814 Second Street, Santa Fe 505-982-3030, www.secondstreetbrewery.com

We prepare the finest local and seasonal ingredients à la minute with the utmost care and respect. At the end of the day, we want our guests to feel better for having eaten here.

Second Street offers a welcoming, friendly environment where you can enjoy handcrafted beer and delicious food. Gluten-intolerant friends can enjoy gluten-removed handcrafted Kolsch and IPA.

1005 S St Francis, Santa Fe 505-780-5483, www.omiragrill.com

1607 Paseo De Peralta, Santa Fe 505-989-3278, www.secondstreetbrewery.com

A Brazilian steakhouse known for its culinary excellence and internationally inspired dishes. We use only locally raised, handcut New Mexico beef, lamb, and pork.

Located near the Railrunner train depot, Second Street Railyard offers comfortable atmosphere, good food and delicious micro brewed beer. Now brewing gluten-removed Kolsch and IPA.

SANTA FE

198 State Road 592, Santa Fe 877-262-4666, www.fourseasons.com/santafe Terra combines a sense of place, local farm-fresh ingredients, and New Mexican culinary traditions, with chef Andrew Cooper at the helm.

505 Cerrillos, Santa Fe 505-780-5073, www.talinmarket.com

428 Agua Fria, Santa Fe 505-982-1272, www.josephsofsantafe.com

Talin T-Bar Traditional flavors Made quickly and with love Ramen. Monday: Dumplings!

Joseph's is the latest incarnation of Chef Joseph Wrede's mission to bring together the finest ingredients, artistic vision, and delightful, surprising flavor to every dish.

nt to We wafrom hear ! you

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Reader’s Survey We want to know you better, hear your feedback, and find out what content you enjoy most.

Take the survey now. ediblesantafe.com/survey 815 Early, Santa Fe 505-989-1288, www.rasajuice.com

401 S Guadalupe, Santa Fe 505-988-1111, www.swissbakerysantafe.com

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

Enjoy our delectable croissants and Danishes prepared fresh daily or our bistro menu for lunch and dinner with a selection from our wine bar.

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Participants are entered to win gift certificates to some of our favorite local restaurants.

SANTA FE

604 N Guadalupe, Santa Fe 505-983-8977, www.5starburgers.com

709 Don Cubero Alley, Santa Fe, 505-820-9205 www.vinaigretteonline.com

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

Our salad-centric philosophy focuses on bold flavor combinations and savory proteins to compliment a huge variety of organic greens.

125 East Palace, Santa Fe 505-988-5232, www.lacasasena.com

4056 Cerrillos, Santa Fe 505-438-1800, www.bluecornbrewery.com

A local favorite for over thirty years! Chef Gharrity features New American West cuisine infused with fresh, local, and seasonal ingredients. We also feature an award-winning wine list.

A local favorite since 1997! Featuring awardwinning craft beers brewed on location. Northern New Mexican cuisine and contemporary comfort food highlighting local, sustainable ingredients.

L’OLIVIER 229 Galisteo, Santa Fe 505-989-1919, www.loliviersantafe.com Chef Xavier Grenet creates elegant and refreshing cuisine combining classic French culinary techniques with Southwestern flavors and ingredients.

www.erdagardens.org/csa 112 West San Francisco, Santa Fe 505-983-7445, santafeculinaryacademy.com The Guesthouse is a student workshop and showcase through the SFCA. The menu reflects the curriculum and changes regularly to embrace local, seasonal products. Reservations recommended.

ALBUQUERQUE’S

ALL-LOCAL

BIODYNAMIC

CSA

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

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

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.

9:00–12:00

VOLUNTEER EAT

PICK UP PLAY WWW.EDIBLESANTAFE.COM

SANTA FE

MOVEABLE FEAST A Farm-to-Fork Restaurant Month

901 W San Mateo, Santa Fe 505-820-3121, www.midtownbistrosf.com

A little slice of tuscany in Santa Fe. Enjoy italian comfort food, gelato, espresso, wine, and beer all day long on our beautiful sidewalk patio.

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k Restau or F

t Month an r

Midtown bistro, featuring Executive Chef Angel Estrada, offers Santa Fe gourmet fine dining with a Southwest flair.

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

ALBUQUERQUE–AUGUST 2014 SANTA FE & TAOS–OCTOBER 2014

arm-to AF -

CAFFÉ BAR TRATTORIA

ediblesantafe.com/feast 1494 Cerrillos, Santa Fe 505-983-1411, www.mudunoodles.com Seasonal Pan Asian cuisine featuring organic and natural meats, accommodating a wide range of dietary preferences; a beloved Santa Fe institution for seventeen years.

304 Johnson, Santa Fe 505-989-1166, www.terracottawinebistro.com A smart, casual restaurant located in a charming one-hundred-year-old adobe. Seasonally changing, globally inspired cuisine and an extensive, valued-priced wine list.

SANTA ANA PUEBLO

500 Sandoval, Santa Fe 505-466-1391, www.cafecafesantafe.com Innovative. Creative. Inspired. Gracious. Our cuisine is traditional Italian fare with hints of Southwestern influences.

The Moveable Feast is a regional celebration of premiere dining destinations, as well as the bounty of seasonal ingredients found in New Mexico. Restaurants celebrate local food by offering a prix fixe dinner menu or a lunch special that is at least 60% locally sourced for one day, one week, or the entire month.

20 Buffalo Thunder, Santa Fe 505-819-2056, www.buffalothunderresort.com Red Sage at Buffalo Thunder is perfect for your next romantic night out. Fare rotates seasonally. Enjoy the extensive wine list.

CHEFS & RESTUARANTS

LOS LUNAS

FARMERS

Contact the Rio Grande Farmers Coalition to Participate www.riograndefarmers.org

288 Prairie Star, Santa Ana Pueblo 505-867-3327, www.prairiestarrestaurant.com

5 Thomas, Los Lunas 505-866-1936, www.greenhousebistro.com

Dine in the comfort of a rambling adobe mansion: 50 wines by the glass, patio dining, sweeping views. Closed Mondays.

Good food always puts you in a good mood! Fresh, seasonal ingredients provide the basis for a meal that promotes healthy living.

edible Santa Fe | EARLY SUMMER 2014

DINERS & FOODIES

Plan Your Month Here www.ediblesantafe.com/feast

TAOS

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

123 Bent Street, Taos 575-758-1009, www.LambertsofTaos.com

124 F Bent Street, Taos 575-758-0606

Fresh beef, free of hormones or antibiotics. Best burger in New Mexico says USA TODAY. A wide selection of sandwiches, salads, a kidâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s menu, beer and wine. Happy hour 4 - 6 every day.

Lambertâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s strives to create a sanctuary for our guests, where they will enjoy delicious food, wine, and cocktails in a relaxed, yet refined, atmosphere.

THE BEST COFFEE IN TAOS! Fairtrade, organic espresso, chai frappes, smoothies, gelato, and pastries. Featuring the only ROCKBAR ever! Come on in and drop a rock in YOUR drink!

TAOS DINER I & II

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

125 Paseo Del Pueblo Norte, Taos 575-758-1977, www.taosinn.com

Our menu is straightforward yet eclectic, and Serving lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch. chock full of favorites made from scratch using as Patio dining, fresh local foods, award-wining wines, many fresh and local ingredients as possible. and margaritas. Try our signature chile rellenos.

908 Paseo del Pueblo Norte, 575-758-2374 216B Paseo del Pueblo Sur, 575-751-1989 www.taosdinner.com Home to New Mexican and American homemade, homegrown, and organic breakfast, lunch, and dinners. Gluten-free choices. Beer and wine.

WWW.EDIBLESANTAFE.COM

2014 Home Grown New Mexico Fundraiser

4th ANNUAL KITCHEN GARDEN & COOP TOUR July 27, 9am – 2pm

PREMIERE SPONSOR

edible

SANTA FE ® • ALBUQUERQUE • TAOS

Join Home Grown New Mexico for our 4th Annual Kitchen Garden & Coop Tour in Santa Fe. The tour is selfpaced and will feature five locations with gardens, home farms, backyard chickens, bees, permaculture, water catchment and more. Attendees will be able to discuss the features with the homeowners.

$25 per ticket, kids under 12 are free. For more information on this event and to purchase tickets go to: www. homegrownnewmexico.org SUPPORTING SPONSORS

Homegrownnewmexico.org

edible Santa Fe | EARLY SUMMER 2014

edible garden

Home Grown New Mexico’s Kitchen Garden & Coop Tour Home Grown New Mexico’s 4th Annual Kitchen Garden & Coop Tour in Santa Fe will be on Sunday, July 27 from 9am – 2pm. The tour highlights gardens that will inspire other gardeners, including two permaculture properties. Organizers reviewed many gardens to select five properties this year. They feature many different gardening ideas—beautiful vegetable beds, backyard chicken coops, beehives, composting, greywater systems, hoophouses, a neighborhood community farm, permaculture, edible landscapes, and rainwater systems.

Chicken Coops

DESTINATIONS • The home of Linda Archibald features chicken coops, fruit trees, large raised vegetable gardens, and perennial and annual flowerbeds. • The home of Jesus and Charlotte Rivera, the owners of Tune-Up Café, features raised vegetable gardens, fruit trees, herbs, and greywater systems. • The home of Reese Baker, the owner of RainCatcher, incorporates many permaculture designs. His mature gardens will amaze and inspire visitors with edible landscaping such as fruit trees, berries, edible bushes, and vegetables. He has chickens, a fishpond, and passive water harvesting systems including Zuni bowls, rainwater catchment, and greywater systems.

Raised Beds

• Gaia Gardens known from the Santa Fe Farmer’s Market, operates as a neighborhood community farm. This biodynamic farm features many vegetable gardens, chickens, beehives, composting systems, hoophouses, and even has ducks! • The property of Jeremiah Kidd, the owner of San Isidro Permaculture, is located in the foothills of the Sangre De Cristos. His garden showcases permaculture adapted to the arid high desert, featuring edible landscaping, erosion control, greywater and blackwater systems, rainwater catchment, and a hoophouse. His edible landscaping includes berries, grapes, fruit and nut trees, and many other exotic edible plants, including baby kiwis! Master Gardeners and the homeowners will be present to answer questions at each site. Location addresses will be posted at Home Grown New Mexico’s website the week before the tour. All proceeds go to support 2015 workshops and events organized by Home Grown New Mexico. Tickets are $25 and children under 12 are free. Home Grown New Mexico’s mission is to provide education and connections for home gardeners and urban farmers who want to learn sustainable gardening methods in Santa Fe. 505-983-9706, www.homegrownnewmexico.org

Rainwater System Photos courtesy of Home Grown New Mexico. WWW.EDIBLESANTAFE.COM

tan·gi·ble adjective 1. discernible by the touch; material or substantial. 2. real or actual, rather than imaginary.

Print is alive. Print resonates. Print is tangible. At edible Santa Fe, our business is telling stories. In every issue we introduce our 70,000 readers to the innovative people, places, businesses, and organizations that exemplify change and creativity in our local foods economy. Our advertisers are an essential part of that conversation.

Enjoy an in-depth look at the Museum’s extensive collection of Southwestern turquoise jewelry and artifacts, presenting all aspects of the stone, from geology, mining and history, to questions of value and authenticity. Now on exhibit in the Masterpieces Gallery.

Museum of Indian Arts & Culture Museum Hill in Santa Fe | (505) 476-1250 | indianartsandculture.org

edible Santa Fe | EARLY SUMMER 2014

We value top-notch journalism, outstanding photography and design, quality paper stock, and a publication that conveys warmth and credibility. We craft every issue to be a collector’s item. The time and attention to detail in every issue means it costs more, but it's worth it. Readers can see and touch your ad in an environment that communicates your commitment to quality and to community. It simply works. We plan to change the world here in New Mexico; to grow a strong local foods economy that creates jobs, keeps dollars here, and makes our communities more sustainable, healthy, and prosperous.

Grow your business in the pages of edible and be part of the revolution.

memoir

Ditch Cleaning By Peter Leonard · Painting by Lee Lee Leonard This year I got to clean the tree section of the Los Lovatos acequia in Taos. Two neighbors, Lee and Rob, as well as an energetic pair from Neem Karoli Baba Ashram, Dan and Philip, accompanied me as we attacked the leaves that had accumulated in the ditch over the winter. Raking the leaves isn't the problem; it's getting them out of the twofoot wide ditch. After 298 cleanings, the banks have grown up to five feet high, and the leaves have to be lifted and thrown over the top. It took the five of us almost four hours to clean a quarter mile. This is my sixth time cleaning; my neighbor Michael Medina has participated for forty-five years. He started as a teenager helping his father get water for their corn. It is in his blood, a necessary task done to ensure life-giving water for the land. For me, it's a celebration of spring filled with joyful anticipation of the first good soaking for my thirty-three fruit trees and quarter-acre garden. For the ashram or monestary, it means food for the summer from their two-acre garden. No acequia, no garden, no food. As I worked, I thought of the many people who have done this work over the last three hundred years. I thought of the men who dug the ditch back in 1715. They did it with picks and shovels—no backhoes then! No trees lined the banks when they started, probably just sagebrush which turned into lush pastures when they got water on the land. The trees came much later, along with more recent housing occupying the former pastures. I wondered if they ever imagined that people would be using their ditch three centuries later. I certainly can't picture the ditch being used three hundred years from now—I can't even picture humans surviving that long. We voted to have our mother ditch cleaning a week earlier this year to get a head start on irrigating, as spring comes earlier every year. This year is no exception; the snowpack is low again, and it's 72

edible Santa Fe | EARLY SUMMER 2014

melting already. Last year, the water ran out at the end of May, the earliest the old timers can ever remember. The two years before, it was mid-June. As Michael remembers, the water used to last through the summer, like it did my first year here six years ago. But even with the small runoff, we're lucky because our acequia originates on the Rio Pueblo, which drains one of the higher watersheds in the area. Pity those on the Rio Fernando or Rio Chiquito, they hardly got any water last year. Michael, who is also a parciante (shareholder) on the Rio Chiquito, has not received water for his agricultural land for more than three years, and now will have to pay a higher property tax because it is no longer deemed agricultural. The situation, a catch-22, is the same for many traditional farming families. The strengthening and expanding of the Gulf of Alaska high-pressure dome is the primary cause of the worsening winter/spring drought. It sends the jet stream further to the north into Alaska and further to the east as the stream descends into the Western US. The cause of the change in the jet stream is a warmer ocean, ultimately caused by our burning of fossil fuels. Unfortunately, the way we continue to burn those fuels, the winter/spring droughts won't get any better, and most likely will become a lot worse. No snow, no runoff, no irrigation, no recharge of the aquifer, our wells run dry. Then who will be able to live here? Of course there's always hope. Hope that the extra moisture in the monsoons (again caused by climate change) will make up for the lack of precipitation during the winter/spring drought; hope that with warming oceans there will be more frequent El Niño years, which historically bring snow to the mountains; and a remote hope that we will all come to our senses and stop burning so much fossil fuel. If not, in a hundred years acequias will be remembered only in a museum—that is if there's anyone around to remember.

itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s closer than you think.. Local ingredients, served locally. We seek out the freshest, seasonal organic produce, meats and fish. Then we serve it up with flair and attentive service right in your neighborhood. Join locals supporting locals. Deliciously.

OLD TOWN ALBUQUERQUE 505.766.5100 www.seasonsabq.com

HISTORIC NOB HILL 505.254.ZINC(9462) www.zincabq.com

ALBUQUERQUE HEIGHTS 505.294.WINE(9463) www.savoyabq.com

Cecilia's Organics in Polvadera, NM

ALBUQUERQUE, SANTA FE 505.850.2459 www.tasteabq.com

. .truly local.

ROMANCE DRAMA FUN

SEASON

20 14

. . . all at THE SANTA FE OPERA

Mark Nohl photo

JUNE 27 - AUGUST 23

CARMEN

Bizet

DON PASQUALE FIDELIO

Donizetti

Beethoven

Kate Russell photo

DOUBLE BILL

THE IMPRESARIO I Mozart LE ROSSIGNOL I Stravinsky AMERICAN PREMIERE

DR. SUN YAT-SEN

Huang Ruo

AN INCREDIBLE SETTING Arrive early with a tailgate supper to enjoy a spectacular sunset and mountain views. Tickets start at $32! New Mexico Residents: Ask about a special first-time offer when you call. SantaFeOpera.org

OPENING NIGHTS SPONSOR

855-674-5401 www.fourseasons.com/santafe

I 505-986-5900 I 800-280-4654

Ask our partners about a special offer for Opera guests.

800-955-4455 www.eldoradohotel.com

800-727-5531 www.innatloretto.com

855-278-5276 www.laposadadesantafe.com