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MEMBER OF EDIBLE COMMUNITIES
SANTA FE ®· ALBUQUERQUE · TAOS THE STORY OF LOCAL FOOD, SEASON BY SEASON IN NEW MEXICO
Make a Difference ISSUE 52 · FALL · OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2017
photo: doug merriam
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6910 Montgomery B oulevard NE, Albuquerque, NM 87 109
F A RM IN S P IRE D CUI SI N E
★ southabq.com
MAKE A DIFFERENCE: OCTOBER / NOVEMBER DEPARTMENTS 2
GRIST FOR THE MILL By Willy Carleton and Candolin Cook
68 SOURCE GUIDE / EAT LOCAL GUIDE 72 LAST BITE Champurrado con Piquete by Enrique Guerrero
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CONTRIBUTORS
FEATURES
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LOCAL HEROES
38 FORGED IN FIRE
Colin Shane, Heidi's Raspberry Farm, izanami, and Romero Farms
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LIQUID TOURISM A Conversation with Two Southern New Mexico Vintners by Sam L. Melada
FARMER’S DIARY A Farmer’s Guide to Dining Out by Seth Matlick
EDIBLE COMMUNITY Tiny Chefs, Big Potential by Emily Hill
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COOKING FRESH Scraps by Stephanie Cameron
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#EDIBLENM
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NOTABLES Cookbooks and cooking classes
ON THE COVER
edible
MEMBER OF EDIBLE COMMUNITIES
SANTA FE ®· ALBUQUERQUE · TAOS THE STORY OF LOCAL FOOD, SEASON BY SEASON IN NEW MEXICO
Beating Swords into Plowshares with Desert Forge Foundation by Darren A. Raspa
44 TED TALK Ted Turner Takes Care of Business (and Bats and Bison) on his New Mexico Ranches by Candolin Cook
52 TRES HERMANAS FARM Growing Refugee Futures by Zoey Fink
57 THERE'S A PLACE AT THE TABLE
Make a Difference ISSUE 52 · FALL · OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2017
Apples from Marilyn and Jerry Bettman's Los Ranchos orchard. Photo by Stephanie Cameron.
MoGro Grows Access to Healthy Food by Carolyn McSherry
62 A CHILE-LICIOUS EVENT! Green Chile Cheeseburger Smackdown by Stephanie Cameron
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GRIST FOR THE MILL
PUBLISHERS Bite Size Media, LLC
Earlier this fall, as the wild sunflowers bloomed in their full glory, a team of neighbors and friends in northern New Mexico scrambled to fix a portion of an acequia that had been destroyed in a recent monsoon. The clock was ticking as clouds built in the Jemez mountains to the west and farmers upstream itched to turn back on the ditch. A tractor steadily roared and chainsaws buzzed all morning while we cleared a path for a new channel. Around 2pm, when we were exhausted and wondering if we could finish, another neighbor arrived, unannounced, with a spread of homemade sandwiches with homegrown tomatoes in the back of her pickup. We paused and ate; by sundown, the water flowed down its new channel without a hitch. Food can bring us together and strengthen the bonds of community in simple but profound ways. Whether it is the small selfless act that almost always goes unrecorded, or the community-wide project that provides widespread inspiration, sometimes the deepest differences come through the simplest medium: a shared meal or a patch of garden space. In every issue of edible, we strive to highlight individuals and groups who are civic minded; environmentally conscious; and active in local, national, or global foodrelated causes. For this issue, we center on those whose work has made a big impact on various scales, from a billionaire who wants to “save everything” to a small non-profit that wants to make sure their neighbors have access to a good meal. We discover how global conflicts have led to the establishment of roots in New Mexico soil and healing through community support. At the end of each article you will find information about how you can get involved in the various organizations and causes we covered in the story. As Ralph Waldo Emerson eloquently said, “The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.” We encourage you to reach out to these organizations or to the many others doing important work in our community to see how you, too, can make a difference.
Stephanie and Walt Cameron
EDITORS Willy Carleton and Candolin Cook
COPY EDITORS Margaret Marti and Briana Olson
DESIGN AND LAYOUT Stephanie Cameron
PHOTO EDITOR Stephanie Cameron
EVENT COORDINATORS Natalie Donnelly and Gina Riccobono
DIGITAL CONTENT MANAGER Joshua Hinte
PUBLISHING ASSISTANT Rhiannon Fraizer
VIDEO PRODUCER Walt Cameron
SALES AND MARKETING Melinda Esquibel
CONTACT US Mailing Address: 3301-R Coors Boulevard NW #152 Albuquerque, NM 87120 info@ediblesantafe.com www.ediblesantafe.com Phone: 505-375-1329
SUBSCRIBE ∙ BUY AN AD ∙ LETTERS 505-375-1329 WWW.EDIBLENM.COM We welcome your letters. Write to us at the address above, or email us at INFO@EDIBLESANTAFE.COM Bite Size Media, LLC publishes
Willy Carleton and Candolin Cook, Editors
edible Santa Fe six times a year. We distribute throughout central and northern New Mexico and nationally by subscription. Subscriptions are $32 annually.
Stephanie and Walt Cameron, Publishers
Printed at Courier Graphics Corporation Phoenix, Arizona No part of this publication may be used without the written permission of the publisher. © 2017 All rights reserved.
Winner of James Beard Foundation Award 2011 Publication of the Year
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BREAKFAST IS SERVED Please join us for breakfast at our new restaurant, Campo, located in the historic dairy buildings at Los Poblanos. Experience a new fire-centric menu from award-winning Executive Chef Jonathan Perno, while dining amidst the beauty of the Rio Grande River Valley.
7:30 - 11:30 am daily | reservations suggested | lospoblanos.com
CONTRIBUTORS STEPHANIE CAMERON Stephanie Cameron was raised in Albuquerque and received a degree in fine arts at the University of New Mexico. After photographing, testing, and designing a cookbook in 2011, she and her husband Walt began pursuing Edible Communities and they found edible Santa Fe in their backyard. Today, Cameron is the art director, head photographer, marketing guru, publisher, and owner of edible Santa Fe. WILLY CARLETON Willy Carleton lives in Albuquerque and is an avid vegetable grower, forager, and editor of edible Santa Fe. He is writing a dissertation on the agricultural history of twentieth-century New Mexico in the history department at the University of New Mexico. CANDOLIN COOK Candolin Cook is a history doctoral student at the University of New Mexico, an associate editor for the New Mexico Historical Review, and editor of edible Santa Fe. On Saturdays, you can find her selling Vida Verde Farm produce at Albuquerque's Downtown Growers' Market. Follow her farm life on Instagram: @vidaverdefarmabq and @candolin. ZOEY FINK Zoey Fink is a native New Mexican with a passion for local food systems and the communities that support them. She works as the coordinator for the Refugee Agricultural Partnership Program and as the interim director of the Agrarian Trust. Fink spends her free time seeking out rocks to climb, cooking with her partner Carlos, and farming at Cecilia's Organic Harvest in Polvadera, NM. EMILY HILL Emily Hill is a wellness-travel journalist and outdoor educator. She just returned from leading summer hiking expeditions for adolescent girls across the Southwest, where she mainly ate dehydrated beans and trail mix. Originally from Atlanta, Hill now lives in Albuquerque, and has fallen in love with New Mexican culture and cuisine. She's also a regular contributor at Yoga Journal, the Wanderlust Journal, and Huffington Post Healthy Living. 4
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SETH MATLICK Seth Matlick grew up in Manhattan, far removed from the desert and farming. To his great delight, he found both in New Mexico in 2008, and he has been growing ever since at Vida Verde Farm. CAROLYN MCSHERRY Carolyn McSherry lives in Albuquerque with her partner Josh and their two dogs, Zuma and Zorra.
SAM L. MELADA Sam Melada is a local food and wine writer with a strong desire to make the history, language, and culture of wine more accessible and enjoyable to everyone. He is also a neuroscience nurse educator with UNM Hospitals and a graduate student in cognitive linguistics at UNM. DARREN A. RASPA Darren A. Raspa is an Albuquerque-based outdoor adventure writer, historian, and explorer equally at home in the university halls and chaparral hills of the North American West. He holds a doctorate in history and has consulted for Cold West Investigations and the National Geographic Channel. He has also contributed to past issues of edible. As the historian for the Air Force Research Laboratory, Raspa is proud to work with the men and women of America’s military on a daily basis, and strives to be half the man his dog is.
RECIPES • STORIES WATCH EDIBLE FILMS EXPLORE OUR GUIDES LOCAL EVENTS ORIGINAL CONTENT READ THE LATEST ISSUE
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join us! Wednesday, December 6th 4:30–6:30 pm
CHRISTMAS AT THE BOSQUE FORT SUMNER HISTORIC SITE/ BOSQUE REDONDO MEMORIAL Listen to history unfold with December Letters from the Reservation, including supper and refreshments.
Saturday, December 9th 5–9 pm
LIGHT AMONG THE RUINS JEMEZ HISTORIC SITE Hundreds of farolitos, music, dances, bonfires, and horse drawn wagon rides.
Saturday, December 9th
6–9 pm
LAS NOCHES DE LAS LUMINARIAS FORT SELDEN HISTORIC SITE Lighting of over 800 luminarias, holiday music, a cozy campfire, refreshments, and fun for the whole family.
Saturday, December 24th
LUMINARIAS IN LINCOLN LINCOLN HISTORIC SITE Luminarias, Santa arrives on a longhorn steer, and hot chocolate.
NMHistoricSites.org
LOCAL HEROES Edible recognizes this group of amazing individuals and organizations for their work to create healthy, sustainable food systems in New Mexico. We determine these awards through reader nominations and a reader poll. The local food movement is a grassroots effort that often involves late nights, backbreaking work, dirty fingernails, and being a generally good sport. In an effort to showcase these individuals, organizations, and businesses for their work to build a stronger local economy and a robust local food system, each issue this year spotlights several of the winners with interviews about the work they do.
Colin Shane, Arroyo Vino BEST CHEF, SANTA FE
Photo by Stephanie Cameron.
Colin Shane was born in Boston but grew up in Santa Fe. As a teen, he left high school to pursue a career playing music that took him to every corner of the United States as well as Europe and Mexico. After many years on the road, he found himself working as a dishwasher and quickly discovered a new passion in food. Over the last seven years, Shane has devoted everything to this craft, which has led to being head chef at Arroyo Vino Restaurant at the age of twenty-six. In 2017, he was a semi-finalist for the James Beard Foundation’s Rising 6
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Star Chef of The Year Award, as well as being named a Local Hero by edible Santa Fe. What do you love most about local food? I first found the importance of community while being involved in the independent music world. Relationships and connections with people are the basis of everything. Everyone had their own individual goals and mission, but you were part of a larger picture where everyone
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and finding them in the mountains, makes them extra special to me. I enjoy working with ingredients that are limited in nature because it forces us as cooks to celebrate the moment they are available and to be creative with ways to preserve them for later use. Many things, I think, are best left to be truly seasonal. Unfortunately, we are seeing food produced year round more and more often, and, in my opinion, it takes away a little of the magic. What’s your favorite way to spend a day off? In our profession, there is not much time to spend on taking care of yourself mentally and physically. The more I chase down my culinary dreams, the more I realize I need to make that space. I am still very, very, very bad at it, but little things like hiking and foraging with the kitchen crew gets me exercise, clears my mind, and helps create bonds outside of the hectic kitchen work pace. My days off are usually spent doing that or cooking a simple meal and curling up on the couch with my dogs and fiancée, Lauren Kendall [Arroyo Vino’s on-site farmer], for some much needed rest, relaxation, and time to connect outside of our work life. Do you have a serendipitous moment?
Ratatouille with zucchini, yellow squash, eggplant, and roasted red peppers. Photo by Stephanie Cameron.
worked together so that the community as a whole succeeded. As I've progressed into my career as a chef, it has become increasingly important to me to make those same types of connections and realities come to fruition in my own food world. I enjoy being able to promote and support local farmers and producers with what I do. I love when they bring in a product they are excited about that maybe I haven't used or considered using yet, and it’s equally gratifying to be able to show them what the final product is that we create in the kitchen. I like to allow the farmers to dictate the menu to a certain degree. There has been a big movement toward local food and sustainable agriculture, but there are still many people from my generation and younger who don't have a good grasp on how the food they eat is produced or where it comes from. I hope things like the farm at our restaurant help people tap back into some of that process by being able to see the field in different stages as they are dining, and maybe they will reflect on the connection between the plate and the work that went into creating it. Do you have a favorite menu item and why? My current favorite menu item is the grilled matsutake mushrooms on our tasting menu. They are one of the most sought-after ingredients in Japanese cuisine, and we are incredibly lucky to be able to have them pop up occasionally in the mountains around the restaurant. Their aroma is unmatched by any other mushroom and they are very versatile. The rarity and special conditions which they need to grow, 8
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We've had many "happy accidents," as I sometimes call them in our kitchen, especially thanks to the garden being so close and our being able to tap into so many different vegetables, flowers, and herbs at different stages in their growth. Sunflower kernels, the unripe sunflower seeds, so juicy and sweet and nutty, were definitely an amazing find last year while Lauren was making bouquets for the restaurant. We've been trying to approach everything with a similarly open mind. Some of the other things we've stumbled upon in the last few years have been asparagus fronds, nasturtium capers, green coriander seeds and flowers, radish seed pods, and all manner of flowering herbs and vegetables. This is only possible because we are able to harvest at the exact moment they are tender, juicy, and ripe. We always welcome the other edible plants that volunteer in the garden, such as purslane, nettles, and lambs quarters. What do you love most about your work and passion? I love collaborating with my fiancée Lauren the most when it comes to my work and my passion because it adds layers to our personal relationship that would otherwise not exist. I get to work with my best friend every day and for that I am very fortunate. I’m collaborating with someone else in a different, yet symbiotic field of work, who is equally as passionate and talented. This is something I am very thankful for. How did you get to where you are now? I first entered kitchen work when I was playing music and needed to work in between traveling. A friend of mine hired me as a dishwasher in a pretty wild Mexican restaurant in Gainesville, Florida. From there it was kind of the classic story of taking every chance to prove myself and move up the ladder. Eventually, I had a friend who was the sous chef at the only real fine-dining restaurant in town at the time, and she convinced me to come work with her. I immediately became enamored with the professional cooking attitude I was surrounded by—the level of care and attention to detail, handcrafting of everything, the creativity, the produce and products, and the way we worked with local farms. Our chef, Bert Gil, showed me a lot about how to carry oneself in the
kitchen and in life. That was a very transformational time for me. When it was time for me to come back home, closer to my family, I worked for chef Martin Rios for a year and I saw a lot of modern cuisine and technique in his kitchen, which inspired my move over to Arroyo Vino. My current work has really been influenced by some of my travels, particularly to the Bay Area and to Copenhagen. Both places, in their own way, really celebrate locality, sustainability, vegetable-focused cuisine, and thinking outside of the box when it comes to lifestyle and food. My connection with Lauren early on in my time at Arroyo Vino and the development of our own on-site garden/farm at the restaurant has also played a big part in our food. Mostly, it has taught me to try to let go of the controls now and again. You can’t command a vegetable to ripen or grow faster; they are on their own pace. I let them tell me when it’s time to be on the menu. Everything we do is always a work in progress. It’s been both incredibly gratifying and very hard work to get to where we are today with our cuisine, service, and overall Arroyo Vino experience. I could not have accomplished any of it without the amazing team members we have, both past and present. If you could have lunch with anyone, who would it be, where would you eat, and what would you ask them? If I had the chance, I would have lunch with Rene Redzepi at l'Arpège in France. I'd like to ask him how he finds the balance between pushing yourself and not burning out. He is one of my cooking inspirations for more than just the food he creates. His ideals and aesthetics go beyond the plates, and he teaches, grows, and expands his team’s abilities and opportunities while still seeing his own visions to fruition, all while somehow still maintaining a seemingly healthy home life. These are things I struggle with as a young chef and I’d like to know his secrets. What gets you fired up? Anyone who works with me would probably say I can be an intense person from time to time. I consider myself to be very passionate, although sometimes it gets the best of me. I get fired up in a good way all the time at work, when we nail a new idea, or something that's been aging or fermenting for a while comes out great. I also love the intensity of a busy night in the kitchen when everyone is on point and the guests are happy. I have a hard time when people prepare things improperly just because they are too proud or afraid to ask for help. I don't know everything and I don't expect my crew to either, but you have to be able to ask for help when you need it, regardless of experience level. I have little patience for excuses and corner cutting when it comes to food. Honest mistakes are fine as long as you own up to them and fix them to the best of your ability. As one of the wisest beings in the universe once said, "There is no try, only do."
ROMERO FARMS
Romero Farms would like to thank all the wonderful people who have made us successful—our customers, friends, family, and most of all our employees. Many thanks and blessings from Matt and Emily Romero!
Is there anything else you'd like to share with edible readers? Thank you for nominating me for the Local Hero award! I look forward to meeting you in the Arroyo Vino dining room or at the Rooted Leaf farm stand soon! www.arroyovino.com WWW.EDIBLENM.COM
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Heidi’s Raspberry Farm AN INTERVIEW WITH HEIDI ELEFTHERIOU, OWNER BEST FOOD ARTISAN
Heidi Eleftheriou at the farm. Photos by Stacey M. Adams.
Born in Lawrence, Kansas, Heidi Eleftheriou came to New Mexico at three years old. She grew up going on field trips with her dad’s graduate students from the Department of Biology at UNM, and learned trapping and taxidermy at a very young age. She got to know the Sonoran Desert of Mexico pretty well, too, through those trips. She lived in Amsterdam for a few years, during which time she also traveled to Afghanistan. Then she came back to Corrales, met her Greek husband Stavros, and together they started his jewelry business in the garage in 1975. Eleftheriou stopped working with him after her second child, Sofia, was born, and at the age of forty-eight, started Heidi’s Raspberry farm. She says she’s just hitting her stride. What do you love most about local food? I love to see and meet those who grow my food. As a farmer myself, I appreciate the hard work that goes into it. I think fresh food tastes 10
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better, is more nutritious, and supports our local economy. New Mexico needs that. How did you get to where you are now? What’s the backstory, and what was the moment that brought you to your current work? Hard work and dedication. I bought and rescued a beautiful chunk of Corrales bosque where I actually used to ride my horses as a kid. There weren’t many fences back then and we rode where we wanted. Developers were trying to buy it. I didn’t want to see thirteen houses where this beautiful open space with bosque was. What are some of your favorite places to eat and why? I love Barela’s Coffee Shop! (It’s more than just the food.) Lately, I love Frenchish—Jennifer [James] is doing a great job. I just had an excellent BLT for lunch at Pasqual’s in Santa Fe.
Tell us about your life outside of the farm and kitchen. I enjoy doing fantastic family art projects at the Old Church in Corrales and spending time with my kids and grandkids. I don’t have much spare time after the farm and cooking. Fill in the Blank: I love cooking my raspberry jam the most when it comes to my work and my passion because it involves working with my team (and they’re awesome) and I’ve always liked being in the kitchen. Since I grew up mostly outside, the farm takes care of that passion.
BODEGA PRIME
The question people always ask me is: Which is your favorite jam? But I wish they'd ask me: How are your grandkids? If I had the chance, I would have lunch with Isabel Allende at Taverna in Mykonos. I'd like to ask her to tell me a funny story about men (or me?). She’s a great storyteller. If I weren't doing what I’m doing now, I'd be on the beach in Mykonos. Most people are surprised to learn that in my twenties, I lived in the Corrales Bosque, trapped muskrats, and sold them to R. L. Cox fur traders downtown. What makes you laugh? Why? Making fun of today’s politics, because if I’m not laughing about it, I’d be crying. What gets you fired up? Why? Bad drivers and all the young people not engaged because they’re looking at screens. They are now known to be the loneliest generation. What’s your favorite way to spend a day off? With my grandkids, Zoe and Daphne. www.heidisraspberryfarm.com
breakfast & lunch | tuesday-friday | 8a-3p brunch | saturdays & sundays | 10a-3pm
reservations recommended | full service | monthly menu
local first. organic always. scratch to table.
bodega prime 1291 san felipe avenue santa fe, new mexico 87505 505.303.3535 | www.bodegaprime.com
LOCAL HEROES
Romero Farms
AN INTERVIEW WITH MATT ROMERO, OWNER / FARMER BEST FARM
Matt Romero at the Santa Fe Farmers' Market. Photos by Douglas Merriam.
After graduating Española Valley High School in 1976, Matt Romero left the valley and ended up cooking for his aunt’s restaurant in Colorado. He soon began cooking for a group of restaurants in Crested Butte, eventually becoming an executive chef at age twenty-five. Moving on, he relocated with another restaurant group to Larimer Square in Denver, where he opened three concept restaurants over ten years. Romero eventually returned to New Mexico and worked in several kitchens, including the Coyote Café, then dipped his toes into agriculture as a caretaker on his wife's family orchard/vineyard. He had accepted an executive chef position at a newly opened casino restaurant, but, Romero says, “After six months of frustration, I called my wife and told her I was quitting my job to become a farmer. The first year, I leased a small orchard and grew a garden. The second year, my uncle leased me his land, loaned me use of his tractor, and gave me some of his prized chile seeds, Alcalde Improved. Over the next few years, I investigated drip irrigation and took the plunge into becoming certified organic.” Romero added more vegetable varieties 12
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and attended more farmers markets, reaching out to restaurants and developing a farmer-chef relationship with many well-known Santa Fe restaurants. Romero Farms is now one of the largest vendors at the Santa Fe and Los Alamos markets. What do you love most about local food? Local food is so alive; it can be bought and consumed before food shipped in can ever leave its source. Maintaining health and vigor is one of the strongest messages local food can deliver. What are some of your favorite places to eat and why? Il Piatto and La Boca. They truly believe in local sourcing and are creating innovative concepts and cutting-edge flavors. What’s your favorite way to spend a day off? On any hunt or vacation with my daughter and wife, or being on any lake at sunrise.
Do you have a serendipitous moment? One day while driving home from the market I was overwhelmed with a deep sense of freedom, inspiration, and emotion, all springing forth from a true feeling that this choice to farm was the absolutely correct one, one that afforded me true freedom. Tell us about your life outside of the farm. I also am involved in our local acequia association (as president of Acequia del Llano in Dixon) and have spoken at the New Mexico Chile Conference and the New Mexico Organic Conference. What do you love most about your work?
When asked, do you use Botox? David Beckham replied, “I don’t agree with Botox but I’ll take it as a compliment.”
I love the outdoors the most when it comes to my work and my passion because it's the most beautiful place to work. How did you get to where you are now? What’s the backstory, and what was the moment that brought you to your current work? I ended up in New Mexico after an attempt to lease a familyowned restaurant in Colorado fell through. I found myself without a home or a job—I had resigned to fully pursue the lease. My mother invited me to come stay in Española with her, to visit family and take a little time off. I met my wife that summer and two years later we were married. We became caretakers of her recently deceased grandmother's estate; ten acres of orchard, vineyard, and farm nestled up to the Rio Grande in Velarde. Soon I realized I could no longer pursue chef work as a way to make a living. I started farming with very little knowledge or infrastructure. That was seventeen years ago.
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Fill in the blank: The question people always ask me is: Why do you farm? But I wish they'd ask me: Why doesn't everyone farm? If I had the chance, I would have lunch with John Travolta at Il Piatto. I'd like to ask him: Did you see me on the set of Wild Hogs when I delivered my chile roaster to the set? If I weren't doing what I’m doing now, I'd be a fishing guide. Most people are surprised to learn that I never attended college. What makes you laugh? The fact that my dog won't get into the bed when I'm in it, but the second I leave, she jumps in bed with my wife. What gets you fired up? Saturday farmers market. It's showtime! Is there anything else you'd like to share with edible readers? Yes. Organic farming is the perfect career. Both the farmer and consumer benefit each other directly. Both parties are mutually fulfilled. Romero Farms is humbled by all the support we have received from the edible communities. www.mattromerofarms.com
stay with us shop with us store gifts/accessories/baby 4022c rio grande blvd nw sarabandehome.com 505-344-1253
a bed and breakfast with a modern twist 5637 rio grande blvd nw sarabandebnb.com 505-348-5593 WWW.EDIBLENM.COM
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Izanami
AN INTERVIEW WITH JOSE “KIKO” RODRIGUEZ, IZANAMI EXECUTIVE CHEF BEST RESTAURANT, SANTA FE
Left to right: Kiko Rodriguez; Japanese-style meats and vegetables cooked over binchotan (Japanese charcoal). Photos by Douglas Merriam.
Izanami is an izakaya serving upscale Japanese bar food. The res-
Do you have a favorite menu item and why?
taurant specializes in small plates meant for sharing; creatively
No. Every item I create is unique and special in its own right.
prepared, locally sourced meat and produce with an emphasis on seasonality; and unique libations. Don't expect the usual. There is
What are some of your favorite places to eat and why?
no sushi (Santa Fe is a thousand miles from the ocean), no soggy given sake a bad rap. Instead, izanami boasts the best selection of
I really respect a lot of the chefs here in Santa Fe, so I can’t say I have a favorite spot. But because I have kids, when I go out, the place needs to be family friendly.
chilled artisanal sake to be found between the coasts; green teas
What’s your favorite way to spend a day off?
tempura, and definitely none of the sickly sweet hot sake that has
from Shizuoka; locally roasted coffee drinks; ten different Japanese craft beers; and house-made spritzers. What do you love most about local food? The diversity within the culture of food here in New Mexico is very inspiring, but what I like most about local food is supporting the farmers. 14
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I love to cook for friends and family—grilling in the backyard in the summer most especially. I love taking my family to explore the state and those surrounding New Mexico. What’s the backstory, and what was the moment that brought you to your current work?
I started out as a dishwasher at the Inn of the Anasazi and worked and trained for the last twelve years to get to where I am today. I have much gratitude for the chefs that inspired and believed in me. If you could have lunch with anyone, who would it be, where would you eat, and what would you ask them? I would have lunch with Martin Rios [of Restaurant Martin] at izanami. I'd like to ask him “What do you think about my food?” because he was the first chef that gave me the opportunity to cook. What would you be doing if you weren’t a chef? I'd be a politician in my hometown (Veracruz, Mexico). What are most people surprised to learn about you? That I am only thirty. What makes you laugh? I find joy and fun in what I do, and those around me. What gets you fired up? When people mix up ingredients and turn something that would have been extraordinary into a tasteless mess. Is there anything else you'd like to share with edible readers? I invite them to come up for one of our special dinners or to try the omakase-style chef ’s tasting menu, offered nightly. So many changes have taken place just in the last year that those who have tried izanami under our previous chefs will enjoy the experience as if they had never been before. www.tenthousandwaves.com/food
Featuring organic plant-based foods and juices that reflect current perspectives from the conscious eating and live food movements. Entirely vegan and gluten-free fare.
815 Early Street
505 989 1288
www.rasajuice.com WWW.EDIBLENM.COM
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Liquid Tourism A CONVERSATION WITH TWO SOUTHERN NEW MEXICO VINTNERS By Sam L. Melada
Left to right: Emmanuel Lescombes, Florent Lescombes, and Hervé Lescombes of Southwest Wines. Photo courtesy of St. Clair.
While traveling to many vineyards can provide a localized experience of wine, and certainly adds to our tasting pleasure, something is uniquely meaningful about sitting down with just one or two winemakers. After all, wine is made by people with a vision and an experience unlike any other in agriculture. Our wine trail this month begins and ends in Deming, with an opportunity to hear from two of the most important, insightful, and influential people in New Mexico winemaking: Florent Lescombes and Paolo D’Andrea. Lescombes is a sixth-generation winemaker and proprietor of Southwest Wines, the company behind great New Mexico labels such as St. Clair and DH Lescombes. I caught up with him on a busy afternoon just before the impending harvest to find out what sets the Southwest, and New Mexico, apart as a wine region in the US. “Our soil is very different here,” he explained. “It’s very alkaline, and while that is a challenge because we normally want acidity in our wines, once we find the right farming conditions, like sandy soil with very little clay, the grapes produce flavors you don’t find anywhere else.” 16
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In addition, he explained, New Mexico has fewer diseases and lower pest pressure than elsewhere in the Southwest, and has hot, dry days, paired with cool nights. These unique conditions shape the flavor of the wine in our glass. “The chardonnay we grow has more vanilla right out of the ground,” he continued, “without the addition of oak aging.” (Traditionally, it is the oak that creates the buttery vanilla flavors that so many wine drinkers prize in chardonnay.) Florent's father, Hervé, has established over fifty varietals since he began growing in 1984. When I asked Florent what has changed and what we can expect in the future, he responded, “I have seen a lot of improvement in the last ten to twenty years. Learning so much about what to plant and how to grow, I have seen the overall quality of New Mexico wine go way up. But you don’t just have to make good wine, you have to market it and let people know you are making it.” He suggests one way to put New Mexico on the winemaking map could be for winemakers “to unite and start with one grape and bring it to the national market.” One such grape might be Malbec, which Lescombes will start working with next year.
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LIQUID TOURISM
Luna Rosa Winery vineyards, photos by Chelsea Canon. Paolo D’Andrea, photo courtesy of Luna Rosa Winery.
D’Andrea, fourth-generation winemaker and co-owner (with his wife, Sylvia) of Luna Rossa Winery, gave me another perspective on winemaking and viticulture in Deming. In addition to the winery, D’Andrea manages New Mexico Vineyards, Inc., which grows fiftysix varietals on three hundred acres. These vineyards supply grapes to a large number of wineries in New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona. D’Andrea is a native of Friuli in northeastern Italy, which influences his grape-growing choices. Thirty years ago he only had five or six varietals, but now he has expanded his repertoire, cultivating some of his Italian favorites like Montepulciano, Sangiovese (one of the main grapes in Chianti), and Nebbiolo (the grape in Barolo). “Riesling does better further up north where it’s cooler, but red grapes thrive down here.” Although his wines have won dozens of awards from San Francisco to Finger Lakes, there is still opportunity for local and national consumers to learn about the high-quality wines being made in the Southwest. I asked what might bring about a bright future for our industry. “It’s all about education,” says D’Andrea. “Wine festivals afford the opportunity to taste a variety of wines, not just drink. New Mexico used to make mostly sweet wines and that is what many peo18
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ple wanted and still want. And that’s OK, and that’s what keeps us in business because they are popular,” he continued. “But over time, people’s tastes can shift from sweet to semi-sweet to dry, and there is a lot more to explore.” I encourage readers to take time to taste the wines made by these two vintners. You can stay within your comfort zone if you like sweet or dry, light or full bodied, but the goal is to explore. Try Luna Rossa's award-winning single vineyard Aglianico or Nebbiolo, or "Nimi," a blend of D'Andrea's favorite Italian red varietals. You may enjoy Lescombes' Pinot Grigio or Chardonnay as a great example of how our climate is reflected in a refreshing glass of white. Feeling adventurous? Take a trip to Deming and travel to Silver City for an overnight getaway. D’Andrea recommends the wines from a little-known gem called La Esperanza in Sherman, forty-five minutes north of Deming on highway NM 61. St. Clair has a tasting room in Albuquerque and Luna Rossa has tasting rooms in Las Cruces and Deming. Regardless of the location, whether traveling or staying in, there is always opportunity to explore New Mexico wine. Happy wine trails. www.lunarossawinery.com www.southwestwines.com
FARMER'S DIARY
A Farmer’s Guide to Dining Out WHAT IS LOCAL PRODUCE AND HOW CAN WE GET IT ON THE MENU? By Seth Matlick · Photos by Stephanie Cameron
A seasonal late-autumn dish at The Grove Cafe & Market in Albuquerque.
“What do you have that’s local right now?” I recently asked my server at an Albuquerque restaurant whose menu prominently proclaims, “We support local farms!” The server seemed confused by the question, then excused herself to go check with the chef. “So, all of our chile is from Hatch,” she reported upon return. Consider me unimpressed. If you’re a restaurant in New Mexico and your chile isn’t produced here, you should probably be run out of the state. I experience exchanges like this regularly at restaurants who boast local, only to discover they offer one item produced on a large-scale, conventional, monocropping operation many hours away. And often, not even that. As the owner of a small produce farm in Albuquerque’s North Valley, I find greenwashing and disingenuous advertising of local sourcing profoundly irksome. It would never be acceptable for a 20
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restaurant to advertise a local beer selection and then only carry Coors, so why do we accept this when it comes to other local ingredients? Today, more consumers are educated about the importance of local food systems and want to dine in establishments that support local farmers, ranchers, and purveyors. There are good reasons for this. Produce is fresher and healthier when picked at its peak ripeness; shorter travel distances mean a reduced carbon footprint; and products are safer and less prone to contamination with a smaller number of steps between the farm and table. Buying local can also help maintain open spaces and farmland in your community. When farmers are able to make a living, they are less likely to sell their land off to developers, keeping spaces green and potentially boosting the economy through agritourism and other events held at farms. The economic benefit of
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FARMER'S DIARY by voting with their wallets, and the more customers order those dishes, the more chefs will understand their customers’ priorities. This also means that chefs will have to restock those dishes’ components sooner, directly providing your local farms with more business. For instance, think about ordering a hardy winter green salad in February, and hold off on the caprese until July—it will taste much better then! Note: small local farms are increasingly using greenhouses and hoophouses to extend their seasons and change the traditional time of the year certain crops are available. Ask your server or talk to your farmers to better understand seasonal dining.
keeping our money in our community can not be understated. By eliminating middlemen, you are keeping almost all of your money in the community, which will, in turn, be spent at other local businesses. According to the American Independent Business Alliance, “On average, forty-eight percent of each purchase at local independent businesses [is] recirculated locally, compared to less than fourteen percent of purchases at chains.” The definition of “locally grown” is open to interpretation. For some businesses, this means grown within city limits; for others, within one hundred miles or even five hundred miles. For me, “local produce” on a menu means grown within a couple hours’ drive. Beyond the geographic implication, the phrase also often implies messages about growing practices, the scale of operations, and the variety of crops produced. While local isn’t necessarily synonymous with sustainable, in my experience, restaurants committed to local produce purchase from small, diversified farms that use organic growing practices. I think it’s important for each of us as consumers to define local for ourselves so that we better understand what our expectations are when we see local food advertised. To be clear, buying local is not fiscally or logistically feasible for every restaurant—especially ones with lower price points or who produce food on an exceptionally large scale. And that’s OK! Due to the scale on which many small farms operate and the added challenges of growing food chemical-free, local ingredients can cost more for chefs than buying from national food distributors. Coordinating with multiple growers throughout the week, instead of placing one large order with a commercial distributor, can also be added work for busy chefs. The kitchen staff may need extra training in how to prepare and use these products, as they might not come pre-washed or in uniform sizes like they do from large scale conventional farms. As a farmer, I empathize with long days and hard work and deeply appreciate kitchens willing to take on any added tasks. Despite these challenges, many chefs still choose to work with small scale local growers for the reasons mentioned above, and I believe we as consumers should reward them with our patronage. But how do we know if restaurants are truly serving the local food their menus claim or just paying lip service to an ever-growing trend? How can we be sure our food choices support our neighbors? •
Ask your local farmers who their customers are. Farmers markets are a perfect venue for this. I love when customers ask where else they can find my produce. I will gladly recommend places to eat and tell them what’s in season. For Albuquerqueans, you can find a list of local farmers and their contact information in the “Find Vendors” link on the Downtown Growers’ Market’s website, www.downtowngrowers.org. Or visit the NM Farmers’ Markets Association’s website to find growers near you, www.farmersmarketsnm.org.
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Order what’s seasonal. The variety and availability of local products changes with the seasons. While few restaurants’ menus are 100% local, many will feature local ingredients in the special or in seasonal dishes. Customers express their values
•
Inquire within. Some restaurants proudly display the names of the farms they buy from on their menus or websites, but many others don’t advertise their purveyors. Create a dialogue with restaurant staff by asking servers who the restaurant is working with. It may not be a question they’ve received before, but having to query the chef or owners will ultimately help educate the staff about the food they are serving.
•
Give feedback. Let chefs and restaurant owners know you appreciate them sourcing locally, and politely let others know you’d like to see more local food featured on the menu— especially if this is something they’ve advertised.
MAKE A DIFFERENCE: When we dine we want to be both physically and emotionally satisfied, but we shouldn’t pat ourselves on the back until we have tried a little harder to make sure our money is going where we think it is. Supporting the food community supports the entire community. With a little consumer activism, you can make a big difference for small local businesses.
A seasonal late-summer dish at Il Piatto in Santa Fe.
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EDIBLE COMMUNITY
Tiny Chefs, Big Potential HOW COOKING WITH KIDS SANTA FE IS SHAPING NATIONAL FOOD POLICY By Emily Hill · Photos by Gabriella Marks
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If you think an elementary schooler can’t julienne a vegetable, you couldn’t be more wrong. Cooking with Kids Santa Fe has been empowering children in the kitchen since 1995. As an obesity epidemic continues and food deserts persist in our state, Cooking with Kids is creating a quiet revolution of elementary school chefs poised to save our food system. “It can’t be overstated; this work is so important. Our youth will be the catalyst,” says Executive Director Anna Farrier. “If we can change the broken food system at a grassroots level, everything else will follow—the healthcare system, obesity, environmental consequences, food processing—everything.” It all begins with teaching kids that healthy food can taste good, and that cooking meals can be simple. Cooking with Kids runs hands-on workshops across fourteen different Santa Fe public schools, teaching knife skills, basic kitchen techniques, and kidfriendly recipes like black bean tostadas and falafel. “This work is fun and delicious—it’s not hard,” Farrier says. “We’re not creating a new way of doing things, we’re returning to old, traditional ways.” Only a few decades ago, knowing how to grow vegetables or bake bread was common knowledge. Recently, however, children have become increasingly disconnected from the source of their food. A study in urban California in 2011 found that only twenty-two percent of
kids knew that pickles start out as cucumbers, and an Innovation Center for US Dairy survey found that forty-eight percent of people don’t know how chocolate milk is made. “Throughout most of history, we’ve always grown and prepared our own food. Sociologically, this disconnectedness is a new phenomenon,” Farrier says. To reconnect the younger generations to their food sources, Cooking with Kids puts fresh, locally sourced ingredients in school kids’ hands, often bringing local farmers and chefs like Mary Dixon of Green Tractor Farm, Rocky Durham of Sunrise Springs Spa Resort, or Johnny Vee of Las Cosas Cooking Shop into the classroom. “My favorite questions are, ‘Are you a real chef?’ and ‘Do you have a TV show?’” laughs Vee. “A lot of these kids watch The Food Network, and they are much more capable in the kitchen than you’d think.” Before cooking begins, kids are shown how to hold a knife, avoid hot pans, and respect the tools. “And believe it or not, we don’t have accidents,” Farrier says. “It’s a magical thing to see a kid start out saying, ‘I hate tomatoes.’ Then, after learning how to chop a tomato, make it into a sauce, and watch their classmates eat it, they say, ‘OK, maybe I’ll try it . . .’ And it turns out they don’t hate tomatoes after all.” These small palate changes have big implications. “Food security is a big issue in this state. A huge portion of children do not know where their next meal is coming from. Helping kids connect with food in a healthy, fun way gives them the opportunity to be involved at home and make better choices,” says Vee.
Opposite page, top: Kids cooking in the classroom. Bottom, left to right: Chef Rocky Durham and Chef Johnny Vee work with the tiny chefs.
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Chef Renee Fox imparts her peeling technique to a young chef.
Classes introduce kids to freshly harvested produce like tomatoes on the vine, squash blossoms, or the branches of an apricot tree. A second grader from Amy Biehl Elementary exclaims, “I didn’t know potatoes came in so many colors!” An Aspen Elementary third grader says, “I didn’t think the lettuce was going to be good . . . and then it was.” “These revelations are so powerful,” says Farrier, especially because they’re essential in “food acceptance theory.” The theory, as developed by Dr. Antonia Demas in groundbreaking nutritional education research of the 1990s, shows that children need to be offered a new food a number of times before they develop the palate for it. Exposure and involvement are two essential pieces in food acceptance. “When children have a hand in preparing healthy foods, they are more likely to try the dish, and choose those foods again in the future,” Farrier explains. While teaching the hard skills of chopping and kneading, Cooking with Kids also teaches the softer, more elemental lessons of why cooking matters. Sharing meals nourishes in a myriad of ways: strengthening families, fostering cultural belonging, and bringing communities together in fellowship. The magic lies in the textures, smells, and sense of accomplishment the students experience as they sit down to eat the meal they helped prepare. That one meal may change the way they feel about food forever, says Farrier. 26
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From there, the grassroots effort has a cascade effect. These educated, healthy-food-loving kids grow up to advocate for better food choices—not only in school cafeterias, but in national food policy. Since its founding in 1995, the Cooking with Kids curriculum has spread to public school systems across the country, and is playing a role on the national stage. Jamie Oliver, British celebrity chef and evangelist for healthy school lunches, named Cooking with Kids’ green and white fettuccine with tomato basil sauce as one of the best school lunches in America. Michelle Obama selected the “Lentils of the Southwest” recipe as a winner in her Recipes for Healthy Kids competition in 2011. Locally, Cooking with Kids reaches over five thousand Santa Fe schoolchildren a year, and plans to expand to Española Public Schools in 2017–2018. “These classes give kids a reason to want to go to school,” Farrier says. Kids who love their vegetables and their classes? That’s truly a revolution. MAKE A DIFFERENCE: Make a donation or volunteer your time to work with Cooking With Kids. www.cookingwithkids.org
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Scraps COOKING FRESH By Stephanie Cameron
Corn milk polenta. Photo by Stephanie Cameron. 28
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According to a 2016 report in The Guardian, roughly forty percent of all produce in the United States is thrown away—some sixty million tons (or $160 billion) of produce annually. Food waste is also the single biggest occupant in American landfills, the Environmental Protection Agency has found. Americans are throwing away billions of pounds in foodstuff. “In fact, if we were able to recover all of our wasted food, we could provide a 2,000-calorie diet to eighty-four percent of the population,” said Dr. Roni Neff, a Johns Hopkins University researcher who led a first-ever study in 2012 examining the nutrients we're tossing in the trash. One of the best ways to prevent food waste is to be aware of it. Education impacts change, and one chef with a big idea has set out to spread the word across America. This past June, a cooking show called Scraps premiered on FYI Network. With a new twist on educating home cooks, the show’s host and creator, Joel Gamoran, set out across the country to explore food waste and how home cooks can impact the statistics in their own kitchen. Each episode of Scraps follows Chef Joel to a new city where he partners with food waste champions to celebrate the local cuisine and create a delicious meal with food items many consider to be waste, like stale tortillas, cherry pits, corn cobs, and carrot stems. One of Scraps’ destinations was our own backyard, when Gamoran toured northern New Mexico with Jonathan Perno, executive chef at Los Poblanos. They visited Santa Fe and the surrounding area to explore our regional cuisine, then came up with some delicious recipes made with foods we often toss in our trash cans. Following the airing of this episode, edible caught up with Gamoran to discuss the show’s concept and its impact on food waste. What is your background? I grew up in Seattle and cooked all the way through high school. I went on to study in Italy and at the Culinary Institute of America. I started my career working at farm-to-table restaurants in San Fran-
cisco, so I was trained in the school of thought that you use every ounce of everything. I started teaching because I missed working with people and found myself at Sur La Table where I have been an instructor for the last eight years. Now I am Sur La Table’s national chef, where I am in charge of teaching the world to cook. What inspired the show Scraps? I was teaching a class for Sur La Table to home chefs and looking at their garbage bowls and realized they were overflowing. I started to think . . . with my restaurant background, my chefs would have killed me if they had seen all that waste. I realized I had an education that they didn’t and I felt like there was nothing out there that spoke to home cooks about saving their scraps. So what better way to reach the masses than with a cooking show? How can our readers make a difference in regard to food waste? Support your local farms. Instead of going to the grocery store, go to the source. Shop at farms or farmers markets where you will have access to the parts of vegetables or fruits that are sometimes discarded before reaching supermarket shelves. If you think your produce or scraps will go bad before you get to it, throw it in a bag and freeze it and come back to it—tackle it for another dish, another day. It’s going to save you a lot of money and add a lot of flavor to your cooking. Talk to your friends and family about it. Question them—what did you do with your peels, cobs, stems, etc? Talking to each other and sharing tips and tricks will save waste, money, and flavor from the trash can. Anything else you would like our readers to know? You can watch episodes of Scraps on FYI network or www.fyi.tv to get more scrappy ideas.
Jonathan Perno, executive chef of Los Poblanos, and Joel Gamoran, host of Scraps, on set for the Santa Fe episode. Photo by Bram Van Woudenberg. WWW.EDIBLENM.COM
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COOKING FRESH
Perno and Gamoran on the set of Scraps. Photo by Bram Van Woudenberg.
Stale Tortilla Pork Tamales. Photo by Stephanie Cameron. 30
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For this issue’s Cooking Fresh, we have compiled some of our favorite recipes showcased on Scraps, along with some other scrappy recipes and tips. Although not all of these ingredients will be in season when you read this issue, let them inspire you to reconsider how you see your kitchen scraps.
STALE TORTILLA PORK TAMALES Recipe from Santa Fe episode of Scraps Scrap: Stale corn tortillas Corn tortillas, which dry out very quickly if exposed to air, and tamales are traditionally made with masa harina, a special type of corn flour. By reconstituting the tortillas in water and blending, you can create masa for tamales. Butter adds richness, cornmeal thickens, and a bit of baking powder creates a lighter texture. 24 tamales Braised pork filling 2 dried red New Mexican or guajillo chiles 1 tablespoon whole coriander seeds 1 tablespoon whole cumin seeds 4 pounds skinless, boneless pork shoulder (Boston butt), cut into 2-inch pieces
4 garlic cloves, lightly crushed 1 tablespoon dried Mexican oregano 1 tablespoon sea salt 1 12-ounce lager beer Tamales 20–25 dried corn husks (1 8-ounce package) 25 stale corn tortillas, torn into pieces 10 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature 1 teaspoon sea salt 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1 cup medium grind cornmeal Fresh or dried oregano, for garnish (optional) In a large Dutch oven, toast chiles over medium heat until darkened on both sides. Remove from heat, let cool, and remove seeds. In the same pot, toast coriander and cumin until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add pork, garlic, oregano, chiles, salt, beer, and enough water to barely cover pork; bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until pork is very tender, about 2–3 hours. Using a slotted spoon, remove pork and chiles. Reserve about 1 cup braising liquid for tamale filling. Shred pork and return to pot with remaining liquid. Place corn husks in a large bowl and cover with very hot water. Weight with a plate and let stand until pliable (about 1 hour). Drain, return to bowl, and cover with a cloth.
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COOKING FRESH
Overripe Avocado Chocolate Brownies. Photo courtesy of Scraps.
In a large bowl, cover stale tortillas with very hot water. Let sit for about 5 minutes. Drain and place in the bowl of a blender or food processor. Add braising liquid, butter, baking powder, and salt; blend until you form a thick, spreadable paste with a texture similar to hummus. Transfer to a large bowl. Stir in cornmeal. The texture should resemble the texture of a soft, spreadable cookie dough. Begin assembly of the tamales by opening a corn husk smooth side down, patting dry. Spread about 1/4 cup tamale dough into the center, leaving a 2-inch border at the narrow end. Add a spoonful of pork filling in the center of dough. Fold long sides of husk together to cover the filling. Fold narrow end toward the center. Use a thin strip of husk to tie the folded portion, leaving the top open. Repeat with remaining husks. Fill bottom of a pot with steamer insert with a few inches of water. Bring to a boil. Place tamales open side up into steamer. Cover and steam for about 30–45 minutes, adding more water to the pot if needed. Remove tamales, and let sit for about 20 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh or dried oregano (optional). 32
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CORN MILK POLENTA Recipe from Seattle episode of Scraps Scrap: Corn milk and corn cobs Once you remove the corn kernels, the cob can be scraped for the corn milk, and the cobs can be tossed into boiling water to create a stock. Corn cob stock is great for chowders. Serves 4 6 ears of corn 3 tablespoons butter 7 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper Minced chives, for garnish Shuck the ears of corn. Using a sharp knife, shave off the kernels. Using the back of a knife, shave the corn milk from the cobs. Place the cobs in a large pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Simmer, uncovered, for about 30 minutes. Remove cobs.
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the corn kernels and corn milk and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Cover with about 2 cups of corn stock. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook for about 15 minutes. Place corn mixture in a high-speed blender. Blend until smooth. Return to skillet over low heat. Stir in cheese, then season with salt and pepper. Serve warm, garnished with chives.
OVERRIPE AVOCADO CHOCOLATE BROWNIES Recipe from Santa Fe episode of Scraps Scrap: Overripe, brown-flesh avocados Avocados go bad quickly. When too soft for slicing and too brown for guacamole, they can replace butter in a rich, fudgy brownie recipe. The avocados are creamed with sugar to create a base for brownies that mimics butter. The color is hidden, and the subtle flavor balances with the chocolate, cocoa, and coffee. Pine nuts grow wild in New Mexico, and add crunch and color to the brownies.
Makes 16 brownies 13 ounces best-quality chopped dark chocolate (at least 66% cacao), divided 5 large eggs 2 very ripe avocados, pitted (about 8 ounces) 1 1/4 cups sugar, divided 1/4 cup vegetable oil 1/4 cup brewed coffee, cold 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 cup cocoa powder 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 1/3 cup heavy cream Chopped toasted pine nuts and flaky sea salt, for serving (optional) Preheat oven to 350° F. Line an 8 x 8-inch square pan with parchment paper. Fill a medium saucepan with a few inches of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Place chocolate in a medium-sized, heat-safe bowl and place over the simmering water. Reduce heat to low and melt 10 ounces of chocolate. (You may also melt the chocolate with a double boiler.) Remove from heat and allow to cool.
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B-grade heirloom tomato sauce. Photo by Stephanie Cameron.
In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat eggs and 1/4 cup sugar on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until thick and ribbony. Transfer to a medium bowl. In the same mixer fitted with a flat beater attachment, beat the avocado, remaining sugar, and oil until smooth. Beat in melted chocolate. Add coffee, vanilla, and salt. Slowly add the beaten eggs, cocoa powder, and salt; beat until smooth. Spread batter evenly into pan. Bake for 30–35 minutes until set. Allow to cool slightly. Melt remaining 3 ounces of chocolate, remaining cup of sugar, and heavy cream over double boiler or in the same saucepan and bowl used previously. Spread ganache onto cooled brownies. Sprinkle with chopped pine nuts and sea salt, if using, before serving.
B-GRADE HEIRLOOM TOMATO SAUCE Recipe from Amy White Scrap: Ugly tomatoes Ask farmers about B-grade options and hit up the stands at the farmers market 30 minutes before closing to take all the extra tomatoes off their hands for a reduced price. Throw in those tomatoes that sat on the counter a day or two too long also.
Makes 3 cups 3 pounds tomatoes 3 garlic cloves, minced Cut tomatoes in half and grate on a box grater, discarding the skins. Cook on medium heat in wide skillet with garlic until thickened into sauce. Season with salt to taste. Enjoy on your favorite pasta or as sauce for your pizza.
MORE SCRAPPY TIPS POTATO PEELS You’ll never want to throw out your potato peels again. Cook these up as soon as you have peeled your potatoes so they don’t get mushy. Preheat oven to 400° F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or non-stick foil. Gently toss the peelings with the olive oil (just enough to coat them without making them too weighed down—about 1 teaspoon to each large potato’s peelings is a good rule of thumb). Place in a single layer on the baking sheet, and sprinkle with salt. Bake for about 15 minutes, watching carefully through the door to make sure they don’t get too brown. Remove when they are crispy and serve at once with ketchup or your favorite aioli.
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A Mark Kiffin Restaurant featuring Chef De Cuisine Josh Kalmus preparing The Compound Beef Tenderloin. Photo by Kate Russell.
COOKING FRESH FRESH HERBS More often than not, a recipe calls for a small portion of fresh herbs, leaving the surplus to wilt in the refrigerator. Making compound butter with the extra herbs or freezing them in olive oil to use later is a great way to get the most use out of your basil, cilantro, or parsley. CORN HUSKS We’ve already covered what you can do with corn cobs; you can also save the husks to make future tamales or to wrap fish or other fresh seafood before grilling. To dry husks in the sun: clean thoroughly, dry, and place the husks in a single layer in an uncovered cardboard or wooden box to promote proper air circulation and prevent mold. Cover the box with cheesecloth to protect the husks from insects. Dry the corn husks in direct sunlight outdoors in temperatures above 86° F or above, with humidity levels below 60 percent. Bring the husks indoors at night or during inclement weather to protect them from outside moisture and prevent them from molding. Check the husks daily until they turn light brown, brittle, and completely dry, which can take up to 2 weeks. TOMATO SURPLUS Are late-summer tomatoes swallowing your kitchen counter-
top? You can skip the puréeing and canning and just sock them straight into freezer bags. These frozen subjects will wait until you’re ready to turn them into sauce or add them to soups and stews. Seal tomatoes in a plastic bag and freeze. When you are ready to use the frozen fruit, just drop it into a bowl of warm water and the skins will slip right off. BROTH Onion and garlic skins, celery tops, carrot tops, and leek tops all make great vegetable broth—or you can add them to your rotisserie chicken bones and make the best chicken broth ever. Just toss all your scraps into a gallon-size freezer bag (keeping bones and veggies separate) and freeze until ready to make stock. You can add many other vegetable scraps—corn cobs, winter squash, zucchini, beet greens, fennel, chard, lettuce, parsnips, green beans, pea pods, bell peppers, eggplant, mushrooms, asparagus, and herbs, such as dill, thyme, parsley, cilantro, basil, and the list goes on. Remove the tops, bottoms, skins, and stems from any vegetables you are preparing and place them in a freezer bag— they can stay frozen up to 6 months. Continue like this until bag is full. Dump contents into pot and fill 3/4 of the pot (or until scraps just start to float) with water. Bring water to a boil and simmer for at least 30 minutes. Strain scraps from stock and discard. Refrigerate stock up to 4 days, or freeze up to 3 months.
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burquebakehouse Getting all of our croissants in a row for the weekend. See you this Saturday @downtowngrowers 8-sold out & Sunday @rail_yards_market_abq 10-sold out. Last chance for bakehouse goods until the end of the month, don't miss out! #edibleNM
wendyforbesnm Two of my fave chefs, Chef David Sellers of @streetfoodinstitute and @chefrockydurham of @sunrisespringsnm Blue Heron Restaurant celebrating their wins (People's Choice and Judge's Choice respectively) at the #ediblesmackdown. Congrats guys! #edibleNM
cathleenldaly el callejon taqueria // saw a sign today that said, "make tacos, not war" and I really support that idea. #tacoaboutit #eatlocal #noplacelikehome #edibleNM
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Forged in Fire BEATING SWORDS INTO PLOWSHARES WITH DESERT FORGE FOUNDATION By Darren A. Raspa · Photos by Sergio Salvador
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his story begins over seven thousand miles away, across an ocean, a sea, and a continent, at the convergence of three valleys. The soil of the Nijrab, the Tagab, and the Afghanya valleys has been known since before the days of Alexander the Great for its pomegranates and mulberries. The name of the local capital city translates roughly somewhere between acceptance, prayer, and fulfilled wish, but is known to westerners more by the Pashto name emblazoned across thousands of headlines and seared into millions of stricken hearts and minds: Kabul, Afghanistan. The pomegranates and mulberries of Kapisa Province were far from American Provincial Reconstruction Team engineer Victor Versace’s mind in 2010. Attached to the French army on a mission to connect Kabul to the hinterlands through electrification and water projects, Versace and his team took cover and returned fire as enemy rounds ricocheted nearby. As a combat veteran of the US Army’s 1st Armored Division Engineer Brigade in Iraq who had patrolled Baghdad for roadside bombs seven years earlier, he knew the rounds were too close. To his horror, Versace’s friends began to fall. “I thought I was done,” he remembers. He survived that day and returned to the States, but was mentally, physically, and emotionally shattered, his psyche carved out and desiccated, like so many others, by the uncaring blades of combat trauma. Cicadas are buzzing and, eerily, drums are playing when I meet Versace in a far different valley just south of Albuquerque. Despite the lateness of the day, the sun burns as it angles through the leaves of cottonwoods and clouds of mosquitoes on this midsummer’s evening on Virgin Farms, one of the rejuvenation project sites spawned from that bleak day in Afghanistan seven years earlier. Versace is a big man, not necessarily for his physical size, but for the energetic space he occupies.
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The rows of green chile that march into the distance before us are part of the Desert Forge Foundation’s Warrior Farmer Project, Versace’s project to restore emotional, mental, and physical health to veterans. The atmosphere is festive. The enemy in this field, bindweed, does not shoot back, but rather chokes, twisting around the roots of the peppers. Combat veterans and active-duty soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen bend beside non-veteran community members who show up for the training and stay for the sense of brotherhood, sisterhood, and healing. Tonight, Desert Forge is on debut for the community, and Versace’s pride shows. “I came out here looking for adventure,” Versace says as he squints into the setting sun and embraces old friends—“brothers and sisters” as he calls his fellow vets. Originally from Poughkeepsie, in the Hudson River Valley of New York, Versace worked his way through an environmental engineering degree at New Mexico Tech as a ranch hand. “I cut hay, bucked hay, piled hay. For five years.” In 2002, he was working as an engineer for the Indian Health Service in Arizona when he received the call: It was a warning order for Iraq. Versace was a soldier with the Utah Army National Guard in a combat engineer unit out of Utah’s Four Corners, “where NaWWW.EDIBLENM.COM
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Richard Baca, Victor Versace, and Rick Gwilt with Baca's service dog.
vajo, and Mormons, and hillbillies, and rednecks all mix,” he remarks. “So we got a call and next thing we know, in April or May of 2003 we were in Iraq. And we were there fourteen months with the 1st Armored Division.” Versace pauses. “At month eight, we were broken.” Versace opens up as we walk the rows of Jemez, Sandia, AZ 88s, NM Heritage 6-4s, and New Mexico Big Jims. “A lot of us came home pretty messed up. I came home and I wasn’t doing good. I started going to behavioral health therapy, going to the VA. I drank, I lost my job, got divorced. You name the manifestation of PTSD and I had it.” His face brightens. “But I was still in the infantry and I was a leader and I recognized I had to get my life together. So in 2010, when I thought I was sufficiently healed, I went back. I went to Afghanistan as an advisor on a provincial reconstruction team.” Versace struggled with the mission. His family and friends back home were struggling from the recession. His brothers and sisters were being killed and injured. Then came the spring 2010 firefight in the Tagab Valley, where several comrades were wounded, and he knew he was done with war.
New Mexico Project report, “Prospects for Food Localization in New Mexico,” which revealed the startling statistic that ninety-eight percent of food consumed in the state is imported, with $4 billion of $6 billion total in local food dollars leaving the state annually.
Versace is a self-described book nerd and grunt. “If I was out in the bush, my friends knew if they didn’t see me, I’m in my tent, smoking my pipe, reading a book.” Back home he continued his studies. “I had been reading about food localization, and hearing the news as my friends committed suicide and died of strange, sudden diseases, and I’m thinking, ‘What we can do for New Mexico and help my brothers along the way?’” Versace dove into Michael Shuman’s Dreaming
Since 2011, the small patch of land Versace and his friends initially worked has grown to include four farming sites: the Fresh Possibilities Project in Peña Blanca, the Steve Garcia Farm in the Atrisco area, the Rio Valley Greenhouses, and the Virgin Farms Project, the site I was touring with the Desert Forge team. While there, I had the chance to catch up with Rick Gwilt, Desert Forge’s director of operations, as he was cooking yak burgers for the assembled workers from the domesti-
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Stateside, wracked by chronic back pain and night terrors from his deployment experiences, Versace came up with an idea: Perhaps the best way to heal was the old-fashioned way, through sweat and shared experience. With land he’d purchased, he began recruiting his Army buddies to help out. Without the direction of the unit assignment and tasking, many combat veterans flounder in society. Perhaps returning soldiers needed a new mission. “I’m an engineer, so I did the math,” Versace explains. “If we capture just twenty-five percent of the agricultural money leaving the state, $1 billion, that’s 10,000 new jobs at $37,500 per job, to include benefits. So I said, let’s start farming.” In 2011, Desert Forge was the solution, formed out of the furnace of the US War on Terror. “So I’m kind of an accidental farmer!”
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Steve Moore, owner of Virgin Farms, provides the host farm and mentorship for Desert Forge.
cated bovids on the farm across the street. “Chief Gwilt,” as the guys call him, is a tough, clear-eyed chief warrant officer with more than three and a half decades in the military—and also happens to be one of Versace’s former bosses in the Army. He imparts the feeling that they should be doing push-ups, sit-ups, or running drills. “I was the battalion maintenance officer for the unit we were in,” Chief Gwilt explains. “Versace was working in recon.” Gwilt has seen combat, and speaks of the unshakable brotherhood and sisterhood formed among men and women asked to do self-sacrificing, often terrible, tasks. “That tribe aspect, the connections, doesn't go away.” Gwilt pauses to flip the yak burgers on the flaming barbecue. “A lot of the problems guys have are [because] they no longer have that brotherhood. But it’s alive and well out here. We just don’t wear our uniforms anymore.” The land—and the yaks—are owned by entrepreneur, environmental scientist, and farmer Steve Moore, who realized that to grow good plants you need good soil. Moore toiled to create an organic, sustainable nutrient mix so pure it could be ladled and sipped. The efficacy of that mix is self-evident in the healthy peppers growing all around us. As Desert Forge moves forward, Moore, Gwilt, Versace, and their team hope to diversify to crops other than chile, their current primary staple. As a nonprofit organization, growth has been hard. Desert Forge sells for donations at growers markets around town, to include the Downtown Growers’ Market as well as the Rail Yards Market, both in Albuquerque. Desert Forge relies almost entirely on volunteer 42
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support and grants, with only four regularly paid staff members. One of those staff members is Richard Baca, a tall, bearded veteran with more than two and a half decades in the military who grew up in the South Valley raising, harvesting, and preserving fruit with his family. “After the chaos of the military, being away from your family, this is life. For veterans, this is a transformation.” Baca respects Versace for what he’s done and admires the mission of Desert Forge to make a difference. “These guys, they go from a position of taking life to giving life through the land. Therapeutic-wise, there is nothing like toiling in the land and then getting up and seeing what came from your hands.” Baca stops mid-thought to shout at a man with a chest-length beard striding down a row of chiles. “Nate, come here, man!” Nate Lind is the owner and facilitator of Legendary Man, the nation’s largest all-natural beard care company, and is based out of Rio Rancho. A year and a half ago, Lind and his company were seeking a nonprofit that aligned with their vision and mission of empowering men and found that alignment in Versace’s group. Lind, who grew up farming in Kansas, explains that building brotherhood and providing an activity for people to work together are aspects which attracted him to Desert Forge. “Legendary Man’s mission is creating brotherhood and creating a community of guys who feel accepted, respected, admired, and inspired. Victor is doing that, too, so it was a natural bond.” As the sun dips below the horizon, the volunteers, who include members of CNM biology professor Dr. Paul Polechla’s anatomy and
physiology class and other non-military workers, gather beneath the cottonwoods around long wooden tables filled with food grown mere feet away—the epitome of local. It seems the entire community is here tonight for Versace and Desert Forge. Potential buyer Cris DiGregory, of Albuquerque’s Standard Diner and Range Café; Albuquerque mayoral candidate Tim Keller; and members of the congressional Rural Coalition and the National Black Farmers Association sit side-by-side with combat veterans, eating, talking, laughing, all equally part of the brotherhood and sisterhood formed in the fields. I ask Versace the story behind the name Desert Forge. He hails Josh Stevens, a friend and former marine who heard about the project from an Army Ranger five years ago in Georgia at technical shooting school. “In Iraq, it’s so hot the temperature doesn’t mean anything anymore,” Stevens laughs. “The thermometer could say it’s 130 or even 150 degrees, but when you’re over there, you measure it by what’s happening to you. How many gallons of water can you drink and still be thirsty? How much diarrhea do you have from a lack of electrolytes? How many second degree burns do you have from opening door handles? The ground is sticky because your boots are melting. It’s beyond hot. It’s like a forge.” Over the course of my time at Virgin Farms, Versace has become a friend, a quality that made him a good NCO (non-commissioned officer) in the field and makes him the ideal tip of the spear for Desert Forge. In five years, he sees the foundation branching into an Albuquerque-based national training center for veterans to empower
themselves by learning farming and connecting with jobs in local food. He has a lot of plans and a lot of hope, and it’s infectious. “Our mission is returning warriors and rebuilding community,” Versace says, as Baca prepares to bless the delicious meal before us. “We talk about revitalizing local food, agriculture, and our economy. How about people, too?” Baca begins. Hats come off. Heads bow low. “We have so many people fighting over there still,” Baca intones. “Bring everyone home safe.” Another prayer cast across an ocean, a sea, and a continent, the cicadas the only sound as the day’s last light fades.
MAKE A DIFFERENCE: The Desert Forge Foundation is open to all people, veterans and non-veterans alike. Get in touch and come help out on one of their sites, and be on the lookout for their roasted chiles this fall. www.desertforge.org In addition to the Desert Forge Foundation, the Santa Fe– based Bee Corps has developed a new project, Honey For Our Wounds©, which aims to help female veterans through the art of beekeeping. A benefit concert for the Bee Corps, featuring Michael Kott (cello) and Carol Williamson (piano and vocals), will be on November 12, 2 to 4pm, at the Santa Fe Woman's Club theatre. Their website, www.thebeecorps.org, launches November 1.
Upcoming Special Dinners & Events Please join us for these very special events. Please RSVP by emailing reserve@farmandtablenm.com
Farmers’ Feast
We will be celebrating our local farmers and enjoying the abundant harvest season in this six-course dinner paired with the wine of Milagro Vinyard, Sheehan Winery, Casa Rondeña, Luna Rosa and Gruet Winery
October 23 | 6:30pm | $75
Gratitude Dinner
Let’s be grateful! Join us as Chef Carrie and her team prepares a taste-of-the-season holiday dinner paired with wine.
November 20 | 6:00pm | $75
A Taste of Ethiopia
Guest chefs, Rahel Fikre-Selassie and Adrian Perez join Chef Carrie to create an authentic Ethiopian experience paired with wine and concluding with a traditional coffee ceremony.
December 11 | 6:00pm | $75
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505.503.7124 Farmandtablenm.com
Dinner: Tues-Sat open at 5pm Brunch: sat-sun 9am-2pm
See our website for a full list of events and special dinners.
Ted Talk TED TURNER TAKES CARE OF BUSINESS (AND BATS AND BISON) ON HIS NEW MEXICO RANCHES By Candolin Cook · Photos by Stephanie Cameron
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“I
love that you are tailgating at the bat cave!” laughs microbat biologist Laura Kloepper while making her way across a field of lava rocks toward our dinner spread. “We don’t go anywhere without food,” shouts back edible publisher Stephanie Cameron. It is an early summer evening on the sprawling Armendaris Ranch, situated along the Rio Grande and Fra Cristobal mountain range in central New Mexico. Kloepper, a professor at St. Mary’s College in Indiana, has spent the last month studying bat bioacoustics here at the ranch’s Jornada Bat Caves, a system of collapsed lava tubes where, each night from June to September, one million Mexican free-tailed bats emerge to forage insects until dawn. The Armendaris is one of sixteen ranches (totaling 2.1 million acres) scattered across the greater American West belonging to billionaire businessman, humanitarian, environmentalist, and part-time New Mexican, Ted Turner. In the nineties, Turner purchased three ranches in New Mexico after seeing their potential for private and commercial use, as well as for sites of ecological conservation and scientific study. The Armendaris and its companion ranch, the Ladder, flank the small town of Truth or Consequences, and together make up more than half-a-million acres of high-desert grasslands, mountains, canyons, wooded river beds, and working ranchland. Beginning in 2015, the self-described eco-capitalist opened the Armendaris and Ladder properties to the public through his eco-tourism outfit, Ted Turner Expeditions (TTX). Private tour options include sightseeing, hiking, biking, mountain climbing, hot air ballooning, and the Jornada Bat Cave flight. As TTX activities manager David Barfield explains, “It’s like having a national park all to yourself.”
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From our hotel room at Turner’s Sierra Grande Lodge & Spa in T or C, it takes an hour of four-wheel driving across rugged dirt roads to reach the remote cave. For another two hours, we wait, snack, and nervously survey the lava rocks for rattlesnakes. Then it happens. The smell of ammonia fills our nostrils as millions of tiny wings begin to kick up guano dust inside the cavern. As the bats begin to swirl furiously at the mouth of the cave, Kloepper yells to her colleague Paul Domski: “It’s time!” Reaching into a covered box, Domski pulls out Banshee, a magnificent Harris hawk wearing a custom go-pro and microphone. The falconer and Kloepper position themselves on opposite sides of the canyon leading to the cave. Suddenly the bats break from their eerie vortex and take to the sky. Kloepper raises a leather-gloved hand and the hawk sails toward her, swooping through the torrent of bats, recording their sights and sounds. For twenty solid minutes, Cameron and I stand in awe as the bats emerge from the cave, creating a black river that stretches for miles across the twilit sky. Kloepper hopes the decibel readings her “biological drone” records will help her team refine techniques to gauge bat colony populations and, eventually, help fight bat epidemics like whitenose syndrome. But her work, made possible by Turner through special access to the caves, is just one of dozens of ongoing ecology-minded projects taking place on Turner’s ranches. With a misWWW.EDIBLENM.COM
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Top: Bat flight at Armendaris Ranch. Bottom, left: Laura Kloepper with her "biological drone." Bottom, right: Chiricahua leopard frogs’ breeding tanks.
sion statement to “save everything,” the Turner Endangered Species Fund (TESF) works with the US Fish and Wildlife Service and New Mexico Game and Fish Department to restore natural habitats and increase populations of endangered and threatened animals. At the Ladder and the Armendaris, these animals include the Bolson tortoise, Chupadera springsnail, Rio Grande cutthroat trout, Chiricahua leopard frog, and Mexican wolf, among others. Cassidi Cobos, a TESF biologist who breeds Chiricahua leopard frogs at the Ladder Ranch, says that the habitats she and her colleagues maintain are critical to the survival of this threatened species of frog, which faces challenges from drought, invasive species, disease, and environmental degradation. TTX guests are welcome to view the Chiricahua leopard frogs’ breeding tanks and stock water habitats from specially-built viewing platforms so not to disturb the frogs. Cobos says, “I live here, so sometimes I forget how unique it is, but it really is amazing for guests to witness these animals and see them thriving.” As Turner recently told a journalist, “TTX is a way for guests to . . . enjoy the lands, while knowing the money they’ve spent is going back into our environmental projects.” Not that Turner is against personally profiting from his lands. For instance, his 585,000-acre Vermejo Park Ranch near Raton generates income through exclusive lodging accommodations, hunting, fishing, bison ranching, solar energy, “responsible” forestry, and leases from heavily-regulated natural gas drilling. While environmentalists may criticize some of these practices, others might argue that in a time of the US government pulling its support from the Paris Agreement, making deep cuts to the Environmental Protection Agency, and introducing bills to roll back the Endangered Species Act, eco-conscious allies in the business world are imperative, even if imperfect. Turner writes in the forward to his biography Last Stand: Ted Turner’s Quest to Save a Troubled Planet, “On my lands, I have set out to prove that the polemic of environment versus economy is a false dichotomy, that you can be a tree hugger and still have your name appear in Forbes.. . .We need a new model for thinking about capitalism and our obligation as global citizens.”
WHERE THE BUFFALO ROAM Perhaps nothing embodies Turner’s convergence of conservation, capitalism, and a romanticized American West as aptly as his bison herds. According to his biography, Turner’s fascination with bison started as a child watching westerns. “The cavalry or cowboys would be killing off Indians. What was it they did wrong? They were the victims, and I sympathized. Then I realized . . . that the same kind of thing happened to the bison.” Turner says he vowed to try and raise some bison if he “ever got some money.” By the end of the nineteenth century, the United States’ once mighty bison population of thirty million had been hunted to the brink of extinction—largely for their hides, but also as part of an effort by the US government to pacify Native tribes whose diet relied heavily on the animal. When Turner purchased his first three bison in 1976, the population had rebounded modestly to thirty thousand. Since entering the bison ranching industry in 1989, Turner, along with other ranchers, conservationists, federal programs, and
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the InterTribal Bison Cooperative, has increased the population to 500,000, according to the National Bison Association (NBA). With fifty-three thousand head, Turner is the largest private bison rancher in the world. There are eighteen hundred at the Armendaris and two thousand at Vermejo alone, including the extremely rare, genetically “pure” (free of cattle mtDNA) Castle Rock Herd—descendants from turn-of-the-century Yellowstone National Park bison.
“More than thirty percent of the North American ecosystem is a native grassland environment. Those grasslands—which play a vital role in capturing carbon from the atmosphere and sequestering it in the soil—evolved through thousands of years of grazing by bison and other ruminants. Properly managed bison herds stimulate healthy grasslands and help build healthy soil. Bison are the perfect animals for regenerative agriculture.”
A major reason Turner’s western landholdings are so large is that bison require vast grasslands. As bison graze, they fertilize the land; create beneficial habitats for prairie dogs and other wildlife; and create less trampling, erosion, and water damage than cattle. But bison ranching is not without its controversies. Ninety percent of bison are raised for meat production and sold to retailers, such as Turner’s bison-focused restaurant chain, Ted’s Montana Grill. Raising bison for slaughter can make uneasy bedfellows of ranchers and preservationists. But true to his eco-capitalist brand, Turner believes that the most effective way to save the species is by marketing it. According to NBA Executive Director Dave Carter, “Bison represents the greatest success story in market-based restoration. The public’s growing love of bison meat is providing the incentive for us to build the herds.”
To achieve their goal, the NBA is working with public and private entities to expand herds and open doors for new producers. They are also launching a media campaign branding Wednesdays “Bison Hump Day,” in the vein of Meatless Mondays or Taco Tuesdays. And, as they have for the last thirty years, the bison community is relying on Turner for support. “Ted has been a great asset to the bison business, and to the conservation of the species. Through the years, Ted has hired excellent people to run his ranches and manage his herds. And, he has encouraged those people to share their knowledge and experience with everyone else in the business. The mission statement for Ted’s ranches is to be both economically and environmentally sustainable. He and his people are continually exploring ways to make that happen and mentoring others,” says Carter.
Another controversial aspect of commercial production is that the majority of bison, even those grassfed like Turner’s, are finished with grain. While the health benefits of eating lean bison meat are a selling point for many consumers, Americans generally prefer proteins with a certain ratio of fat and a consistency of taste. To achieve that, ranchers will herd their bison into feedlots in the last three to six months before slaughter and introduce a diet of corn, oats, and hay. Feedlot practices have notoriously contributed to a host of environmental and public health problems, from pesticide use and monocropping to water contamination and disease outbreak. However, bison do spend less time in feedlots than grain-fed or finished cattle and, unlike beef, federal regulations prohibit antibiotic and growth hormone injections. “We recognize that our customers have high expectations on how we raise the animals and manage our herds,” says Carter. “Even as we expand production, we are working to make sure that we never turn bison into another ‘commodity’ product. We recognize that Mother Nature did a great job in perfecting this animal through thousands of years, so why do we want to mess that up?”
Unsurprisingly, visitors won’t see a single cow on a TTX tour. The day after our bat adventure, Barfield takes Cameron and me riding around the Ladder in a UTV. Within a few hours, we spot prairie dogs, burrowing owls, pronghorn, quail, Chiricahua leopard frogs, oryx, elk, and bison. “The biodiversity is what really sold Turner on the Ladder,” explains Barfield. “It’s as close as you’re going to get to an African safari in the United States,” says Turner Enterprises communications manager Baldwin H. Chambless. Notably, we don’t encounter another tourist. “We want to keep it pristine for the animals and special for the guests,” says Barfield. As we start to head back, creosote bushes and an impending monsoon fill the air with the scent of summer rain. A Swainson’s hawk clutching a rattlesnake in its talons flies overhead. Like the man himself, Turner’s ranches are both inspiring and complicated, but you will leave wanting to save everything.
Last year, US bison meat sales reached $350 million. This past July, Turner’s Flying D ranch in Bozeman, Montana, hosted the NBA’s largest-ever convergence of bison ranchers, where they rolled out their Bison 1 Million initiative. Through a collaboration with commercial ranchers, conservation herd managers, and tribal producers, the initiative seeks to raise the North American bison population to one million over the next ten to fifteen years. Carter says while this goal is ambitious, it is important for several reasons: to keep up with consumer demand; to help restore economic and cultural health on tribal lands; to offer a viable entry point for young and beginning ranchers; and to provide a more environmentally sustainable ranching alternative to cattle production. “Restoration is about much more than producing more bison meat,” he says.
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MAKE A DIFFERENCE: Support the return of bison to Native land, diets, and economies by donating to the Tanka Fund: www.tankafund.org. To support efforts to build soil, biodiversity, and resilience on western working landscapes, donate to the Quivira Coalition: www.quiviracoalition.org. Visit the Turner Endangered Species Fund website to learn more about the organization’s conservation work in New Mexico: www.tesf.org. To book eco-tours through Ted Turner Expeditions, visit: www.tedturnerexpeditions.com.
Meet Taffy Glenn EXECUTIVE CHEF AT THE RESTAURANT AT SIERRA GRANDE
Top: Ladder Quail Knots with prickly pear sauce and pickled radishes. Bottom: AmWWW.EDIBLENM.COM endaris Antelope Chop with cheesy grits, Swiss chard, and smoked tomato butter.
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Left: Turner Ranches' bison tenderloin with Béarnaise sauce, crab, and asparagus. Right: Honey lavender panna cotta with blackberries.
Although there are no Ted’s Montana Grill locations in New Mexico, diners can sink their teeth into Turner’s bison steaks and burgers at the Sierra Grande Lodge & Spa in Truth or Consequences. Under the direction of new executive chef Taffy Glenn—formerly a private chef at Turner’s Vermejo Park Ranch in northern New Mexico—the lodge’s restaurant is quickly becoming a premiere destination for fine Southwestern dining in southern New Mexico. Glenn’s menu is the culmination of nearly three decades of culinary experience. She’s trained in classic French and European cuisine, worked under James Beard award–winner Bradley Ogden in the San Francisco Bay area, and cooked nutritious, vegetable-forward dishes at a vegan restaurant in Seattle. But it was her years working at dude ranches and lodges in Wyoming, Montana, and northern New Mexico that solidified her unique cooking style: sophisticated New American with a strong western flare. While Glenn’s dishes display fine-dining finesse, she’s just as comfortable cooking dinner over a campfire and hand-churning ice cream for dessert. “People think ‘cowboy food’ is beef and beans, but it doesn’t have to be a cliché. Cooking at ranches, I’d often have hunters bring in warm elk heart and beautiful fresh-caught fish. I like to keep my dishes simple, but you can create a lot of flavor with just a few quality ingredients, prepared well,” she says. “The Turner vision is all about being mindful of how you’re treating the land,” explains Glenn. “As a chef, I share those values. Din50
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ers are becoming more and more aware of how food is sourced, as well.” At Sierra Grande, Glenn says she wants her food to have “a clear connection to the environment around us.” That link to the land includes a focus on western game animals such as elk, antelope, quail, trout, and, of course, bison. Standout dishes include the Ladder Quail Knots served with prickly pear sauce and pickled radish, the Armendaris Antelope Chop with cheesy grits, and the health-minded Sierra Grande Spa Bowl, comprised of red quinoa, roasted sweet potatoes, and braised kale in spicy peanut sauce. She’s also proud of the restaurant’s new local beer and wine program, which includes selections from Gruet, Shattuck Vineyards, and Bosque Brewery. “Ted has opened up these amazing ranches for people to see so many things. The land here is what America should be,” Glenn declares. She hopes her restaurant will complement the ranch experience and be an attraction in itself. “My goal is to make the Sierra Grande Lodge Restaurant a destination like Los Poblanos Farm and Restaurant. I think we can be on that James Beard–level in a couple years,” she says, but admits, “Even after decades as a cook, it wasn’t until two or three years ago that I started calling myself a ‘chef.’ Part of that may be how hard it is for women to prove themselves in the food industry, but I’m comfortable with that title now. Working for Ted Turner’s properties has really been a gift. They let you do your own thing and don’t stymie your creativity. I’m at the right place and space to achieve my goals.” www.sierragrandelodge.com
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Tres Hermanas Farm GROWING REFUGEE FUTURES By Zoey Fink · Photos by Stephanie Cameron
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K
neeling in the small courtyard of a church in Albuquerque’s International District, home to one of Tres Hermanas Farm's urban garden plots, Arafa Owusu* pulls small bundles of fabric from an insulated lunch box. Owusu is a refugee from Chad, enrolled in an agriculture program through Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountains (LFSRM) that connects refugee clients with space to grow food and explore agribusiness potential. This is our second trip to the garden together. My English and limited Turkish do little good with her Songo and limited Arabic, but somehow we understand one another. She is pregnant with her twelfth child. I am in awe of the grace that she exudes; eight months pregnant, smile wide, beautiful textiles wrapped around her. She tells me in broken English about her land back home, farming with her daughters, and how she loves this work. She sets down the lunch box and begins unwrapping little slips of fabric; soon there is a sea of seeds spread before us. I look to her with tears in my eyes and a grin on my face, saying “I had no idea you brought so many beautiful seeds with you.” I recognize some— amaranth, okra, squash, radish—but others are unfamiliar. We plant, digging our hands in the soil and burying little vessels of resilience: seeds saved in a war-torn country, kept safe in a refugee camp, and carried across an ocean, all the time waiting for a place to call home. Albuquerque is home to people from all over the globe. From the Democratic Republic of the Congo to Mexico, Iraq to Somalia, Afghanistan to Chad—our city is made richer by the wealth of cultures bringing it to life. A refugee, according to the UN Refugee Agency, is “a person who has been forced to leave their country in order to escape war, persecution, or natural disaster.” Today, there are over twenty-two million refugees in the world, half of whom are under the age of eighteen. Many of these individuals and families have experienced political unrest, rape, torture, and other extreme acts of violence. After fleeing home and seeking asylum in another country, asylees embark on a long application and interview procedure. Those who make it through the extensive vetting process (which can take many years) face a new array of tests as refugees in a foreign country. Language barriers, lack of formal education or employment, and cultural and societal differences are only a few of the many challenges that may arise. Resettlement agencies aid refugees in this transition, and the Albuquerque office of LFSRM works tirelessly to help refugee clients become self-sufficient and successful as they make Albuquerque their home.
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A week later we are gathered at the gate that opens to provide water from the Gallegos Lateral to our field at the Los Poblanos Open Space. There are nine of us, six from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, one from Afghanistan, one from Iraq, and me, a native New Mexican. We are learning what it means to flood our field via acequia, how our soil holds water, how our crops are capable of growing deep roots and building their resistance, how to communicate with our neighbors, and how to manage a watering schedule. I turn the wrench and water bubbles *Name has been changed.
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Left: Songo Wisungata juggles tomatoes. Right, top: Mtenji Jackson, Assumani Anwema, Zoey Fink, Songo Wisungata, Asmaa Alnuaimi, and Nabi Yosufzai. Right, bottom: Working in the fields at Tres Hermanas Farm.
up, splashing us as it diverts through the gate, down the pipe, and into our field. Armed with hoes and shovels, we kick off our shoes and head into the garden to clear out channels and help the water flood quickly and evenly. Regardless of language barriers or cultural differences, we understand this work, this land, and the necessity of a long drink in the hot desert.
with agricultural land seekers, interns, employees, and apprentices. The project is funded through the Office of Refugee Resettlement, a federal agency that awarded the LFSRM Albuquerque office a threeyear grant to start the Refugee Agricultural Partnership Program. This is year one, and we have much to learn as we move into our second year at Tres Hermanas Farm.
Tres Hermanas Farm is organized into three tiers. The first tier enables refugees to grow food by connecting them with small plots of land close to home (urban gardens, raised beds) to produce for themselves and their families. This may lead into tier two: selling collectively at local growers markets and/or cultivating a larger piece of land at the Rio Grande Community Farm. Today, this is where the bulk of participants are involved. The third tier, which has yet to be developed, will focus on cultivating small farm businesses; connecting new Americans with larger plots of land; and exploring agribusiness plans. This will be accompanied by access to farmer training programs, workshops, and internships, as well as independent booths at local growers markets and connections with Land Link NM, an organization that connects agricultural landowners
A few weeks later, in mid-July, I return to the church in the International District, this time to the kitchen. Two women from Guatemala are cooking a vegetable torta, a traditional dish. A couple of women from the Democratic Republic of the Congo are prepping ingredients to make an African dish: onion, tomato, salt, and amaranth stewed together in hot oil and finished with finely ground peanuts. Conversation takes a while in this space; interpretation from Spanish to English to Swahili to English to Spanish takes place for each exchange, but warm smiles are easy to understand and embrace. We share lots of laughter, stories, and discussions about food and place. Amaranth, a leafy green with beautiful seed heads, is cultivated worldwide and provides a staple ingredient in many cuisines. Our friends Jesse Daves and Sarah Montgomery of Amyo Farm run
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a nonprofit called The Garden’s Edge, offering education and cultural exchanges between farmers in the southwestern US and Guatemala. Tres Hermanas Farm was lucky enough to take part in two of these exchanges, one on the farm, planting a field with amaranth seeds from Guatemala, and the other in this kitchen, cooking with amaranth greens as the central ingredient. The current political climate has led resettlement agencies across the nation to buckle down and put in even more time and energy to ensure the security of the refugee communities they support. In January, the Trump administration executed a travel ban with little foresight or organization, creating chaos in airport terminals across the nation. Students returning to US universities were denied entry, refugees hopeful to start a new life in America were turned back, and families looking forward to reuniting with loved ones had their dreams crushed. The newly updated travel ban limits entry into the United States by all refugees, as well as any person traveling from Iran, Libya, Syria, Somalia, Sudan, or Yemen. For those affected, travel into the country has a chance of approval only if a “bona fide relationship” with an American citizen is proven. Per the ban, bona fide relatives do not include grandparents, in-laws, aunts, uncles, or cousins; approval is limited to children, spouses, parents, siblings, and fiancés. At 6am on a Monday morning in early August, I pull up to our office and am greeted by friends from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Afghanistan, and Iraq waiting with bleary eyes. There are eight of us, one with a baby on her back, held tight with a bright swath of fabric. We head down to the farm, the lingering sunrise dissipating into the bright light of the day. Today we dig two new beds, tearing out an intricate root network of Johnson grass to make room to sow carrot and cabbage seeds. Laughter and conversation in Swahili and Arabic and Pashto abound. A man from the Congo who arrived in Albuquerque three weeks prior tells me, “Today, we are happy. What a wonderful experience to be here, learning, growing, and seeing this side of this big city. May God bless you.” We work a couple of hours, finish by munching on cucumbers grown from seed saved in Iraq, and pile back into the van to drive down the road and visit a neighboring farm, Vida Verde. There we learn about drip irrigation, see a high tunnel in production, get a tutorial on a Jang manual seeder, and check out advanced storage infrastructure. Our minds race with plans to improve our own field, try new strategies, and use what we are learning to make our next season even more productive. We leave with bright smiles, new ideas, and our roots growing ever deeper into our community. MAKE A DIFFERENCE: Visit us Thursday afternoons from 3 to 6:30pm at the Nob Hill Growers’ Market in Morningside Park (on the northwest corner of Morningside and Lead). Interested in volunteering on the farm or donating to show your support? Send the Refugee Agricultural Partnership Program Coordinator, Zoey Fink, an email at zoey.fink@lfsrm.org or call 505-835-5527.
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There's A Place at the Table MOGRO GROWS ACCESS TO HEALTHY FOOD By Carolyn McSherry · Photos by Stacey M. Adams
Josh Norman, MoGro’s operations and outreach coordinator.
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“W
hat in the world is this?” asked a man with an amused expression holding a round green fruit in a crinkly skin. We were at La Familia Medical Center’s Alto Street Health Clinic in Santa Fe, one of MoGro Food Club’s pick-up sites, where each week club members receive a box of fresh produce. Jordan Richards, a volunteer “Food Champion” who meets with MoGro members when they arrive at the clinic to pick up their box of produce, was busy lifting tangles of carrots and digging among the plums and peaches at the bottom of the boxes to ensure that everything was fresh before distribution. Nearby, a woman in a brimmed hat leaned over a box to examine her weekly bonus items—cilantro and avocados. “Oh, is that the gift?” she asked, seemingly pleased by the cilantro. The conversation shifted to the recipes printed on the newsletter as another member discovered that the bonus items in her box were sweet potatoes and red onions. “Everybody gets something different! Oh, cool!” Since 2010, the Albuquerque-based nonprofit MoGro (short for Mobile Grocery) has been experimenting with various models to provide affordable, nutritious foods for communities in New Mexico where such food is scarce. MoGro’s Food Club members order boxes on a weekly basis and pick them up at distribution sites, which include health clinics and community centers such as the National Dance Institute (NDI) in Albuquerque. The idea grew out of an intensive visioning process involving tribal advisory councils, the Johns Hopkins Center for American Indian Health, and food industry experts Rick and Beth Schnieders. The Santa Fe Community Foundation, a philanthropic organization devoted to building healthy and vital communities across the region, has provided crucial administrative and infrastructural support since 2012 to give the group room to test working models and foster relationships with community partners and funders. By all accounts, the work is coming along well. “I love working with them,” said Kim Krupnick of La Familia Medical Center, where MoGro’s food boxes support a holistic health care program. On a July morning, the mood was light but focused when I visited the headquarters of MoGro as the team discussed its strategy over breakfast. I learned how MoGro aims to work with local farmers to add more color and vitality to its low-cost basic box, which contains about ten pounds of fresh produce. The Food Club Box will soon be joined by a new, smaller Meal Kit that will include all the ingredients needed to prepare a meal for a family of four. As I witnessed the group hard at work, it became clear that MoGro is making strides to create enjoyable, accessible, and intergenerational cooking experiences by getting many people in the local food chain involved with the program—from local chefs and farmers to healthcare professionals, teachers, and volunteers. After three years piggybacking on the warehouse and trucking infrastructure at Skarsgard Farms, a CSA-style food distributor in Albuquerque, the group has recently set out on its own. From their new base of operations at the Roadrunner Food Bank, they’ve taken on new responsibilities, including connecting with
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Kids get in on the action during CSA pickup at NDI and pack their own boxes.
farmers to source the produce for their food club boxes. The staff has had some late nights packing boxes at the new warehouse, but Electra Kennedy-Hall, MoGro’s distribution and accounts coordinator, is OK with it. “I love the problem-solving,” she said, “and getting to work with the farmers.” They are refining their system, preparing eventually to have a volunteer-run packing day. On the day I helped pack, everything went smoothly. I traveled down a row of fruits and vegetables and filled a cardboard box according to an invoice. Beside me, Emma, a volunteer with experience in CSAs, peeled the outer leaves off hefty heads of romaine to make sure that the lettuce was looking its best for distribution the next day. Kennedy-Hall and Josh Norman, MoGro’s operations and outreach coordinator, packed with us and kept close tabs on the remaining produce, working to avoid both surpluses and shortages. The next morning, we loaded the truck at a bay facing the rising sun. Their truck is a fourteen-foot refrigerated gasoline-powered Isuzu, which MoGro shares with two other small-scale ventures, sort of an informal co-op. Collaborating on expensive infrastructure like trucking and warehouse space can help small businesses and organizations involved with the food industry survive its razor-thin profit margins. Brynn Grumstrup, who drives the truck for MoGro and translates their newsletter into Spanish, arranged the boxes according to the sequence of delivery sites, then hit the road. Driving fresh food to areas with limited grocery options is especially important. Hunger and nutrition-related illnesses like diabetes, obesity, and heart disease are the major concerns that fuel MoGro’s mission. About one in four children in New Mexico is undernourished, and Native Americans in New Mexico suffer some of the highest rates of type 2 diabetes in the country. MoGro responds to the immediate need for healthy food, while also working to address 58
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structural inequities in our food systems that result in high rates of metabolic disorders, including diabetes. Earlier this year, MoGro won a major three-year local foods grant from the USDA and a substantial two-year grant from the Newman’s Own Foundation. The grants have allowed the group to focus on evolving MoGro into a high-capacity, lasting, dependable, and, ideally, familiar source of fresh produce in places where grocery stores are distant or budgets are tight. At Roadrunner’s Community Demonstration Kitchen, MoGro will develop and test their new meal kits for a fall launch. The team, grounded by a concern to offer something approachable and useful to the families that make up their membership, is putting together recipes that are healthy, affordable, fun to prepare, and delicious. One fourteen-year-old chef who recently piloted an enchiladas meal kit enjoyed her concoction so much she ate the leftovers for breakfast, lunch, and dinner the next day. “Our idea of what’s healthy doesn’t matter if the entire family doesn’t enjoy the meal. We’ve got to make people comfortable—moms, dads, kids, grandmothers,” said Norman. “Comfort level isn’t just about the taste or kind of food, it’s as much about community, and how the food gets to you.” As MoGro’s members receive their weekly food club boxes, they learn firsthand how locally grown products look and taste. “‘Why does this zucchini look like this? What happened?’ they’ll ask. Well, remember that hailstorm? That’s what that is,” explained Colleen Warshawer of Mesa Top Farm, a regular supplier to MoGro. In addition to gumball-sized hail, Warshawer’s zucchini weather heat, cold, drought, and torrential downpours. But when it is ready to be picked and cooked, the flavor is incredible. Responses from MoGro members about the new produce have been resoundingly positive. “I love that they are sourcing their own food. It is like ten times better. There is
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This young subscriber checks his list as he helps pack his family's Food Club box.
new stuff in the box, like garlic scapes,” said one member. “It is so colorful!” added another. To better foster relationships with area farmers, MoGro has been collaborating with La Montañita’s Co-op Distribution Center (CDC), which serves as a local food hub in New Mexico, creating opportunities for small- and medium-scale producers who face challenges in the broader marketplace. Benjamin Bartley, value chain specialist at the CDC, takes a mission-oriented approach to matching farmers with buyers. He cultivates relationships with producers from across the region and aims to find the magical meeting point of a fair price for both buyer and seller. “Local growers often means smaller-scale growers, which often means higher production costs,” Bartley explained. He knows there are additional budgetary constraints for non-profit buyers like MoGro, but readily takes on the challenge. “It’s really meeting MoGro’s cost-of-goods needs and finding that match of local product availability that will give the farmer a dignity price.” Even before coming to the CDC, Bartley was aware of MoGro’s work and is pleased to see the organization’s shift to buying local this summer. “It’s been an interesting evolution. MoGro as a customer is always on my radar.” Beneficial Farms, a Santa Fe–based CSA that serves as an informal local food hub, also plays a big role in connecting farmers to people, including MoGro members. These kinds of networks, and the people hard at work building them, create the systems and capacity needed to strengthen local economies and increase healthy food access in New Mexico. Creating relationships of mutual care among small-scale farmers and community members means better protection and care for those lands and waters with which our destinies are so closely intertwined. As I witnessed all the work at MoGro, I saw that the organization and the many folks who work alongside them are building a culture that values food for its nourishing and life-sustaining qualities. In spite of widespread concurrence among health professionals about 60
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how far a good meal can go toward disease prevention, packaged, lownutrition food has been aggressively distributed and protected under the auspices of “consumer choice.” To steer a course around all this will take the goodwill and moral imagination of “a whole community,” as Krupnick from La Familia put it. MoGro works in the weeds of food insecurity, where issues compound and nothing is simple. “There is an enormous amount of ambiguity,” Rick Schneiders said. “You don’t have a model or a book you can go to and say, we should do it this way. You don’t have a boss or a manager you can ask.” MoGro and its broader community are carving out a place to stand amid this ambiguity. Project Director Rebecca Baran-Rees, whose work securing funding and building partnerships has already transformed the parameters of possibility for the nonprofit, is contributing to a major re-visioning process at the Santa Fe Community Foundation. Inspired by MoGro’s efforts, leadership at the SFCF is working on a new core focus, Sustainable Agriculture and Stewardship of Natural Resources. This program is grounded in the belief that “all New Mexicans should have equitable access to our earth’s critical resources,” said Baran-Rees. MAKE A DIFFERENCE: A lot of good work is being done with food, farming, and resources in New Mexico. It is a vibrant community made up of folks from all walks of life. If your path happens to take you by the Roadrunner Food Bank warehouse on a Tuesday evening, your help with packing will be welcomed (www.rrfb.org). If you would like to help out at a MoGro distribution site, become a Food Champion, or to find out how to set up a site in your community, MoGro staff would gladly receive your email or call. If you grow vegetables, send word. To learn more, visit www.mogro.net.
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A Chile-licious Event! SMACKDOWN ROUND UP GREEN CHILE CHEESEBURGER SMACKDOWN
Melanie West
By Stephanie Cameron
Photo by Melanie West.
Eight of Santa Fe's finest chefs competed in the fifth annual Green Chile Cheeseburger Smackdown on September 8. Two innovative iterations on the classic green chile cheeseburger took top honors: Blue Heron at Sunrise Springs Spa Resort won the Judges' Award to become the Reigning Chomp, and Street Food Institute won the People's Choice Award. This year’s competition was open to any willing New Mexico restaurant. The eight finalists were: David Sellers of Street Food Institute, Rocky Durham of Blue Heron at Sunrise Springs Spa Resort, Cassie Adams and Vernon Pajarito of My Sweet Basil, Eric Stumpf of Red Sage at Buffalo Thunder, Jean-Pierre Vincent of Agave Lounge at Eldorado Hotel & Spa Santa Fe, Matt Schnooberger of Freight House Kitchen + Tap, Marc Quiñones of MÁS at Hotel Andaluz, and Jeffrey Kaplan of Rowley Farmhouse Ales. This year the Smackdown grew the Loyal to Local Program, in which farmers and producers sponsored individual finalists to help offset their costs to provide samples at the event. There were ten producers who donated to the chefs: Fano Bread, Bueno Foods, Ranney Ranch, Beneficial Farms, Vida Verde Farm, La Montañita Co-op, Swiss Alps Bakery, Old Windmill Dairy, Schwebach Farms, and Silver Leaf Farms. Each winning chef took home a $500 prize, and a $750 donation was made to this year’s charity, Cooking with Kids. 62
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Rocky Durham, executive chef of Blue Heron, said, “Being a native New Mexican, this is huge for me! The green chile cheeseburger is our thing. To be recognized as the 2017 Reigning Chomp is one of my greatest culinary awards! I'm truly honored.” “What a thrill for our students to compete among some of the top chefs in New Mexico and win the People’s Choice Award!” David Sellers, executive chef of Street Food Institute said. “We are honored to take the prize and thankful for the great young cooks we have on our team! A big thanks to all the people who voted online to get us into the finals and who voted for us at the main event!" Edible thanks all our supporters, attendees, volunteers, and partners, including Tourism Santa Fe, Simply Santa Fe, Santa Fe Farmers' Market Institute, Bueno Foods, Fano Bread, Second Street Brewery, New Mexico Hard Cider, and the countless others who helped make this event a success. In particular, we want to thank all the restaurants and chefs for their efforts in showcasing the green chile cheeseburger. Without them, we wouldn’t have a reason to celebrate. See you again in 2018 at this chile-licious event. www.ediblesmackdown.com
Chef Rocky Durham, Blue Heron at Sunrise Springs Spa Resort The Green Chile Cheeseburger, aka “The Life Changer� Brisket, rib eye, vintage chedder, Acalde green chile, and housemade pickles.
Chef Eric Stumpf, Red Sage at Buffalo Thunder Red Sage Green Chile Cheeseburger Kobe beef with Tucumcari cheddar, avocado green chile aioli, and house-cured bacon served on a Fano brioche bun.
Chef David Sellers, Street Food Institute Beefalo Mushroom Burger Caramelized onions, green chile, cheddar, secret sauce, brioche bun, romaine, and mushroom duxelles.
Chef Cassie Adams and Vernon Pajarito, My Sweet Basil The Burger Grassfed beef burger, Asadero cheese, green chile chutney, and local slaw on a housemade bun. All burger and chef photos by Stephanie Cameron. WWW.EDIBLENM.COM
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Chef Marc Quiñones, MÁS – TAPAS Y VINO at Hotel Andaluz The New Mexico Autumn Roast Housemade milk bun, avocado spread, Tucumcari cheddar cheese, crispy Jamón Serrano, Sweet Grass Co-op beef, and Hatch Autumn Roast® chile.
Chef Jean-Pierre Vincent, Agave Lounge at Eldorado Hotel & Spa The Hatch Chile Beefy Oinker Grass-finished beef, Duroc pork, and Hatch chile served on a Fano green chile brioche bun. 64
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Chef Jeffrey Kaplan, Rowley Farmhouse Ales Bacon Green Chile Cheeseburger Local Sweetgrass Beef Collective all grassfed beef, Zoe’s bacon, Old Windmill Dairy cheddar cheese, caramelized onion marmalade, New Mexico green chile, and toasted brioche bun.
Chef Matt Schnooberger, Freight House Kitchen + Tap SF Line Smashed chuck + brisket burger with Hatch Autumn Roast® green chile and Tucumcari cheddar, served on a potato bun.
Nov 15 - 17 Embassy Suites, Albuquerque
Ranching and Farming at the Radical Center ~ it’s all about soil, water, and neighbors ~ quiviracoalition.org/conference New field events, workshop sessions, and plenary speakers including Wendell Gilgert of Point Blue Conservation, Michael Phillips of the Holistic Orchard Network, Sandra Postel of the Global Water Policy Project , Calla Rose Ostrander of the California Carbon Project, and Allen Williams of Grassfed Exchange.
EDIBLE NOTABLES CHERYL JAMISON’S TEXAS-INSPIRED GOODNESS FOR THE SLOW COOKER
ANCIENT WAY FALL FESTIVAL OCTOBER 7TH, 12:00 - 6:00 PM JOIN US FOR LIVE MUSIC, FOOD, VENDORS, FARMER'S MARKET AND MORE!
Even great cooks like Cheryl Jamison—one of the preeminent authorities on American regional cuisine—occasionally prefer the make-ahead convenience, easy cleanup, and depth of slow-cooked flavor that you get when you use a slow cooker. In her new book Texas Slow Cooker: 125 Recipes for the Lone Star State's Very Best Dishes, All Slow-Cooked to Perfection (Harvard Common Press), Jamison shows a stunning range of Lone Star gems, from chilis and stews to enchiladas and roasts, from bean or rice dishes to beef, bison, poultry, and shrimp, can come out of the slow cooker brimming with flavor and with minimum fuss for the cook. Authors of fifteen cookbooks and travel guides, including the pioneering Texas Home Cooking, Cheryl and her late husband Bill Jamison have written with passion and wit about barbecue, American home cooking, the food and culture of the Southwest, and tropical beach travel. Considered authorities on each of these topics, the Jamisons are among the nation's most-lauded culinary professionals, with honors that include four James Beard Awards, an IACP award, and numerous other accolades. For more information and to purchase cookbooks, visit www.excitedaboutfood.com.
COOKING CLASSES AT TALIN MARKET Looking for food ideas for your fall and winter holiday celebrations? Take one of Talin Market’s mini cooking classes. You’ll get to sample new and exciting dishes and ingredients from Europe and Asia. Classes are taught by Talin staff and cost $15. For more information and registration, visit www.talinmarket.com.
FERMENTATION MINI WORKSHOP SERIES In an effort to grow New Mexico's budding fermentation community, the creators of the New Mexico Fermentation Festival (edible Santa Fe and the Hubbell House Alliance) will produce bi-monthly workshops. The workshops celebrate all things fermented and cost $10. For more information, visit nmfermentationfest.com.
Photographer: Janson S. Ordaz
MAKE NEW FRIENDS A new circle of friends is waiting for you at the Museum of New Mexico Foundation.
Join our CIRCLES membership program and experience: • The four state museums in Santa Fe and seven historic sites statewide for just one membership • A full year of exclusive benefits including exhibition previews and international travel • The opportunity to support the art, culture, and history of New Mexico For more information: call Cara O’Brien at 505.982.6366, ext 118 circles@museumfoundation.org • museumfoundation.org
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La Montañita Coop
3500 Central SE, Albuquerque, 505-2654631; 913 West Alameda, Santa Fe, 505-9842852; 2400 Rio Grande NW, Albuquerque, 505-242-8800; 3601 Old Airport NW, Albuquerque, 505-503-2550, lamontanita.coop
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116 Don Gaspar, Santa Fe, 505-992-1601; 109 Carlisle SE Albuquerque, 505-266-6043; 103 East Plaza Taos, 575-758-4136; santafeoliveoil.com
Savory Spice Shop
Spice specialist with a variety of blends as well as extracts, sauces, and specialty foods. 225 Galisteo, Santa Fe, 505-819-5659, savoryspiceshop.com/santafe
Skarsgard Farms
Delivering fresh, local, and organically grown produce and natural groceries to doorsteps across New Mexico. 505-681-4060, skarsgardfarms.com
Talin Market
88 Louisiana SE, Albuquerque, 505-2680206; 505 Cerrillos, Santa Fe, 505-780-5073; talinmarket.com
LODGING Buffalo Thunder, Hilton Santa Fe
20 Buffalo Thunder Trail, Santa Fe, 505-455-5555, buffalothunderresort.com
El Morro RV Park and Cabin Rental HC 61 Box 44 Ramah, NM 87321, 505-783-4612, elmorro-nm.com
Inn of the Anasazi
113 Washington, Santa Fe, 505-988-3030, rosewoodhotels.com/en/inn-of-the-anasazisanta-fe
Inn on the Paseo
A charming bed and breakfast located within walking distance to the downtown Santa Fe plaza. 630 Paseo De Peralta, Santa Fe, 505-984-8200, innonthepaseo.com
Los Poblanos Historic Inn & Organic Farm
4803 Rio Grande NW, Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, 505-344-9297, lospoblanos.com
Sarabande B & B
5637 Rio Grande NW, Albuquerque, 505-348-5593, sarabandebnb.com
The Historic Taos Inn
125 Paseo Del Pueblo Norte, Taos, 575-758-2233, taosinn.com
NURSERIES & SERVICES Baca Trees
7933 Edith NW, Albuquerque, 505-899-6666, bacastrees.com
Grow Y'Own
505-466-0393, raisedbed.biz
Osuna Nursery
A family-owned and operated nursery, gardening center, and landscaping company. 501 Osuna NE, Albuquerque, 505345-6644, osunanursery.com
OTHER SERVICES Garcia Auto Group
8449 Lomas NE, Albuquerque, Garciacars.com
Los Alamos National Bank
ORGANIZATIONS, EVENTS, & EDUCATION
1200 Trinity, Los Alamos; 77 Rover, White Rock; 301 Griffin, Santa Fe; 2009 Galisteo, Santa Fe; 3674 Cerrillos, Santa Fe; 6700 Jefferson NE, Albuquerque, 505-662-5171, lanb.com
National Hispanic Cultural Center
Solarius Spa
From the familiar to the unexpected, fall in love with Hispanic cultures through our exhibits and more than seven hundred annual events. 1701 Fourth Street SW, Albuquerque, 505-246-2261, nhccnm.org
New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs
505-827-6364, newmexicoculture.org
New Mexico Museum Foundation
The mission of the Museum of New Mexico Foundation is to support the Museum of New Mexico system through fund development for exhibitions and education programs, financial management, and advocacy. 116 Lincoln, Santa Fe, 505-982-6366 ext.100, museumfoundation.org
New Mexico Wine winecountrynm.com
Tablao Flamenco
At Tablao Flamenco Albuquerque, experience flamenco in its most intimate, powerful setting. Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. 800 Rio Grande NW, Albuquerque, tablaoflamenco.org
Quivira Conference
The annual Quivira Conference is internationally renowned for bringing together leaders, innovators, and stewards of the land. November 15–17, Albuquerque, quiviracoalition.org/conference
One of Albuquerque's most trusted spas for over 32 years. Whether you’re looking for a completely new look or want to enhance your existing look, our talented team of professionals is here to make it happen. 12500 Montgomery NE, Suite 107, Albuquerque, 505-299-3116, solariusspa.com
RETAILERS Next Best Thing to Being There 1315 Mountain NW, Albuquerque, beingthereabq.com
Sarabande Home
Sarabande Home provides one-of-a-kind contemporary gifts, home decor, furniture, and personal accessories. 4022 Rio Grande NW, Albuquerque, 505-344-1253, sarabandehome.com
WINE STORES Arroyo Vino
218 Camino La Tierra, Santa Fe, 505-983-2100, arroyovino.com
Parcht
103 East Plaza, Taos, 575-758-1994, Parcht.com
Susan's Fine Wine and Spirits
1005 S St. Francis, Santa Fe, 505-984-1582, sfwineandspirits.com WWW.EDIBLENM.COM
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colombian bistro
now open
tuesday-saturday 11am-8pm
2933 Monte Vista NE, Albuquerque 505-433-2795
3216 Silver SE, Albuquerque 505-266-2305, www.ajiacobistro.com
The Shop is now serving dinner as the nightshift on Friday and Saturday from 5pm to 10pm. Still serving local, organic, and seasonal dishes; and rotating weekly menus to bring you something creative and fresh!
Ajiaco’s varied Colombian cuisine is influenced by a diverse flora and fauna found around Colombia. Cultural traditions of different Colombian ethnic groups play a role in our choice of ingredients.
Eat & Drink Local Guide ALBUQUERQUE Ajiaco Colombian Bistro
Ajiaco’s varied Colombian cuisine is influenced by the diverse flora and fauna found around Colombia. Cultural traditions of different Colombian ethnic groups play a role in our choice of ingredients. 3216 Silver SE, 505-266-2305, ajiacobistro.com
Artichoke Café
Fresh, local, seasonal ingredients, classic French techniques, extensive wine list, private dining, catering, and great atmosphere. 424 Central SE, 505-243-0200, artichokecafe.com
Farina
Starting with the finest organic flour, our pizza crusts are made by hand and topped with the freshest ingredients, including artisan cured meats. 510 Central SE, 505243-0130, farinapizzeria.com
Farina Alto
Farina Alto offers fresh, creative fare. Gather over a glass of wine, a good story, and a phenomenal plate of food. 10721 Montgomery NE, 505-298-0035, farinaalto.com
Farm & Table
A wonderful dining experience! Enjoy delectable seasonal dishes created from scratch, sourced from local farmers and our beautiful on-site farm. 8917 Fourth Street NW, 505-503-7124, farmandtablenm.com
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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.
The Grove Cafe & Market
The Grove features a bustling café experience serving breakfast, brunch, and lunch. Local, seasonal, organic foods, Intelligentsia coffee and tea, beer, wine, and signature sweets. 600 Central SE, 505-248-9800, thegrovecafemarket.com
The Shop Breakfast & Lunch
Come in for breakfast or lunch, creative American classics with Latin and creole influences, made from local and organic ingredients. 2933 Monte Vista NE, 505-433-2795, theshopbreakfastandlunch.com
Trifecta Coffee Company Il Vicino Brewery
A contemporary Italian trattoria offering authentic Italian wood-oven pizza, entrées, salads, sandwiches, baked lasagna, and more. Enjoy our own micro-brewed ales and home-brewed root beer. 11225 Montgomery NE, 505-271-0882; 3403 Central NE, 505-266-7855; 10701 Corrales NW, 505-899-7500, ilvicino.com
Level 5 - Rooftop Restaurant & Lounge
Located on the top floor of Hotel Chaco— experience a refined, chic, and contemporary atmosphere. 2000 Bellamah Ave NW, 505-246-9989, hotelchaco.com
Los Poblanos Historic Inn & Organic Farm
Rooted in organic ingredients from our own farm and the Rio Grande Valley. Join us at our restaurant, Wed–Sun 5–9pm, by reservation only. 4803 Rio Grande NW, 505-344-9297, lospoblanos.com
Savoy Bar & Grill
California wine country in the Northeast Heights. Farm-to-table dining from the area's best farms. Wine tastings and happy hour. 10601 Montgomery NE, 505-294-9463, savoyabq.com
Seasons Rotisserie & Grill
Oak-fired grill, local ingredients, and the best patio dining in Old Town! 2031 Mountain NW, 505-766-5100, seasonsabq.com
We roast coffee and brew it in unique ways utilizing some of the best methods available. All of our baked goods, sweet and savory, are made in house. 413 Montano NE, 505-803-7579, trifectacoffeecompany.com
Zacatecas
Zacatecas, a real taquería, features recipes handed down from generation to generation with flavors that are true to the history and culture of Mexico. 3423 Central NE, 505-255-8226, zacatecastacos.com
Zinc Restaurant & Wine Bar
A three-level bistro featuring contemporary cuisine with a French flair. Dinner daily, weekend brunch, fabulous cocktails, and tasty bar bites! 3009 Central NE, 505-254-9462, zincabq.com
SANTA FE Anasazi Restaurant
The recently redesigned restaurant and bar celebrates the creative spirit of Santa Fe with a new chic, sophisticated design that complements the building's legendary architecture. Featuring Southwestern cuisine with regional Latin influences. 113 Washington, 505-988-3236, rosewoodhotels.com
Arroyo Vino
Arroyo Vino, voted a top 100 restaurant in America by OpenTable reviewers, serves progressive American fare inspired by our on-premise garden and local purveyors. 218 Camino La Tierra, 505-983-2100, arroyovino.com
TAOS DINER I & II Creative Casual Cuisine
South Indian cuisine
Bang Bite Filling Station
Fresh. Local. Tasty. A bunch of food enthusiasts obsessed with serving the very best crafted food we can get and delivering it the way it was meant to be enjoyed. 492 W Water Street, 505-469-2345, facebook.com/Bang-Bite-Filling-Station
Bodega Prime
As a restaurant, caterer, and retail store, Bodega Prime seeks to provide a memorable food experience in Santa Fe for locals and visitors alike. 1291 San Felipe, 505-303-3535, bodegaprime.com
Il Piatto
A local favorite since 1996, boasting an authentic Italian farmhouse experience, sourcing its ingredients directly from local farms, dairies, and ranches. Extensive wine list. 95 W Marcy, 505-984-1091, ilpiattosantafe.com
Il Vicino Brewery
A contemporary Italian trattoria offering authentic Italian wood-oven pizza, entrées, salads, sandwiches, baked lasagna, and more. Enjoy our own micro-brewed ales and home-brewed root beer. 321 W San Francisco, 505-986-8700, ilvicino.com
Loyal Hound
Locally sourced modern comfort food paired with craft beer, cider, and wine. 730 St. Michaels, 505-471-0440, loyalhoundpub.com
Ohori's Coffee Roasters
The original specialty, local micro-roasted coffee source since 1984. Along with our fresh beans, we serve espresso, pour-over, teas, pastries, donuts, burritos, chocolates, and more. 505 Cerrillos and 1098 St. Francis, 505-982-9692, ohoriscoffee.com
Paper Dosa
Paper Dosa brings fresh, authentic homestyle south Indian dishes to your table. These bright and exciting flavors will leave you wanting more. 551 W Cordova, 505-930-5521, paper-dosa.com
908 Paseo del Pueblo Norte, 575-758-2374 216 B 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.
Radish & Rye
Farm-inspired cuisine: simple yet innovative food and drinks sourced locally whenever possible. We work closely with local farmers and ranchers to build our menu. 548 Agua Fria, 505-930-5325, radishandrye.com
Rasa Juice + Kitchen
An organic juice bar and café committed to offering delicious plant-based foods, coldpressed juices, and innovative cleansing and detox programs. 815 Early, 505-989-1288, www.rasajuice.com
Red Sage
Red Sage at Buffalo Thunder is perfect for your next romantic night out. Fare rotates seasonally. Enjoy the extensive wine list. 20 Buffalo Thunder, 505-819-2056, buffalothunderresort.com
Santa Fe Spirits
Hand-crafted, award-winning spirits made with New Mexico pride! Tours and cocktails available. Distillery, 7505 Mallard Way, 505-467-8892; Tasting Room, 308 Read, 505-780-5906, santafespirits.com
TerraCotta
A smart, casual restaurant located in a charming one-hundred-year-old adobe. Seasonally changing, globally inspired cuisine and an extensive, value-priced wine list. 304 Johnson, 505-989-1166, terracottawinebistro.com
The Compound Restaurant
Chef Mark Kiffin preserves a landmark tradition of elegant food and service at his Canyon Road institution. 653 Canyon, 505982-4353, compoundrestaurant.com
221 Highway 165, Placitas 505-771-0695, www.bladesbistro.com Chef and owner Kevin Bladergroen brings together fine and fresh ingredients, artistic vision, and European flair in every dish. Sunday brunch, fabulous cocktails, and an award-winning wine list.
nature chile rellenos. 125 Paseo Del Pueblo Norte, 575-758-1977, taosinn.com
Parcht
/pärCHt/= the physical condition resulting from the need to drink wine, eat good food, and shop…in Taos. 103 E Plaza, 575-758-1994, parcht.com
Taos Diner I & II
Home to New Mexican and American homemade, homegrown, and organic breakfast, lunch, and dinners. Gluten-free choices. Beer and wine. 908 Paseo del Pueblo Norte, 575-758-2374; 216 B Paseo del Pueblo Sur, 575-751-1989, taosdinner.com
The Gorge: Bar and Grill
Our menu is straightforward, yet eclectic, and chock full of favorites made from scratch using as many fresh and local ingredients as possible. 103 E Plaza, 575-7588866, thegorgebarandgrill.com
GREATER NEW MEXICO Algodones Distillery
15 Cll Alfredo, Algodones, 505-301-9992, algodonesdistillery.com
Ancient Way Cafe
A unique outpost offering great meals from scratch and fresh baked goods. Located 1 mile east of El Morro National Monument. 4018 Ice Caves Road, Ramah, 505-7834612, elmorro-nm.com
Blades’ Bistro
Santa Fe's premier dining club. 142 W Palace, 505-428-0690, palacesantafe.com
Chef and owner Kevin Bladergroen brings together fine and fresh ingredients, artistic vision, and European flair in every dish. Sunday brunch, fabulous cocktails, and an award-winning wine list. 221 Highway 165, Placitas, 505-771-0695, bladesbistro.com
TAOS
Greenhouse Bistro
The Palace Restaurant
Doc Martin’s
Serving lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch. Patio dining, fresh local foods, awardwinning wines, and margaritas. Try our sig-
Good food always puts you in a good mood! Fresh, seasonal ingredients provide the basis for a meal that promotes healthy living. 5 Thomas, Los Lunas, 505-866-1936, greenhousebistro.com WWW.EDIBLENM.COM
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LAST BITE
CHAMPURRADO CON PIQUETE
By Enrique Guerrero, Bang Bite Filling Station This rich Mexican atole is my all-time favorite drink for fall and winter. It is great paired with tamales or bizcochitos. 2 1/2 cups water 2 1/2 cups whole milk 1/2 cup masa harina (Maseca) 6 ounces Mexican chocolate or bittersweet chocolate, chopped (I like Abuelita) 2 cinnamon sticks (I prefer Mexican canela, commonly available at spice shops and specialty markets) 1/2 tablespoon vanilla 2 tablespoons of raw sugar or brown sugar (piloncillo is even better, if you can find it) 1 cup of your favorite rum or brandy or bourbon (I like Santa Fe Spirits Apple Brandy) Mix 1 cup water with masa harina. Let stand 15 minutes. Bring remaining 1 1/2 cups water to boil in heavy medium-sized saucepan. Strain masa harina mixture into boiling water. Add chocolate and stir until melted and smooth. Add the milk, vanilla, and cinnamon stick. Stir over low heat until mixture thickens or whip to frothy consistency with a molinillo, about 5 minutes. Stir in piloncillo or raw sugar. Remove from heat and add your favorite spirit.
PHOTO BY STEPHANIE CAMERON POTTERY BY JEN DEPAOLO www.jenndepaolo.com
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XOCHITL
Nixtamal Kitchen
SEMI-FINALIST
F O R E V E R Y D AY O C C A S S I O N S
2017 505.983.2100 ∙ ARROYOVINO.COM 5 Y E A R S I N S A N TA F E