edible Santa Fe Spring 2011

edible

member of edible communities

Spring 2011

Santa fe

The Story of Local Food, from

®

Albuquerque to Taos

one woman’s cake odyssey • duke city’s cool school gardens edible gardens as outdoor vignettes • high on pie • mesquite tortillas

TWENTY CLASSIC & SIGNATURE SALADS BUILT UPON FRESH, ORGANIC GREENS & PRODUCE FROM THE RESTAURANT’S TEN-ACRE FARM IN NAMBE

Delicious meats and seafoods can be paired with each salad, creating innovative combinations such as Grilled Caesar with Seared Diver Scallops or Apple Cheddar Chop with Grilled Pork Tenderloin.

Savory soups, grilled sandwiches, a dozen wines by the glass, and housemade desserts supplement the salad bistro menu.

709 Don Cubero Alley Santa Fe, NM 87505 505.820.9205 www.vinaigretteonline.com

sergio salvador | photography

505.404.0854 |

www.salvadorphoto.com

edible contents • Spring 2 011

in every issue 4

Letter from the Editor masthead

5

Subscribe

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notable edibles

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NM Farmers Markets/CSA WHAT’S FRESH/LOCAL

14

COoking FResh High on Pie savory veggie pies, by Amy White

16 Native edibles Mesquite, ancient desert food, by Lois Ellen Frank 17 Artisans One Woman’s Cake Odyssey, by Kay Vinson 28 Food As Medicine

by Anya Sebastian 30 Southwest Gardens Edible gardens as outdoor vignettes,

by Christie Green 32

Southwest Gardens Zonation, by Nate Downey

34

Eat Local Guide

36

Edible Events

38

Brewhaus by Brad Kraus

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From the Vine Natural or organic? Don’t judge a wine by its label

by Katie Gerwin

features

12 vegetable literacy

Rhubarb and sorrel, by Deborah Madison

20 Farmers diary Ditch Dreams

by Kristen Davenport

22 Edible Ed Grow Forth and Con-

quer - School Gardens on the rise in Albuquerque, by Nissa Patterson

26 Getting your goat Goats

and honeybees fuel a local business,

by Wolf Schneider

Cover Photo (cupcake) and this page (sage) by Sergio Salvador

Publisher / Editor in Chief: Kate Manchester

Executive Editor: Sarah Wentzel-Fisher

Copy Editor: Tamera Shope

Contributors Kristen Davenport, Nate Downey Sarah Wentzel-Fisher, Lois Ellen Frank, Kate Gerwin, Christie Green Lorelei Kellogg, Brad Kraus, Nissa Patterson, Wolf Schneider Anya Sebastian, Kay Vinson

letter from the editor This issue officially marks our fifth year in publication, no small feat if you’ve ever been in this business – or any small business for that matter. For months I’ve listened to, read and fielded questions and comments from people who claim print is dead. Well I have some thoughts and comments of my own, the first of which is that print is not dead. The mediums by which the printed word is delivered are changing – yes – but print is not dead. To quote fellow edible editor Terri Taylor from Edible DFW, “happily, in the world of slow foods, the simple things, like a sprouting carrot or a paper magazine, are to be savored and appreciated.” If our winter issue was any indication – you feel the same way. Every last copy of our little magazine disappeared from the stands in a record three weeks-time, and we have had no fewer than 300 e-mails and phone calls from people who missed out. This caused us all to spend some time tossing around some ideas about how we’re going to manage this from now on. The simple answer is to print more copies. That’s a great idea, but the truth is we run a very lean business, and we print as many pages as our subscription and advertising dollars will support, no more. So the reason you see 40 or 52 or 60 pages each issue is based on dollars and cents – we print just enough pages that will allow us to get twenty to thirty thousand issues on the streets to you and maintain our website.

The good news is that all of our magazines are available digitally at ediblesantafe.com. From our digital platform you can do all manner of things besides read, such as download articles in PDF, share on social media, translate in to 100 languages and more. You can also listen to us at edibleradio.com.

More good news – we are lowering our subscription price to $22.00. We finally have enough subscribers to be able to lower the price, the more we have the less it costs us. While the magazine is free while it lasts, we have seen that the demand outstrips supply consistently, and that most of you value the magazine enough to keep every copy. While our costs for everything from paper to postage have gone up fourfold in the last year, your subscription is a shot in the arm for us that helps to offset some of those rising costs; lowering our price is our way of saying thank you and encouraging more of you to subscribe. Those additional dollars help us pay our writers, photographers and designer, and keep our website up and running.

If you have paid for your magazine at the old price already, please know that I have already extended your subscription for another year to compensate for the difference, and to thank you for your loyalty.

Our primary source of support however, comes from the advertisers you see on these pages. Last year many of you participated in our reader survey, and 100 % of you told us that you read our ads, and that you are positively influenced to shop with the advertisers you see here. I speak to our advertisers often, and I would encourage you to make a point of letting them know that you saw their ad in edible. For our part, we are thoughtful and selective about the kinds of businesses we choose to put in front of you, and these businesses value our readers enough to support us with their ad dollars. In the interesting times we live in, all of the businesses you see on these pages have too many choices about how to spend their limited advertising dollars, and we’re thankful they’ve put their trust in us. So please, when you visit, let them know you saw them in edible – and thank them for their part in bringing you this magazine!

Contributing Editors Deborah Madison, Amy White

Design and Layout Sergio Salvador

Web & Social Media Editor Sarah Wentzel-Fisher

PHOTOGRAPHY Jennifer Esperanza, Lois Ellen Frank, Kate Russel, Sergio Salvador, Carole Topalian

ADVERTISING Kate Manchester, 505-212-0791 Anya Sebastian, Vanessa Jaramillo

CONTACT US: 551 W. Cordova Road #511 Santa Fe, NM 87505 info@ediblesantafe.com www.ediblesantafe.com Subscribe • Give a Gift Buy an Ad • LETTERS 505-212-0791 or WWW.EDIBLESANTAFE.COM We welcome your letters. Write to us at the address above, or e-mail us at info@ediblesantafe.com edible Santa Fe takes pride in providing its subscribers with fast, friendly, small town service. edible Santa Fe is published quarterly, spring, summer, fall and winter, by edible Santa Fe, Inc. Distribution is throughout Central and Northern New Mexico and nationally by subscription. Subscriptions are $22 annually. No part of this publication may be used without the written permission of the publisher. © 2011 All rights reserved.

Kate Manchester, Editor

®

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Name Address City State Zip I would like a one year subscription (5 issues) to edible Santa Fe. I have enclosed a payment of $22.

Now receive 5 delicious issues for $22, Please start my subscription with the that’s a savings of 33%! current issue next issue Subscribe for two years for $38 - a savings of 58%!

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Fill out the form and mail with a check to : edible Santa Fe, 551 W. Cordova Rd. #511, Santa Fe, NM 87505 Or, subscribe online at www.ediblesantafe.com *To all existing subscribers: if you have subscribed in the last 8 months, you will receive another year of Edible Santa Fe for no additional charge.

For copies of back issues, please contact info@ediblesantafe.com or call (505) 212-0791

notable edibles

Every year we ask you to tell us who your local heroes are, and the votes are in! Chosen by our readers, Edible Santa Fe’s Local Hero Awards pay tribute to champions of the local food movement.

BEST FOOD ARTISAN

years of ‘no seasons’, Gary decided he needed a change and came to New Mexico in 2001. He has been farming here ever since, weathering the sudden switch from year-round farming to short seasons growing on two-acres in Jacona since 2001, he brings salad mix, root crops, other greens such as spinach and chard, and flowers to the Los Alamos and Santa Fe farmers markets. He loves direct sales and knowing who eats his vegetables. Come success or failure in his small field, and rain or shine on market day Mr. G works to bring 30 or 40 different products from his certified organic farm to his customers. To read more about Mr. G and his organic produce, go to lanf.org/fm/vendor/garygundersen.

mitment to locally and regionally sourced food. Her dishes include regionally source grains, local grass-fed beef and lamb, locally grown produce and tomatoes and herbs that come from a garden on-site. If you’re ever headed north on I-25 from Santa Fe, even if you’re not hungry, take exit 290 and stop in at the Real Food Nation to pick up a pastry, sandwich, salad, soup or Müllers offering of the day. For a complete menu and more about the chef visit www.realfoodnation.biz or for a full article about the restaurant visit our online archives for the fall of 2009.

BEST BEVERAGE ARTISAN

BEST CHEF BEST FOOD ARTISAN: Jane and Steve Darland of Old Monticello Organic Farms for their organic Traditional Aceto Balsamico of Monticello. Waiting for wine to age takes staying power, but traditionally aged balsamic is a whole other animal. The Darland’s lovingly tend to their organic grapes on their farm in Monticello, NM, where to yield a single bottle (130 grams) of their dark, viscous, traditional balsamic vinegar, grape juice sufficient to make 50 bottles of wine must be concentrated by evaporation for a minimum of 12 years. Every step is made lovingly by hand: growing, pruning, picking, blending, bottling, and labeling; only a maximum of 1000 bottles are available for purchase each year. To learn more about their vinegar, their farm, and other products visit their website at BEST CHEF: Kim Müller of Real Food Nation www.organicbalsamic.com or read more in our online Kim Müller, the head chef of Real Food Nation archives from winter 2009. cooks up high quality, affordable, made-fresh every BEST FARMER: Gary Gunderson, Mr. G’s Organic day delicacies. A restaurant industry veteran, she Produce. Gary Gunderson farms because he loves it, earned her stripes by working her way up the ranks because it’s in his blood. Born in Chicago, Gunderson in more than one top notch restaurant under critiwas struck with the growing itch and went to horticul- cally acclaimed chefs from California’s Border Grill, tural school at UC Santa Cruz, then did landscaping to Santa Fe’s Compound and Café Escalera. A Slow for eight years before moving to Hawaii. Kauai was Food leader and advocate for our local producers, where he actually began his career as a farmer and he Kim was selected to be one of 70 U.S. Chef-Delenaturally specialized in tropical agriculture, growing gates to Slow Food’s Terra Madre conference in such crops as ginger root and bananas. But after twelve Turin, Italy in 2006, which strengthened her com-

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BEST BEVERAGE ARTISAN: Brad Kraus may not be a name you recognize, but our hops lovin’ readers know him as the man behind the brew. Brad has been brewing beer for 29 years, 21 as a professional brewer.

He was the brew master at Santa Fe Brewing Company, Rio Bravo Restaurant & Brewery, and Wolf Canyon Brewing Company before joining Blue Corn Cafe & Brewery. Brad has a career total of six Great American Beer Festival medals, including two gold, as well as numerous medals and awards in other competitions. He is a brewery consultant, having worked on projects in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Colombia, Chile and Peru.

Brad is also the acting brew master for Isotopes Brewing Company and Abbey Beverage Company, the only monastic brewery in the U.S. In addition to his work in breweries Brad is a Master Beer Judge as ranked by the www.ediblesantafe.com

Beer Judge Certification Program and has served with a select field of international judges for the Great American Beer Festival and the World Beer Cup. If you’re drinking microbrews in NM, chances are Brad had a hand in it. And you can read his Brewhaus column in every issue of Edible Santa Fe!

Vote early, vote often for Cooking with Kids!

Let’s Move!, in association with USDA, has challenged school nutrition professionals, chefs, students, parents and community members to create tasty, healthy, exciting new recipes for school lunch menus across the country for their Recipes for Healthy Kids Competition. Cooking with Kids, as part of a team from Sweeney Elementary School in Santa Fe submitted their recipe - Lentils of the Southwest - which has been chosen as one of the top 5 semifinalist recipes in the Dry Beans and Peas category! The recipe is posted on the Recipes for Healthy Kids Challenge web site - and needs your vote to win!

Winning teams will be invited to prepare their nutrition-packed meals alongside White House chefs. To see the recipe and vote, visit: www.recipesforkidschallenge.com/submissions/683-lentils-of-the-southwest.

BEST NON-PROFIT: The Bountiful Alliance, a 501c3 based in Sierra County, is truly a grassroots endeavor. It doesn’t sell anything but works within the T or C community on a number of projects to benefit their neighbors including the Sierra County Farmers’ Market, The Community Garden, The Recycling Project, Renewable Energy, and Water Harvesting. These projects bring Truth or Consequences residents to the table to share their ideas, pool their resources, and take action on making their community an all-around better place. You can find them at the farmers’ market each week in T or C, and they’re always looking for new ideas and volunteers. If you hail from Sierra County check them out on Facebook or at www.thebougntifulalliancenm. blogspot.com – this group generated a lot of love in our voting this year – no small feat with the number of non-profits out there!

N ew Me x ico' s Pre m ie r Pas t ur e Po ult ry f or o ve r 16 ye ars featuring French Label Rouge and American Chickens, Heritage Turkeys, Guinea Fowl and Farm Fresh Eggs

Find us at Santa Fe and Los Alamos farmers' markets year round.

2011 CSA shares still available.

Sign up today.

www. pol l orea l .c om ema i l po ll o re al @q. co m

SOUTHWEST COFFEE & CHOCOLATE FEST Dean Strober hails from Brooklyn – and had recently moved to New Mexico with his wife and baby daughter. With a backround in theater production and event planning, Dean took to the streets looking for work. When the job search turned fruitless, Dean decided to do what he does best and produce his own event. Sweet. The event is the Southwest Chocolate and Coffee festival, the first of its kind in New Mexico, happening in April, and we can hardly wait.

“I was inspired first to do something to make my family proud, and also by some of the great festivals around food and wine I saw happening around the state, and the sense of community I felt here. I really believed that people would come out to support the local chocolate artisans and coffee shops, and coffee and chocolate are a natural together.”

The Southwest Chocolate and Coffee Festival takes place on April 16 and 17 from 10 am-6 pm at the Albuquerque Convention Center. Bring your sweetie and your kids for a day of fun and treats from chocolatiers, candy makers, coffee roasters, bakers, caterers and cafes from around the state. There will be cooking demos and speakers featuring chocolate, musical entertainment by Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, coffee & tea seminars, cookie and cupcake decorating for kids with Cupcakeology, and chocolate cooking demo with the Candy Lady and much, much more. Tickets are $10 at the door or you can order online for $8 up until the day of the show. Best part - kids under 12 are free. For more info and tickets visit, www.ChocolateAndCoffeeFest.com www.ediblesantafe.com

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Local Marketplace Santa Fe

MOBILE SHARPENING SERVICE

NEW LIFE TO OLD KNIVES Kitchen Kinves Scissors All Types Carving Tools Garden Tools Reconditioning Repairs

CUSTOM WORK Hunting Knives Chef ’s Knives Kitchen Cutlery Wood working Tools Toolmaking

SERVICE TO YOUR DOOR, OR YEAR ROUND AT THE SANTA FE FARMERS MARKET PAT ROMERO 505-577-4491

Adam’s Automotive Specializing in Subaru Repair & Maintenance

Over ten years experience!

Adam Griego Owner/Technician

1344-G Jorgensen Lane Santa Fe, NM 87505

www.adamsautosantafe.com Office 505.424.0115

Cell 505.603.4159

Have more time for your Holiday.

Ship with us and we'll take care of the packing.

Ship by Dec 22nd for Guaranteed Dec 25th Delivery.

Across from Trader Joe's and next door to Maria's 551 W. Cordova Rd., Santa Fe, NM 87505. www.mailcallsf.com 505-988-2522

We think inside, outside, and all around the box.

farmers’ markets Corrales Growers Market Recreation Center, 500 Jones Rd. & Corrales Rd., south of the post office First Sunday of each month, 11a.m. 1 p.m. through April Sundays, 9 a.m. - noon, May - October Accepts WIC and senior checks Los Ranchos Growers Market City Hall, 6718 Rio Grande Blvd. NW 2nd Saturday of each month, 10 a.m. noon through April Saturdays, 7 a.m. to 11 a.m., May - November Accepts WIC and senior checks

Pecos Farmers Market Beloved Pecos Gallery, 67 Cowles Hwy. Sundays, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m., April 25 October Accepts WIC and senior checks

CSA members enjoy a relationship with the people growing their food, as well as the freshest local produce available. Many CSAs limit the number of members each season—so call and join today!

Pojoaque Valley Farmers Market Poeh Pueblo Cultural Center, 78 Cities of Gold off Hwy. 84/285 Wednesdays, noon - 6 p.m.

May 5 – Oct. 27 Accepts EBT, WIC and senior checks

Beneficial Farms CSA, Year-round Albuquerque and Santa Fe Dena Aquilina P.O. Box 30044 Santa Fe, NM 87592 www.beneficialfarm.com shares@beneficialfarm.com 505-470-1969

Santa Fe Farmers Market Farmers Market Pavilion, 1607 Paseo de Peralta at Guadalupe Saturdays & Tuesdays, 8 a.m. - 1 p.m., April - Nov. 23 Accepts EBT, debit, credit, WIC and senior checks www.santafefarmersmarket.com

Bayard Farmers Market Hwy. 356 (Central Ave.), across the street from the Bayard Post Office Wednesdays, 3 p.m. - 6 p.m., April 21 - Oct. 27 Bayard Farmers Market on Facebook Accepts WIC and senior checks

Silver City Farmers Market 7th & Bullard Saturdays, 8:30 a.m. - noon May 8 - October Accepts EBT, Debit, WIC, and senior checks www.silvercity.org/dest_farmers_market.php

Las Cruces Farmers & Crafts Market Downtown Mall Saturdays & Wednesdays, 8 a.m. 12:30 p.m., Year-round Accepts WIC and senior checks Please note: Mostly a crafts market www.lascrucesfarmersmarket.org

Taos Farmers Market Town hall lot on Placitas, next to the public library Saturdays, 8 a.m. - noon pm May 15 - Oct. 30 Accepts WIC and senior checks www.farmersmarkettaos.com

Las Cruces: Sunday Growers Market North side of Idaho Crossings parking lot at 1300 El Paseo Sundays, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

April 18 - Nov. 21 Accepts EBT, WIC and senior checks

Taos Sunday Market Town Hall parking lot, 400 Camino de las Placitas Sundays, 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.

May 23 - Oct. 31 Dylan Felt, 575- 613-2057 or e-mail us Accepts WIC and senior checks www.sundaymarket.org www.tierralucero.org

Las Vegas: Tri County Farmers Market 6th St. and University Saturdays & Wednesdays, 7 a.m. - 1 p.m. or sellout, May 15 - Oct. 30 Accepts WIC and senior checks

Los Alamos Farmers Market Mesa Public Library parking lot, 20th & Central Second Thursday of each month, 8 a.m. - noon at the Fuller Lodge through April Thursdays, 7 a.m. - noon May 6 - Nov. 4 Accepts WIC and senior checks www.lanf.org/fm

www.ediblesantafe.com

Cerro Vista Farm, May – November Daniel Carmona 198 Lower Buena Vista Road Cerro, NM 87519 575-586-0877 East Mountain Organic Farms May – October Vegetable and Flower CSA Steve Apodaca P.O. Box 2343 Tijeras, NM 87059 www.eastmountainorganicfarms.com 505-281-5083 Erda Gardens, May – October P.O. Box 8845 ABQ, NM 87198-8845 info@erdagardens.org 505-610-1538 Green Tractor Farm, June – October Certified organic Tom and Mary Dixon Pick ups at our farm in La Cienega or at the SF Farmers market on Saturdays.

505-471-0089 or 505-660-0605 tram@newmexico.com Los Poblanos Organics, Year-round Monte Skarsgard 4803 Rio Grande Blvd. NW ABQ, NM 87107 www.lospoblanosorganics.com 505-681-4060

local CSA listings

Pollo Real, Year Round Poultry CSA Tom and Tracey Delahantey Poultry: Chickens, ducks, heritage turkeys, eggs Santa Fe Farmers Market, Year Round 108 Hope Farms Rd., Socorro, NM 87801 www.polloreal.org 505-838-0345

Join a CSA and pledge your support of farmers and ranchers by helping to assure that they have the capital they need each season to grow our food and their farms.

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Santa Cruz Farms, Year Round Organic Produce Santa Fe Farmers Market House 830 El Llano Rd. Española, NM 87532 santacruzfarmandgreenhouse@gmail.com

505-692-9496 Morningstar Farms March – November Melinda Bateman Artisanal Vegetables Taos / Arroyo Seco, NM 87514 www.morningstarfarmoftaos.com mstarfarm@q.com 575-776-1757 Old Windmill Dairy, Year Round P.O. Box 3823 Moriarty, NM 87035 NMgoatdairy@higherspeed.net www.theoldwindmilldairy.com 505-384-0033 Red Tractor Farm, June – November Dory Wegrzyn and Nerissa Muus 1407 Dennison Rd. SW Albuquerque, NM 87125 www.redtractorfarm.net myredtractor@yahoo.com 505-604-5956 Rio Arriba Farms, May – October Carol Bondy P.O. Box 1052 Abiquiu, NM 87510 info@rioarribafarms.com 505-990-5607 Ross’ Gardens CSA, Year Round Kay and Ross Estancia, NM 87016 rbird4673@q.com Squash Blossom Farm June – September Gail Minton P.O. Box 2649 Ranchos de Taos, NM 87507 sbfarm@laplaza.org 575-751-4681 If we’ve left you off this list, it’s because we don’t know about you!

Please e-mail info@ediblesantafe.com with CSA in the subject line, your contact and CSA information, and we’ll be happy to include you.

For more information on NM Farmers’ Markets and CSAs: www.ediblesantafe.com

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What’s Fresh, What’s Local

What to look for at the market this spring….

NEW MEXICO’S CAPACITY TO PRODUCE FOOD New Mexico has over 5,500 farms that grow directly about 50 edible crops. Top commercial crops for the mass market are: pecans, onions, greenhouse nursery crops, chile and winter wheat. The next tier of crops is peanuts, potatoes, sweet corn and dry beans. There are many farms growing apples (over 900 totaling over 2,000 acres), and over 1,000 acres each of grapes, pistachios, pumpkins, rye and watermelons. Most of the top crops are exported.

Acres in farmland:

43,238,049

Market value of vegetables, roots and greens: $88,996,000

Market value of state’s total agricultural products: Market value of livestock, poultry and their products: $1,621,940,000

season

$2,175,080,000

Market value of dry grains and legumes: $132,548,000

now in Veggies: HOTHOUSE TOMATOES HOTHOUSE CUKES WINTER SQUASH GARLIC LEEKS SPRING ONIONS POTATOES SHALLOTS ARUGULA BRAISING GREENS CHARD KALE MUSTARD GREENS OYSTER MUSHROOMS PEAS

SALAD MIXES SHITAKES SPINACH SPROUTS AND MICROGREENS JERUSALEM ARTICHOKES Dried: DRIED AND FROZEN CHILE JUJUBES HERBS GARLIC SCAPE POWDER LOCAL HERBAL TEAS DRIED APPLES HOMEMADE PASTA

Dairy: EGGS: Chicken, Turkey, Duck BUTTER GOAT CHEESES GOAT MILK Meat: PASTURED LAMB GRASSFED BEEF AND BEEF JERKY GRASSFED BUFFALO GRASSFED YAK AND YAK JERKY SAUSAGES ALL NATURAL PORK TURKEY

CHICKEN GUINEA FOWL GOAT MEAT Beans and Nuts: PECANS PISTACHIOS PINTO BEANS Condiments, Jams and Salsas GARLIC OIL HONEY JAMS AND JELLIES CHUTNEYS, MUSTARDS, AND SALSAS BREADS, PASTRIES, AND OTHER BAKED GOODS

To find recipes using local ingredients, visit us online at www.ediblesantafe.com

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www.ediblesantafe.com

istock Photo: PicturePartners

vegetable literacy

spring veggies: rhubarb and sorrel

by Deborah Madison

S

orrel and rhubarb are among the first edibles to appear in the spring, though what month that might be depends on where you live and your particular climate. Their timing is one reason to consider them together, but another is that they are related as members of the family Polygonaceae, a word that means having many (poly) knees or joints (goni). The more common name for the family is the knotweed family because of nodes, or joints, that reside on the stems of many family members. There are indeed some vicious weeds in this family and not a lot of edibles aside from rhubarb, sorrel, and a third edible, buckwheat. Although residing in different genera, both sorrel and rhubarb are exceedingly tart. Historically they functioned to cleanse the system of the effects of stodgy winter diet, come spring.

salads. Sorrel is very good at brightening foods and surprising the tongue with its sharp little bite, and that’s exactly what it does in when included in a tangle of lettuce. Imagine what it can do with heavier foods like potatoes, lentils and eggs. Cream and sorrel are divine when brought together in savory custard, a soup or a sauce. Think of salmon with sorrel sauce and lentils. And you couldn’t go wrong by tossing a few handfuls of chopped sorrel into a potato soup. No matter how much you use, it cooks down to a shadow of its volume. However the visuals aren’t great—once cooked, sorrel turns an ultra-drab shade of green—not that that should matter. Despite its color, cooked sorrel offers a refreshing tartness with lemon-like acidity that awakens the palate.

If you have a generous supply of sorrel and don’t know what to do with it, you can make a puree to freeze for later use by dropping stemmed leaves into a skillet with a little butter, then cooking for a few minutes until they dissolve. This can become a great asset in your kitchen during the winter when you can break off chunks to stir into lentil soups, mushroom sauces or ragouts, omelets or cream. A dab of cooked sorrel adds a certain spirit to the quiet flavors of winter foods. Keep this in mind for when you have an excess of leaves.

It’s not until late May that there’s a luxurious quantity of leaves on my sorrel plant, which is an ordinary culinary sorrel bought from a nursery. Each leaf comes to a point at the top, broadens towards the center, then dips down at the tips—more or less arrow shaped. A stem runs up the center and the delicate side veins are visible. As the leaves get larger and coarser with the season’s increasing heat, it’s usual to fold them back and rip out the stems, as they can be stringy. But early on, when the leaves are super-tender, this isn’t necessary. Sorrel leaves are so thin that they feel almost like paper. They don’t fare well in plastic containers for release their moisture, then spoil.

Plus you’ll want to use a lot of sorrel when you do use it, which is why having your own plant or two makes sense. You might recently have seen a very small sorrel leaf with red veins in your salad mix. It’s very effective as far as looks go, but seems to lack the tartness of the more common sorrel.

Unlike the delicate sorrel of spring, rhubarb is a coarser-looking plant—or it can be, as the heat of summer rises. From out of the ground, a fist-like ball gradually emerges in spring. Against all odds, it slowly unfolds into yellow-green leaves, which quickly darken. It then sends up a large flower stalk consisting of masses of either tiny cream or rose-colored flowers that look like mist and attract the first bees. These flower stalks are impressive, but you’ll want to cut them down so that the plant can turn to growing leaf

One use, especially for very small and tender leaves, is to add them to green www.ediblesantafe.com

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vegetable literacy For millennia, rhubarb, which is extremely sour in its natural state, was used as a spring tonic for

photo: Carole Topalian

cleansing the blood, especially in Northern Europe and China, where it thrives.

stalks for your table. These edible stalks grow taller and longer until one day makes a beautiful tart that you might garnish with Johnny jump-ups, violets you find you can cut a few to eat. Be sure to use stalks only and NOT the or other spring flowers. leaves, which are toxic.

Even though both sorrel and rhubarb emerge before other herbs and vegetaFor millennia, rhubarb, which is extremely sour in its natural state, was used bles, their seasons persist through summers that are not extremely hot. You as a spring tonic for cleansing the blood, especially in Northern Europe and can harvest your sorrel and rhubarb plants until the first hard freeze, when China, where it thrives. It was eaten raw (a punishing kind of cleanser I would they collapse. One farmer I know feels they’re best then, which is true of think), but also cooked into savory soups and stews. Rhubarb didn’t get its many plants. Despite its long season, rhubarb is hard to find in a supermarket nickname of “pie plant” until sugar was available to turn these sour stalks past June, where it’s treated as if it were a fruit to combine with strawberries. into pies and other sweets, which is mostly how we know rhubarb today: as Once the cherries and apricots appear, rhubarb is often relegated to the past dessert. And yet, I can imagine that unsweetened, or lightly sweetened and for the remainder of the year. The farmers market, which is sensitive to true seasoned, rhubarb compote would work well with fatty meats like duck and seasonality, is a more likely place to find rhubarb throughout its long season. pork, and it might still be eaten raw, albeit very finely sliced, in a salad where, Then you can pair it with blackberries and raspberries as they come along, like sorrel, it would provide a tart surprise for the taste buds. Truly savory and eventually apples. Or experiment with taking the savory route. recipes for rhubarb are very hard to find, however. Even most rhubarb soups are of the sweetened, fruit soup variety. An interesting recipe however, for Green Rhubarb Puree with Grapefruit Rhubarb Koresh, a beguiling chicken stew with Persian spice, can be found 2 ½ lbs. green rhubarb (about 10 c. chopped) in Najmieh Batmanglij’s beautiful book, A Taste of Persia.

1 c. organic cane sugar plus more, to taste The first slender (and often expensive) deep-red stalks that appear in the su- 2 t. Meyer lemon or grapefruit zest permarket are greenhouse-grown. The field-grown rhubarb that comes on its ⅓ c. juice from the zested citrus, above

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heels is larger and not so perfectly red or so deeply colored. Some rhubarb varieties, such as the heirloom Victoria, yield stalks that are entirely green, except for a blush of pink at the bases. For some reason this is the rhubarb that’s prevalent in the Santa Fe farmers market, where I’ve often heard shoppers ask the farmers, as if it were a peach, “Is that rhubarb ripe?” (Yes, it is ready to eat.) Once cooked into a puree, the green varieties turn, like sorrel does, into a delicate but subdued shade of green— again, somewhat on the dull side, like spring on a cloudy day. I tend to keep the flavor as unsullied as its appearance, adding only sugar and grapefruit zest and not darkening it further with cinnamon, brown sugar, and or spice. A green rhubarb puree

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Pinch of salt Trim the ragged ends of the rhubarb. If the large stalks look tough or fibrous, peel and chop them into chunks about an inch long, then put them in a 3-quart saucepan with the sugar, zest, juice and salt. Cook over medium heat until the rhubarb has broken down into a rough puree, about 20 minutes. Don’t use the food processor—the look of the textured threads of rhubarb is appealing just as it is. Chill well.

Serve cold with cream poured over, turn into a rhubarb fool by folding into whipped cream or use it to fill a prebaked tart shell. Makes 2 ½ to 3 cups

www.ediblesantafe.com

Sorrel Lentil Soup Inspired by a recipe of Elizabeth David’s, which called only for lentils, sorrel and cream, I have never been able to resist adding red onion, a bay leaf and sometimes a mirepoix. But even with these additions, this is the simplest of soups with no browning of onions or sautéing of vegetables. Use fresh sorrel if you have it, or a chunk of frozen sorrel puree. This plain-looking soup is best served right away. It’s fairly thin, too, which makes it an ideal soup for the first course of a heavier meal. Makes about 1 quart

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3 handfuls sorrel leaves, stems removed if large, shredded

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Crème fraîche Rinse the lentils and put them in a soup pot with the onion, bay leaf, ¾ teaspoon of salt and water or stock. Bring to a boil, then simmer, partially covered, for 30 minutes or until the lentils are soft.

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Puree half the cooked lentils until smooth, and then return them to the pot. Add the sorrel and cook for 10 minutes more. Taste for salt, season with pepper and serve. Stir a spoonful or two of whisked crème fraîche into each bowl.

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Sorrel Omelet with Cream

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Here the sorrel is cooked into a puree for an omelet, then finished with a little cream, which is a perfect match for this tart herb. For one or two 3 t. butter, divided 15 medium-size sorrel leaves, stems removed, cut into strips 2 farm eggs 2 T. water Sea salt and freshly ground pepper 1–2 T. heavy cream Melt half the butter in a small skillet, add the sorrel and cook for just a few minutes until the leaves have wilted and are grayish green.

Whisk the eggs with the water, a few pinches salt and some pepper.

Stir in the sorrel.

Add the remaining butter to an omelet pan and, once it’s hot and foamy, add the eggs. As the edges cook, pull them into the middle of the pan with a fork, tilting the pan as you do, so that the uncooked eggs flow onto the bare pan. When the eggs are cooked, fold the omelet into thirds and turn it out onto a warm plate. Return the pan to the heat, add the cream and bring it to a boil. Make a slice down the center of the omelet, pour in the cream, then serve with an additional shower of freshly ground pepper.

Deborah Madison is the author of eleven books, including Local Flavors, What We Eat When We Eat Alone, and Seasonal Fruit Desserts. A former chef and pastry chef, she lives near Santa Fe, New Mexico.

For fresh seasonal recipes every Friday, visit www.ediblesantafe.com www.ediblesantafe.com

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cooking fresh

high on pie:

savory spring vegetable pies

BY AMy White, photos by Sergio Salvador

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lmost every culture has some form of savory pie – British pasties, French tarts, Greek pites, Turkish borek, Italian calzones, Russian pirog or pirozhki, Spanish empanadas – the list goes on.

Savory meat or vegetable pies, often sweetened with sugar, were common in medieval Europe. Hand-held pies are still consumed in vast quantities by Australians, New Zealanders and Brits, especially while watching sporting matches. They’re utilitarian and versatile – wrap up just about anything in a piece of dough, and you have a great portable meal.

This year’s hottest food trends are pie and vegetables, according to the Huffington Post’s roundup of food trends. NPR’s Bonny Wolf, along with top restaurant consultants Andrew Freeman & Co., are calling pie the new cupcake. New York Magazine calls vegetables the new meat. Kate Krader of Food and Wine Magazine predicts this year’s major trend will be “more vegetables, especially if there’s a crazy foraging story to tell about them or they’re from some sort of roof top/urban garden.” And Meatless Monday is being adopted by restaurants and school districts nationwide. The obvious conclusion: vegetable pies!

Made with cold-hardy spring vegetables, these hearty pies are the perfect vegetarian main dish for a blustery spring day. Cabbages and carrots got many of our ancestors through long winters, and the first signs of spring in our gardens are greens and scallions.

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Arugula and Goat Cheese Tart This tart could also be made as a pizza using homemade or store-bought dough.

Crust: 1 sheet pre-made puff pastry Topping: 1 large handful arugula 1 t. olive oil 1 clove garlic, minced 1 green onion, minced Salt Freshly ground black pepper 2 ounces soft goat cheese Preheat oven to 450°F. Lay the puff pastry on a baking sheet. With a sharp knife, score a 1-inch border around the edge, being careful not to cut all the way through. Toss the arugula with the olive oil, garlic, green onion, salt and pepper. Pile on top of the crust and dot with bits of goat cheese. Bake 20 minutes, until the crust is golden-brown and the arugula is wilted and browned at the edges. Serves 4 as an appetizer or side dish. (more recipes next page) www.ediblesantafe.com

baking pan or pie plate. Evenly spread the greens mixture into the crust. Roll out the remaining dough and lay it over the greens, folding the bottom crust up and over the top crust to seal the edges. Poke one hole in the center.

Bake 40 to 50 minutes, until golden brown. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting. Serves 6 as a main dish.

Cabbage Pie Soup Don’t be tempted to skip the soup part here – this pie is delicious drenched in hot vegetable broth. Sauteing the cabbage brings out a rich, nutty flavor, and the vinegar, sugar and salt are in perfect balance which creates a taste greater than the sum of its parts. This Finnish recipe is adapted from Darra Goldstein’s fascinating cookbook, The Winter Vegetarian.

Sweet and Savory Greens Pie The combination of greens, raisins and pine nuts is a classic, found across Europe. In Catalonia, it is served in tapas bars or used to fill savory empanadas. In the south of France, a sweet chard pie called tourte de blette is served as a dessert, made with ricotta or parmesan and sometimes apples. My favorite recipe has a balance of sweet and savory flavors, and the crust is simple and satisfying- while not flaky, it’s a great sturdy crust for any kind of handheld pie.

Crust: 2 c. all-purpose flour 1/3 c. extra-virgin olive oil 1 c. cold water 1 t. salt Filling: ¼ c. raisins or currants 2 T. olive oil 4 cloves garlic, minced ¼ c. pine nuts 1 ½ pounds chard, spinach or kale ¼ t. ground nutmeg (optional) Salt Freshly ground black pepper ½ c. grated Parmesan, packed 2 eggs, lightly beaten Preheat the oven to 400°F. Soak raisins in boiling water, just enough to cover. Mix flour and salt in a large bowl (or mixer using a dough hook), then add olive oil and water and knead for a few minutes. Let rest for at least 10 minutes. The dough can be refrigerated for up to a day.

Wash the greens thoroughly, roll them together and slice into thin ribbons (with chard and kale you can also use the stems, chopped finely). Place the greens in a large stockpot with a splash of water; cover and cook over medium heat until thoroughly wilted, 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer greens to a colander and press any liquid out with the back of a spoon. Heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Add the garlic, pine nuts and drained raisins, and cook until golden, 3 to 5 minutes. Add greens, season with nutmeg, salt and pepper as desired, and stir to combine evenly. Cool slightly, and then mix in cheese and eggs.

Roll out two-thirds of the dough and lay it in a square

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Carrot Pie This Russian recipe is also adapted from The Winter Vegetarian, by Darra Goldstein. I use store-bought pie crust, and I like to make these as hand-held pirozhki, although you could also make one large pie instead. A fresh green salad is the perfect complement to the silky texture and rich flavor of this pie.

Filling: 1 pound carrots 4 green onions, minced ¼ c. butter 1 c. bread crumbs ½ c. minced parsley (including stems) 1-2 t. dried dill ¼ c. sour cream 1 ½ t. salt Freshly ground black pepper Crust: 2 pre-made pie crusts 1 beaten egg Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Trim the tops and tails off the carrots, then boil them in lightly salted water until just tender, about 10 minutes. Dice them very finely – this is important for the texture. Melt the butter in a skillet on medium-high heat, and cook the green onions, carrots and bread crumbs together, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the remaining ingredients, and let cool slightly.

Lay each pie crust flat and cut into four quarters.

Place 1/3 cup of filling in the center of each quarter. Bring the three corners together at the top and fold the edges to seal them tightly. Brush with the egg. Bake on a cookie sheet for 25 to 30 minutes, until the crust is golden brown.

Serves 8 as a main dish.

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Crust: 2 c. flour (half whole wheat is nice) 1 c. butter (2 sticks) 1 c. sour cream (low-fat is ok) 1 beaten egg Filling: ¼ c. butter 1 medium head of cabbage 2 T. vinegar 3 T. sugar 2 t. salt Broth: 1 quart vegetable stock Cut together the flour and butter, with a fork or a food processor, until its texture resembles cornmeal. Then stir in the sour cream until the dough holds together.

Divide the dough into two flattened balls of equal size, wrap each in plastic and refrigerate for about an hour. Preheat the oven to 425ºF. While the dough is chilling, slice the cabbage into thin ribbons. Melt the butter on medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add the cabbage, stirring to coat it with butter, cover and cook for 5 to 10 minutes to wilt it. Add the remaining ingredients and cook on high heat, stirring frequently, until all liquid is evaporated, and the cabbage is translucent and slightly browned.

How long this takes depends on how finely you cut the cabbage, usually about 20 minutes.

Roll out each ball of dough to fit a 9x13-inch baking dish. Lay the bottom crust in the pan and spread the cabbage evenly over it. Cover with top crust, and roll up the edges of both crusts together. Brush the top with egg. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until the top is golden brown. Cut into 6 pieces, and serve each square of pie in a wide, shallow bowl with broth poured over it.

Serves 6 as a main dish.

Blogger Amy White is totally obsessed with vegetables and fruits.

Amy blogs every Friday for the Edible Santa Fe website – always offering a delicous recipe for the weekend, or find more of her recipes on her home blog www.veggieobsession.blogspot.com.

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native edibles

The Mesquite Bean: Ancient Desert Food Story and photo by Lois ellen frank

This ancient desert food of the past may now be an important food of the future. Rich in calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron and zinc, and rich in the amino acid lysine, mesquite meal, made from the pods of the mesquite bean, is an important food because of its ability to stabilize blood sugar. This meal is a prefect food for everyone today but especially an important food for diabetics.

Coming from the Nahuatl word mizquitl, mesquite is a leguminous plant found in northern Mexico throughout the Sonoran Desert, Chihuahuan Deserts and all the way up into the Southwestern United States. Several species have been found in the arid regions of southern and western South America.

What is so amazing about the plant itself, a member of the Prosopis genus is that it is perfectly suited to the desert environment. It needs very little water, and is an extremely hardy, drought-tolerant plant because it can draw water from the water table through its long taproot (recorded at up to 190ft in depth) as well as use water from the upper part of the ground, depending on water availability. Its flowers provide a nectar source for bees to produce mesquite honey, which is deliciously rich and dark and distinctly flavored. The tree itself grows quickly, and provides shade and a wildlife habitat in the desert where other trees will not grow. As the pods are a legume, they fix nitrogen in the soil where the mesquite tree grows.

In the Tohono O’odham language, it is called Wihug and the long bean pods have been harvested

and ground into a meal for centuries. Mesquite meal is a traditional Native American food that is produced by gathering ripened seedpods from the mesquite tree, which are then ground into high-protein flour. The flour has been used as a thickening agent for soups and stews, but can be used in a multitude of dishes from cornbread to scones to my favorite, homemade mesquite flour tortillas. The meal is naturally sweet and can be made into a jelly or syrup, either of which is delicious on top of mesquite pancakes. I find that it has a distinct stand-alone flavor that is rich, deep, nutty, and sweet, almost caramel-like making it a delicious meal to cook with.

Mesquite meal or flour can be substituted into any recipe that uses flour. The ratio is different, however, and I usually substitute ¼ cup to one cup of flour. Mesquite meal is also high in fiber, making it a good source of your daily fiber intake.Mesquite meal flour can be purchased from several sources; I always buy the meal from Native Seeds/SEARCH, a nonprofit conservation organization based in Tucson, Arizona. The group conserves, distributes, and documents the adapted and diverse varieties of agricultural seeds and their wild relatives, and the role these seeds play in cultures of the American Southwest and northwest Mexico. You can find the meal and other mesquite products by visiting them online: www.nativeseeds.org.

Mesquite Four Tortillas 2 c. organic all-purpose flour ½ c. mesquite meal flour ½ t. baking powder ½ c. ve getable shortening 1½ c. warm water Mix together the dry ingredients in a mediumsized mixing bowl. Add the vegetable shortening and mix together using a slotted spoon.

Slowly add the warm water, mixing with the slotted spoon until dough is soft and pliable. Knead the dough on a floured work surface for 3 to 4 minutes, just until it is very soft and pliable and doesn’t stick to your hands.

Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rest for 20 minutes. Remove the plastic wrap, and on a lightly floured work surface form the dough into small balls the size of a golf ball.

Heat a cast-iron skillet or comal until very hot.

Using a rolling pin, roll out each dough ball to approximately 8 inches in diameter. Place the tortilla onto the cast-iron skillet or comal and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, then flip the tortilla and cook the other side for the same amount of time.

Place cooked tortillas in a basket lined with a soft cloth or towel to keep them warm while you finish the batch. Serve with your favorite filling and salsa. Makes approximately 16 to 18 tortillas.

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Lois Ellen Frank is a Santa Fe, New Mexico based Native American Chef, Native American foods historian, culinary anthropologist, author and photographer. She is a featured instructor focusing on Native American Foods of the Southwest Indian Nations at the Santa Fe School of Cooking, and is chef/owner, along with Native Chef Walter Whitewater of the Diné Nation, of Red Mesa Cuisine.

www.ediblesantafe.com

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food artisans

one woman’s cake odyssey

by Kay Vinson • photos by Sergio Salvador

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For immediate gratification there’s the pastry case at A Cake Odyssey which is filled with freshly-baked treats, including biscochitos, fruit tarts, cupcakes, mini cheesecakes and one of Castillo-West’s latest creations, Fiesta, petits fours glacés with a regional flavor.

s Karyn Castillo-West talks about her craft, her eyes light up and her hands and arms become broad-brush strokes of animated enthusiasm.

She has slipped into her artist self, into the zone where she is most comfortable. It is clear that Castillo-West enjoys almost nothing more than talking about the design and creation of fabulous and dramatic specialty cakes and other baked treats.

“I love what I do,” she said. “It is so exciting. I am living my dream.” CastilloWest calculates that she’s created thousands of specialty cakes over the years and who-knows-how-many bite-sized baked treats.

She’s been delighting brides and grooms in Albuquerque for more than a dozen years with her edible artistic creations. Just a few of the cakes Castillo-West has whipped up for weddings: a three-foot, tiered cake draped in hand-painted edible gold trim, a colorful Southwestern version of Austrian artist Gustav Klimt’s “The Kiss,” and a Garden of Love cake featuring flower blooms both real and air brushed with iridescent food coloring.

Castillo-West said her favorite sugar medium to work with is rolled fondant, a soft, cooked sugar mass, rolled out like pie crust, and draped over the cake, then smoothed and coaxed into place before trimming. It has a porcelainlike finish “with a sheen to it,” she explained. “When it cools it gets pliable.”

It serves as her canvas upon which to design and decorate as the fondant also can be tinted, flavored, formed, twisted or cut into a variety of shapes for placement on the fondant canvas. Additional edible media she works with include marzipan, an almond paste; chocolate plastique; and gum paste, also known as sugar paste.

“The possibilities are endless,” Castillo-West elaborated in a recent interview. “My creativity really comes out when I focus on developing my own techniques.”

The 55-year-old food artisan’s latest iteration of her career is A Cake Odyssey, her new bakery in Los Ranchos. Last spring she moved from her storefront at Lomas and San Mateo in Albuquerque, Unique Cakes by Karyn, where she specialized in weddings.

Castillo-West’s decorating ideas spring from most anything that catches her eye, she recently translated a catalog photograph of a stack of colorful pillows of different shapes and sizes into a cake she calls “Pillow Talk.” While she has a host of design ideas, she’s always looking for more, including tactile items that might work into her art, such as porcelain and textiles. CastilloWest said she encourages her customers to bring their ideas to the table to further enhance the creative process.

A Cake Odyssey is allowing her to branch out, whether special-order cakes for birthdays, other social occasions or corporate events. There are at least a dozen different flavors to choose from, including carrot cake, the highly popular butter pecan, and her creation, pink champagne cake.

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For more info, visit www.ACakeOdyssey.com or call 505-268-2998. www.ediblesantafe.com

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Story and Photos by Karen McCullough

farmers dairy: ditch dreams Story BY Kristen Davenport Our farm is at 8,100 feet in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in rural Taos County.

Other farmers at market in Santa Fe tease us sometimes for our cold climate, asking us in July if our last frost is past, wondering in August if it has snowed lately, etc.

They are right—it’s cold up here. We can’t really grow a good tomato, which wants nice warm nights of the valley to set the tastiest fruits. Eggplant? Nope.

Chile? Leave it to Hatch.

But there are definite advantages to living and farming in the high country. For example, we can grow celery (which loathes temperatures much over 75 degrees). We can grow sweet greens even when the sweltering nights of July turn lettuce down lower a bit bitter. Cabbage loves it up here, and we have spinach and peas in August. Hardneck garlics—the very yummiest of all – love our cold winters and snug blankets of snow.

But perhaps one of the primary reasons we ended up at this elevation is our proximity to the source of New Mexico’s water. At this elevation, we are one of the highest market farms on the watersheds of the state – with only a handful of hayfields above us on the ditch. Each winter snowstorm that dumps drifts onto the peaks, we watch our summer irrigation water pile up.

Our ditch – the Llano de San Juan “El Monte” ditch -- is four miles long where it irrigates the valley’s pastures. But above us is a nearly 2-mile trek through aspens, rocky mountain slopes and alpine meadows, to where the ditch pulls off the Rio

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Santa Barbara at the base of Jicarita Peak. Jicarita Peak, visible from our fields, is the wide bare expanse that my kids call “our” mountain. (Sandia Peak in Albuquerque is “Grammy’s” mountain.)

For most of the winter, the ditch is frozen solid. Some of the mayordomos up here try to leave water in the ditch all winter for the livestock – mostly cattle – that live along the ditch. But most winters, temperatures well below zero freeze the ditch solid, at least for a few weeks. One of my favorite winter pastimes is walking along the ditches, or along the Rio Santa Barbara, and listening to the water gurgle underneath a foot of solid ice. As the water thaws a bit, then freezes, thaws, then freezes, it creates slippery, translucent sculptures of ice.

Each spring, once most of the ice is gone, a crew of 10 to 15 people heads out (it usually is raining and cold that day, of course) to clean the ditch with palas (shovels) and tijeras (pruning sheers), scraping away a year’s worth of muck, removing large rocks, clipping down wild stands of jaras (willows) and wild roses.

And then, the acequia bosses turn the water on. The first rush often overflows the banks, because no matter how well we think we cleaned the ditch, a year’s worth of schmutz (pine needles, dead weeds, old soda cans, plastic bags someone used to block the water last August) gets caught on something and piles up until the ditch overflows. Many a spring, my children have used the annual ditch overflow as an excuse to take a good mud bath (as if they needed an excuse).

Incredibly, the acequia that runs through our valley was first dug in 1796. In www.ediblesantafe.com

marekuliasz for iStock Photo

on the farm

Flood irrigation is the way farmers have always

watered

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headgate on the ditch and spending days shepherding the water into little channels and notches, watching it slowly wiggle down each row and soaking deep

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the beds. those days, many of the crews that created the modern acequia systems had few tools, no trucks and no backhoes, and yet they figured out how to create miles of channels – traveling always downhill, through valleys and around hills – with nothin g more than a mule and a corked water bottle as a level. An elderly friend in Truchas says his grandfather swore they dug the main Truchas ditch – which goes five miles back into the mountains – with wooden shovels and sharp sticks.

Until last summer, my husband and I had always used flood irrigation to water our crops – at first, just garlic and later adding potatoes, onions, broccoli, beans, peas and many other vegetables and flowers that don’t mind chilly mountain summers. Flood irrigation is the way farmers have always watered their crops in these mountain valleys of Northern New Mexico – releasing the water from the headgate on the ditch and spending days shepherding the water into little channels and notches, watching it slowly wiggle down each row and soaking deep the beds.

Many times we spent entire days out doing this – watching the sun move slowly across the sky, clouds pass the peaks and the water wind its way down the rows, with little noise other than the wind in our ears and the soft gurgle of water as it emerges from old gopher holes. But as our farm expanded, we knew that we needed an irrigation system other than the slow trickle of water. Flood irrigation is not the most water-efficient, nor most time-efficient, way to irrigated.

I have long resisted the modernization of our water system. Some neighbors want to put plastic PVC pipes up to the ditch and across our land – an idea that similarly hurts my aesthetic sensibilities.

But who can resist the march of progress for long? We do now have a sprinkler irrigation system and are looking at improvements, drip and other systems. The spraying water can be seen a half-mile away, spurring a neighbor to say our farm is like an “entertainment park.” The diesel engine is loud. The plastic pipes and tubes and gizmos and connector doohickeys make my head hurt.

Admittedly, we watered nearly four acres last year with a fraction of the water, and a fraction of the time. But in my heart, I am an old timer. In my heart, each spring, I can’t wait for that first frigid gush of snowmelt that blasts through our culvert and into our field, sluicing along, soaking into the cold ground, bringing forth the first green of spring.

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Kristen Davenport and her husband, Avrum Katz, are the owners of Boxcar Farm. They can be found most Saturdays from July on at the Santa Fe Farmers Market. Their website is at www. boxcarfarm.com. www.ediblesantafe.com

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edible education

Grow Forth and Conquer school gardening movement in Albuquerque Public Schools Story BY nissa patterson • photos by Sergio Salvador

O

n a blustery mid-winter day, she tested the moisture level of the soil in her cold frame by gently inserting her finger at various points around the garden. She paused each time she brought her finger out of the soil, taking a moment to ponder the information she gained. After her moisture testing, she walked over to the rain catchment tank and ran the palm of her hand up the tank, from the base to the top. Then from the top down she gently tapped the tank, listening carefully. Satisfied, she turned the tap from the tank on and filled her watering can. She performed these tasks deliberately, attentively, expertly. As I watched her, I thought of her as part scientist, part artist. Clearly, she knew what she was doing.

Every gardener will recognize this choreography of watering the plot. Probably most of us will not even remember where we learned this dance or how old we were. I witnessed the above scene at the Garden Club at Zia Elementary School in Albuquerque. This particular student was asked to water. Around her, there were about 15 other students performing tasks, many with the same deliberate care, and fueled by laughter. The other half of the club was inside, participating in discussions about the importance of eating a “rainbow” of fruits and vegetables.

To those of us who care about food and eating locally, this sort of scene warms the heart. It represents a new generation of citizens that will have the knowl-

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Photos: Students tend to the Zia Elementary School garden. edge and skills they will need to garden, to know where their food comes from, and to be their own experts. These skills and knowing will never leave them; these students will embody this knowledge. Many of us who have grown food with students have experienced that even the most vegetable phobic child will eat what he or she has grown, no lecturing or nagging involved.

With the New Mexico Department of Health reporting (December 2010) that 30.3% of kindergarteners and 38.7% of third grade students here are currently overweight or obese, getting kids to eat more foods grown in a garden is something we can all support.

Thankfully, the scene at Zia is not an anomaly. Across the city of Albuquerque there is a growing school-gardening movement, in both public and private schools. This movement includes more than 30 gardens in the Albuquerque Public Schools district, all in various stages of development (dreaming, planning and in use). The gardens range from small plots tended by a single classroom, to Dragon Farm at the South Valley Academy charter school. Dragon Farm produce is sold at the local farmers market and used in the school cafeteria. The farm is a recipient of a USDA Community Foods Grant that will support many more exciting activities. Bandelier Elementary School has several raised beds, a shed, fruit trees, compost pile and a seating area for group learnwww.ediblesantafe.com

ing in an area that was formerly a forlorn wasteland. The space was renovated with generous capital outlay funds from state Sen. Cisco McSorley and the local Parent-Teacher Association. Bandelier’s garden, like many school gardens, is an outdoor classroom with an emphasis on providing a place to experientially learn about math and science as well as inspire language, art, and social studies projects. Many gardens also focus on environmental science and a few, like East San Jose Elementary School, are starting to compost the cafeteria green waste. Gardens are a useful and natural environment to manage frustration and to teach children social skills such as cooperation, communication and goal setting.

All the gardens across APS started with little to no coordinated support from central administration and without a supportive network, sort of like climbing beans without a trellis. Recognizing a movement and the gardens’ potential seeded a group called the Growing Gardens Team (GGT), founded in 2009. Fueled by a passion for school gardening, GGT’s mission is to foster a network to provide training, tools and resources to Albuquerque area school staff that want to garden with students. To date, the team has provided a regular schedule of workshops for teachers, maintains an informational e-mail distribution list, and in fall 2010 published a handbook on gardening in APS schools, funded by a seed grant from the McCune Foundation. Like most trellises, the GGT can’t always support the entire weight of the bush, but that hasn’t stopped them.

Get Involved!

More ways that community members can support school gardens: Offer your expertise, experience and volunteer time with things like planning and design, organizing and fundraising, digging, planting, landscaping, building projects or cooking

Their mission is about the next generation, that they might be able to move about their own plots, or through our shared spaces, with that same confidence that the young gardener at Zia had. What if each student had that bit of knowledge so that he or she can confidently eye the weather, test the soil, spread the water and taste the fruits from the earth? What a different world we would live in.

Raise funds at school by selling seeds and/or plants grown by students instead of unhealthy foods Beautify school campuses with plants, flowers and trees Donate needed plants, seeds or tools

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GGT meets the second Monday of every month at Michael Thomas Coffee in Albuquerque. For more information, contact Jennie McCary, APS District Wellness Manager, at mccary@aps.edu or 505-855-9793.

Nissa Patterson is a member of the Albuquerque Public Schools Growing Gardens Team

School Gardening Resources - Local and National GGT report on APS gardens and a handbook on gardening in APS schools, www.aps.edu/health-and-wellness/wellness/growing-gardens

Center for Ecoliteracy, www.ecoliteracy.org Edible School Yard, www.edibleschoolyard.org Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO), Setting up & running a school garden, www.fao.org Green School Initiative, http://www.greenschools.net Healthy Schools Initiative, www.myhealthyschool.com Junior Master Gardner, www.jmgkids.us Life Lab Science Program/ California School Gardening Network, www.lifelab.org National Gardening Association, Kids Gardening, www.kidsgardening.com National Farm to School, www.farmtoschool.org New Mexico Farm to School, www.farmtotablenm.org Project Learning Tree, www.plt.org USDA Ag in the Classroom Teacher Center, www.agclassroom.org www.ediblesantafe.com

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edible mainstreet

Getting Your Goat

Goats and honeybees fuel a growing Santa Fe business

photos this page by Jennifer Esperanza

by Wolf Schneider

Thor, the Norse god of thunder, was usually depicted with two goats pulling his chariot. Now two New Mexico goats are proving their potential for greatness, too. Autumn and Sula, two adorable brown-and-white does, provide the raw goods for Milk and Honey, a local Santa Fe business that handcrafts all-natural goat milk soaps and honeybee lotion bars.

Milk and Honey launched as a home-based cottage industry, with CEO/ Milkmaid Daven Lee distributing her products at the Santa Fe Farmers Market. Having recently earned a USDA grant for expansion, now she is also wholesaling to Whole Foods Market in Albuquerque, Earth Spirit at Albuquerque Sunport, Collected Works in Santa Fe, and sundry other outlets ranging from Taos, Deming and Nambe in New Mexico, to Texas, Arizona and Hawaii. edible Santa fe

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The rustic goat pen that Autumn and Sula call home is inside Santa Fe city limits, not far from St. Michael’s Drive. Inside their approximately 10-foot-by-15-foot corral, Autumn and Sula are stretched out lazing in sunlight on twigs and branches when I drive up. They clamber onto their hooves quickly when they catch sight of Lee, 40, who arrives toting a silver pail of kitchen scraps—apple cores, cheese, parsley and other tidbits.

The goats nibble at the scraps, then return to noshing their alfalfa.

Meet the Nubians Autumn and Sula are Nubian goats. They share their pen with a smaller male goat of a different breed named Pan, who does not contribute to the business as he can’t provide milk but dwells affably with his two “wives.”

All three are friendly and curious. The two nannies get milked every afwww.ediblesantafe.com

Nubians give very rich milk with a high cream content and that’s great for skin-care products ternoon by Lee, and that milk is made into the goat milk soap. “They give me one gallon of milk a day which, believe me, is plenty right now,” says the slim, red-haired Lee. “Nubians give very rich milk with a high cream content and that’s great for skin-care products.”

The floppy-eared Nubians stand about 3 feet tall. Lee purchased Autumn first, from a woman in Cerrillos. Sula is Autumn’s daughter. If Lee wants more goats, she plans, “I’ll have to take them to a buck or borrow a buck for a while.”

These three goats are economical to maintain, consuming just 1 ½ bales of hay a week, at about $8 per bale. While goats sometimes get a bad rap for smelling poorly, these do not. “Everyone is always worried that farm animals will smell. The goats that smell bad are the bucks, especially as they mature. A castrated male won’t smell and makes a great pet if you don’t want a goat to milk,” Lee assures.

She got her goats initially as pets when she was living in Glorieta, before she moved to Santa Fe. “Goats are very smart. They have different personalities. You can bond with them. They’re like dogs. They’re responsive and friendly. They’re herd animals and they see you as part of the herd. It makes it rewarding that they’re so personable and sweet,” Lee says.

photo by Kate Russell

She launched Milk and Honey in 2005. “The business started from just loving the goats and appreciating the cycles and rhythms of nature,” Lee says.

“Goats are known as the poor man’s cow. They can eat weeds and still produce a highly nutritious milk,” she comments. In fact, “Goats are being used a lot for land restoration weed clearing.” Case in point: The community of Eldorado has experimented in recent years with bringing in dozens of goats for a few days of weed clearing.

A single mother of two, her days start around 7am and she works into the evening. She can still be found at her Santa Fe Farmers Market booth. “My business would not exist without the Santa Fe Farmers Market, which is such a valuable incubator for a farm-based business. It holds people to such high standards. The rules are very strict in terms of what can be sold there, which results in higher quality and purity. And it’s such a marketing platform,” she adds, mentioning a micro-loan program and USDA grant officials who’ve visited.

Lee makes the Milk and Honey goat milk soaps in her kitchen. Here’s how it goes: she brings the milk home, combines it with lye, coconut oil, organic extra-virgin olive oil, and nutrient-rich honey and beeswax (from local beekeeper Steve Wall), then lets it cure for a month. Almond oil that has been infused with locally harvested calendula flowers as a sort of tea, then strained, is added. So are other pure essential oils. Then the mixture is poured into molds with custom designs like petroglyph spirals and sunflowers.

Advice for other aspiring farm businesses? First, concoct a unique product. “My product is not perishable and can be taken home by tourists. It’s a value-added business; it’s worth more than the sum of its parts. Like, jam is worth more than the strawberries,” she explains. Then, consider the marketing. “How you present yourself and your business is important— what your booth looks like and how you engage customers and network.”

The farm-fresh Milk and Honey moisturizing lotion bars are even more unique. Scented with lavender, rosemary, or citrus, and similarly concocted of beeswax, almond oil infused with calendula flowers, coconut oil, and essential oils (but no goat milk), they substitute for liquid moisturizer and are a handy item on a desktop.

Don’t forget packaging. Lee just overhauled hers, working with a Santa Fe designer. Her cheerful new see-and-sniff matchbox-style boxes in green and purple, with goats and bees on them, are printed at Albuquerque Printing. What’s next? “Looking at projections and markets, and where the products will go. It’s about distributing the products more broadly.”

Launching a Business Lee grew up in Appalachia with a weaver mother and painter/teacher father. “So I grew up in the environment of working for yourself and selling a creatively made product,” she reasons. After attending Boston University, she moved to New Mexico in search of a different lifestyle. She worked at Mothering magazine, then ran a nonprofit promoting breast-feeding. www.ediblesantafe.com

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Milk and Honey can be reached at www.milkandhoneylotion.com or 505.412.1857. Daven sells at the Santa Fe Farmers Market on Saturdays 9am-1pm in the Railyard.

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food as medicine

Spring Tonic S

pring is traditionally a time for cleaning house, a ritual that is just as important for the inner body as it is for the external environment. As medical herbalist and founder of Herbs, Etc., Daniel Gagnon, explains, “Those rich winter foods - stews, heavy dairy, cheeses, all clog up the system. Spring is the time to start clearing out the toxins, to cleanse the kidneys, liver and intestines.” Fortunately, and this may come as a surprise, the first green plants to appear, often in your own backyard, are perfect for that purpose.

“It’s important to eat with the seasons,” says ethnobotanist Tomas Enos of Milagro Herbs. “Spring is a time to start eating lighter foods, to stay away from dairy and gluten – anything that creates mucus and clogs the system.”

Enos believes that allergic reactions are the result of a weakened immune system, which is unable to defend against the invasion of pollen into the nasal passages and beyond, because the body is, effectively, clogged up. “If people would start a cleansing regime in March,” he says, “and eat the spring greens that are everywhere, like dandelion, mallow and nettles, their allergies would definitely diminish.”

The familiar dandelion, for example, which many people spend time and money trying to eliminate each year, is high in protein, calcium and phosphorus, and extremely high in vitamin A. Dandelion leaves are especially prized for flushing out toxins and providing support for the liver. The leaves can be used in salads, soups, or lightly cooked or steamed, and added to omelettes.

Considered a common weed, the highly beneficial plant known as common mallow is abundant here in New Mexico. Making a tea from the boiled roots is said to be beneficial for painful chest conditions such as bronchitis or flu, and it is also useful as a diuretic or to treat urinary problems. The leaves store a powerhouse of vitamins and minerals, they are rich in calcium, phosphorus and iron, as well as vitamins A and C. Mallow leaves make a tasty addition to a green salad, are excellent cooked in a casserole or added to eggs, and can be made into a delicious, mild-flavored tea.

Nettles (also known as Stinging Nettles) are a common edible and medicinal

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Considered a common weed, the highly beneficial plant known as common mallow is abundant here in New Mexico. plant that grows abundantly here. Consumed in soups and vegetable dishes, nettles are known for their blood building qualities. As a tea, it assists in relieving inflammations from allergies and skin disorders. It is really one of our “green superfoods” and is quite easy to cultivate in Southwest gardens.

Nettles are very high in proteins, calcium, magnesium, potassium and many trace minerals.

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Bulgur and Wild Greens Pilaf (4-6 servings) You can use any combination of wild greens here, or add some spinach or chard to the mix.

1 lb. of mixed wild greens, cleaned and roughly chopped 2-3 leeks, cut in thin rounds 2 onions, chopped 1 ½ c. of bulgur, rinsed 3 c. of boiling water 3-4 T. of olive oil or butter salt, pepper and red pepper Heat oil in a soup pot or large skillet, add onions and leeks. Saute for 10 minutes on medium heat, stir occasionally. Add cleaned, chopped greens and cook for few more minutes. Add bulgur, hot water, salt, pepper and red pepper and cover the pot. Lower heat to very low and cook until all the water is evaporated.

www.ediblesantafe.com

All photos iStock Photo: tomch; Schnuddel: DIGIHELION

by Anya Sebastian

Use Only the Best on Your Skin!

Milagro Herbs

Specializing in hand-crafted, organic, locally made skincare products to suit your needs **

Come by our new store at 419 Orchard Drive (off Paseo de Peralta, next to Kakawa Chocolate house and across from the Gerald Peters Galley)

Store Hours: Mon-Sat 10-5:30pm Visit our Website: www.milagroherbs.com (505) 820-6321

southwest gardens

Sunken Bird Allure Bed Flower + Fruit Hammock

Warm Season Play Field

Raised Screening Bed 5’h Cascade + Soften

Edible Fence 6’h

Sunken Potato Bed

Snap + Crunch

Asparagus Patch

Sunken planting area

Intersection Garden: Functional + Fun

Pluck + Munch

Mound + Dig

Romp + Roll

Edible Shade Pergola Cool + Relax Bocci - Horseshoe - Croquet Play Area

Pcik + Slurp

Raspberry Patch

Shade Tree Sand Box

Living Room

Raised Sensory Bed 3’h

Raised Salsa Bed 3’ h

Fondle + Sniff

Grind + Dice

Sub-grade Grey Water Line

to perennial edible beds + orchard

Studio Bedroom

Sunken planting area

Entry Kitchen

Beneficial Meadow

Attract + Pollinate

Patio

Raised Salad Bar 3’h

Laundry

Dining Room

Pinch + Toss

Heirloom Orchard Bloom + Bite

Clothesline

Raised Herb Bar Snip + Mince Canale Catchment

for hand watring edibles

Vertical, Horizontal, Sunken and Raised: Edibles as outdoor vignettes

by Christie Green

The entire lot is 240 feet long by 110 feet wide, although the principals of micro ‘vignette’ gardens may be applied on almost any scale. The larger edible areas for the orchard and perrennial edibles like the raspberries and asparagus would need more sprawl room, but the others could be more compact and close in, as shown in this drawing

Create your food forest with delicious selections from our edible plant offerings.

Fruit and nut trees, berry producing shrubs & grapevines. Wonderful herb and vegetable plants in season, and great open pollinated non-GMO vegetable seed.

We have a fabulous book selection to inspire you.

ABQ: 6680 4th NW - 505-344-8830 | Santa Fe: 3095 Agua Fria - 505-438-8888

w w w . p l a n t s o f t h e s o u t hwe s t . c o m

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www.ediblesantafe.com

southwest gardens

Dig in to Spring!

Serving You Since 1993

Indoor Garden Supplies Grow Lights • Hydroponic Systems NM’s best selection of organic garden products: Fox Farm, Roots Organics, Botanicare, Seeds of Change, Soil Secrets & more!

1051 San Mateo Blvd SE in Albuquerque 505-255-3677 • 800-753-4617 • AHLgrows.com

Fast, Convenient Shipping Statewide

Average Last Frost Dates (approximate!): Albuquerque – April 24 • Santa Fe – May 30th • Taos - May 30th – June 4th Sow indoors 6 weeks before last frost: – Arugula, chard, chiles, eggplant, herbs, peppers, tomatoes, and squash Sow outdoors after last frost dates: Radishes, carrots, kale, shallots, green onions, onions, chard, turnips, beets, peas, strawberries, rhubarb, hardy annuals and perennials Native Plants to try this year: Anasazi beans; Tepary Beans; Espanola, Cochiti or Chimayo Chiles; Hopi Dye Sunflower – find at Plants of the Southwest or Native Seeds Search.

Think about your soil. According to Wes Brittenham at Plants of the Southwest: “You should assume that unless you have been diligent about enriching your soil over the years, there is no organic material in the soil. Organic material in soil makes nutrients available to plant roots – in the natural world the soil is built from the top down – speed up process by adding composted material. Don’t add peat – it has no nutrient value and is not natural to the South West – once it dries it’s nearly impossible to rehydrate. Once you’ve amended the soil and planted, add mulch – not alfalfa – barley straw makes an excellent mulch and when broken down adds excellent nutrients to the soil.

Enrich with an eye on holding moisture – the best, cheapest and greenest is home compost, but if you don’t compost your next best local bet is to buy from Soilutions –it’s locally produced and meets organic grower standards.

You can buy it in bags or by the pickup depending on how much you need.”

Plants of the Southwest, www.plantsofthesouthwest.com (505) 344-8830 Soil Resources Soilutions (Abq) • www.soilutions.net • 505-877-0220 Santa Fe Premium Compost (Santa Fe) • 505-310-3971 Milagro Worms and Compost • 505-231-4577 • www.milagrocompost.com Payne’s Organic Soil Yard (Santa Fe) • 505-424-0336 • www.paynes.com Blossoms Organic Garden Center (Taos) • www.blossomstaos.com www.ediblesantafe.com

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southwest gardens

Get in the Zone

by Nate Downey

P

ermaculture provides 10 effective “methods of design” that determine a system’s components, their appropriate placement and the most beneficial way they will relate to one another.

Zone 0. Here is the place where you put things you need in your immediate vicinity. Some examples are the greenhouse, shadehouses, sunny patios, potted plants and herbs, shade-creating One of these principles is “zonation,” the method vines, solar panels and graywater-filtration sysof placing all components of a system within one tem. (or more) of six quasi-distinct zones. Permacul- Zone 1 is directly outside zone 0 via the home’s ture breaks up zoning into 6 zones. For your aver- most frequently used doors - especially the kitchage backyard, zones 0 through 2, as well as zone en door. Sustainable design dictates that you 5, will be most relevant, although in keeping with should place components that you will visit most the true spirit of permaculture, it is worth under- often (daily or several times per week) here. This standing the role of all the zones and how they usually means culinary herbs and other edible interact. plants, well-mulched and often-pruned plants Picture a pattern of concentric circles, as the and trees, water-storage systems, compost, cold waves that radiate from a pebble dropped in a frames, firewood pile, chicken house, fragrant pond. We see this pattern in tree rings, targets, plants and plant species that attract butterflies rainbows, solar systems and even poker games and hummingbirds. (chairs, players, cards, chips, drinks, and, finally, the jackpot) and shopping malls (parking, curbs, sidewalks, landscaping, exterior walls, business establishments, interior pedestrian routes, and, finally, the food court).

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Zone 2 typically contains localized wind and fire protection, main crop vegetables, small orchards, farm animals, gazebos, small ponds or fountains, view screens, noise abatement, shade trees, the irrigation clock (if needed) and appropriate plant guilds.

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Zone 3 contains larger erosion-control structures, rainwater-harvesting systems such as oncontour swales and key line systems, large-scale wind and fire protection, hawk poles, “magic spots” for intimate conversation and meditation and wildlife waterers.

Zone 4, which is managed least intensively, holds harvestable wild foods like berries or nuts, and firewood – think grazing land or woodlands. Visits to this zone occur no more than a few times per season.

Finally, Zone 5 is the natural world from which the only thing we harvest is information. Think wilderness, forest. In an urban setting this may seem out of reach – but mimicking nature, this could be where you put a bat box or birdhouses.

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Nate Downey is a frequent guest on public radio, a perennial presenter at green events, blogger, and the author of two books on water and sustainability. Nate’s newest book, Harvest the Rain, is available this fall from Sunstone Press.

Nate and his wife Melissa are the owners of a forwardthinking landscape-design firm, Santa Fe Permaculture.

Read Nate’s blog at: www.backyarddigest.blogspot.com www.ediblesantafe.com

\‘pər-mə-,kəl-chər\ road food

Per·ma·cul·ture: a word created by Australian ecologists Bill Mollison and David Holmgren, it is a contraction of “permanent agriculture”. Permaculture is an approach to designing human settlements and agricultural systems that mimic the relationships found in natural ecologies. Using a series of design strategies that can be applied to home gardens, large scale farms, metropolitan urban areas and the entire global economy, permaculture uses a mix of trees, bushes, other perennial plants, and livestock to create a self-sustaining ecosystem that yields crops and other products.

!"#$"%&'( !"#$%&'(')*$+!'(',-$&.-$& !!!"#$%&$'()*+,"$%-./.010234325113

Harvest the Rain Downey’s anthem to the rain could do for the backyard and the water table — and therefore, let’s hope, for the Earth and its inhabitants — what the “Joy of Cooking” did for the kitchen, or what “The Joy of Sex” did for the bedroom. It’s one of those rare how-to books that, by way of the author’s wit, warmth, and passion, converts practical wisdom into a kind of transformational incantation.

— NICk PaumgarTEN, staff writer,

The New Yorker photo by Jennifer Esperanza

Order Nate Downey’s book at www.harvesttherain.com or share your story at his blog www.backyarddigest.com

eat local guide your guide for best dining in NM

Albuquerque

Annapurna A woman-owned vegetarian restaurant serving healing cuisine in Albuquerque since 2001 and Santa Fe since 2005. This premier organic establishment focuses on a made-from-scratch menu that is Ayurvedic (a healing system from India), vegan and gluten-free, including its own vegan and gluten-free bakery.

2201 Silver Avenue SE, 505.262.2424 7520 4th Street NW, Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, 505.254-2424 www.chaishoppe.com Artichoke Café Celebrating its 20th year in business, the Artichoke Cafe offers casual fine dining, a Wine Spectator Award Winning Wine List and Artisan Cocktails in the full-service bar. Private rooms are available for special occasions and meetings.

Off-premise catering. On-premise parking with attendant on duty. Walk from the Albuquerque Railrunner stop.

424 Central Ave. SE, 505.243.0200 www.artichokecafe.com Calico Cantina We invte you to come to the beautiful village of Los Ranchos and dine in the best kept secret in Albuquerque! Calico Cantina has excellent food to delight your palate and thirst-quenching drinks to whet your whistle all served up in a warm and friendly family atmosphere. 6855 4th St NW, Los Ranchos, 505.890.9150. www.calicocantina.com Casa Vieja Located in the heart of Corrales, this gem of a restaurant continues to win accolades for its food, ambiance, service and wine.

Housed in a 300 year old adobe building, Casa Vieja specializes in sustainably farmed, local, slow food. Dine outdoors on our patio and enjoy award-winning cocktails, local beers and specialized wine flights. 4541 Corrales Rd, Corrales, 505.508.3244. Dinner daily 5 - 9 pm, brunch Saturdays and Sundays 10 -3 pm www.casaviejanm.com Farina Pizzeria & Wine Bar An artisan pizzeria and wine bar with a classic Italian menu with a sophisticated twist. Great selection of affordable Italian wines, local Marble Brewery on draught, and delectable home-made desserts in a rennovated historic building. Voted “Best New Restaurant” by Albuquerque Magazine. Walk from the Albuquerque Railrunner stop. 510 Central Ave SE, 505.243.0130, www.farinapizzeria.com The Grove Cafe An artisan cafe serving breakfast, lunch and brunch, The Grove features local organic produce and products and always uses the highest quality seasonal ingredients available. Enjoy fine coffee, tea, wine and brunch cocktails and peruse our market for culinary gifts and favorite foodie items. Sunday Brunch is a true taste of this bustling cafe scene. 600 Central Avenue, SE, Suite A; 505.248.9800 T-Sat 7-4, Sun 8-3, Closed M. www.thegrovecafemarket.com

Savoy Bar and Grill Casual fine dining, locally-owned restaurant in Albuquerque’s Northeast Heights.

Savoy has a full bar, extensive wine list, serves steaks, oysters, and fresh fish. We have a beautiful patio and lounge, featuring specials and a great happy hour daily. Private party rooms, catering. 10601 Montgomery Blvd., 505.294.9463 Lunch M-F 11 – 3, Dinner daily at 5. www.savoyabq.com Seasons Rotisserie & Grill Offers great food and wine with a seasonal flair, locally owned. Enjoy our woodfired steaks and seafood while sipping a glass of wine from our award winning wine list. Or, relax on our rooftop patio and enjoy our happy hour with a great views of Old Town, Albuquerque. 2031 Mountain Rd., NW. 505.766.5100 Lunch M-F 11:30-2:30, Dinner daily at 5. www.seasonsabq.com Vernon’s Hidden Valley Steakhouse and Jazz Club Voted Best Steakhouse by Albuquerque The Magazine and Top 50 Most Romantic Restaurants in the Nation by OpenTable. com! Do you have your password?

6855 4th St. NW, Suite A, Los Ranchos, 505.341.0831.www.thehiddensteakhouse.com Zinc Wine Bar and Bistro A three-level bistro in the heart of Nob Hill, Zinc features contemporary cuisine with a French flair. The intimate cellar bar serves a lighter menu with live music three nights a week. Serving lunch and dinner daily, weekend brunch, fabulous cocktails and tasty bar bites! 3009 Central Avenue, NE. .505.254.9462 Lunch T-F 11-2:30, Dinner daily at 5, Weekend brunch 11-2:30. www.zincabq.com SANTA FE

Andiamo We prepare the finest, local and seasonal ingredients a la minute with the utmost care and respect. Eating sustains more than the body, dining at Andiamo inspires conversation and evokes memories. We see Andiamo as a collective experience for people who love food, our staff is genuinely happy to work with our customers. At the end of the day, we want our guests to feel better for having eaten here. Across the street from the Railyard. 322 Garfield St. 505.995.9595 Open nightly 5:15 p.m., www.andiamoonline.com Annapurna Re-opened at our new location in Santa Fe! This premier organic establishment focuses on a made-from-scratch menu that is Ayurvedic (a healing system from India), vegan and gluten-free, including its own vegan and gluten-free bakery.

M-Sat 7am-8pm, Sun 10am-8pm 1621 St. Michaels Dr, next to Cinema Café. 505.988.9688. www.chaishoppe.com Atrisco Cafe & Bar A friendly, neighborhood New Mexican restaurant. Simple recipes, fresh ingredients, and friendly service. We cater to the tastes of Santa Feans who love authentic New Mexican chile, but also offer a small but carefully crafted selection of American dishes. We purchase New Mexico

grown ingredients including grass-fed ground beef, lamb, red and green chile, honey, and vegetables when in season.

DeVargas Center, 193 Paseo de Peralta, 505.983.7401, 11am to 9pm daily, breakfast weekends only, 8am-1pm www.atriscocafe.com Café Pasqual’s In 1999 we received the James Beard America’s Regional Cooking Classics Award for a “timeless, grassroots restaurant that serves memorable food and is strongly embedded in the fabric of the community.”

For thirty years we have been serving emphatically flavored cuisine inspired by the culinary traditions of New Mexico, Old Mexico and Asia. We are dedicated to using fresh, seasonal, organic and naturally raised foods. 121 Don Gaspar, 505.983.9340 or 800.722.7672, Open Daily for lunch from 8-3, Sunday Brunch 8-3, Dinner nightly from 5:30pm.

Chocolate Maven A long-standing, local favorite Chocolate Maven does it all: breakfast, lunch, dinner, high tea, brunch and every type of pastry, cookie and cake imaginable!

Award-winning chef Peter Zimmer creates delicious, eclectic menus using local, organic produce, meats and cheeses.

Don’t miss this hidden gem on your next visit to Santa Fe. 821 W San Mateo Rd. Suite C, 505.984.1980. Dinner W – Sun starting at 5:30 pm, Breakfast & Lunch: M–F 7am–3pm, High Tea: M–F 3–5pm; Brunch: Sat & Sun begins at 9am.

The Compound Restaurant Chef/owner Mark Kiffin pairs local, seasonal contemporary American cuisine with great service in an historic adobe building designed by Alexander Girard. Extensive wine list, full bar, picturesque garden patios, a variety of beautiful settings for wedding receptions, social affairs or corporate events. 653 Canyon Road, 505.982.4353.

Lunch M-Sat. 12-2pm; Bar nightly 5pm close; Dinner nightly from 6pm.

Cowgirl Santa Fe’s resource for Mesquite BBQ, locally raised Buffalo burgers, organic salads, fabulous margaritas and nightly live entertainment! Open daily for lunch and late night dinner, with Ranch Breakfast every weekend. The Cowgirl’s patio is just two blocks north of the railyard. 319 S. Guadalupe St., 505.982.2565 www.cowgirlsantafe.com El Farol Santa Fe’s oldest restaurant and cantina, dating back to 1935. Enjoy Santa Fe’s largest tapas menu, along with a full service bar and nightly entertainment. Flamenco every Saturday! Relax and dine on one of three, covered and heated patios, or choose from one of eight dining rooms. Catering facilities also available. 808 Canyon Road, 505.983.9912.

Open Daily 11am - 9pm daily (lunch/dinner).

Jambo Check out the buzz! Chef Ahmed Obo’s subtle, East African-inspired cuisine has taken Santa Fe by storm. Try the Souper Bowl-winning peanut, chicken, coconut

stew, stuffed phyllo, jerked chicken, succulent locally-raised goat or lamb, curries, wraps, more. 2010 Cerrillos Road. (505) 473-1269 Open Mon-Sat. 11am-9 pm.

Menu at www.jambocafe.net La Boca An intimate 50 seat restaurant in the heart of downtown Santa Fe that feels like a lively European tapas/wine bar. Exploring widely within the narrow focus of Spanish food, Spanish chef James Campbell Caruso creates small dishes and authentic tapas. 72 W. Marcy St. 505.982-3433, www.labocasf.com La Casa sena Celebrating 27 years as a local favorite!

Innovative American Southwest Cuisine with an award-winning wine list. Committed to farm fresh local and seasonal produce, we also feature NM beef and lamb.

Located in the heart of downtown Santa Fe 125 E. Palace Ave. 505.988.5232, Lunch Mon-Sat 11-2:30pm, Sun 11-3pm, Dinner Sun-Th 5:30-9, Fri-Sat 5:30-10. www.lacasasena.com Louie’s Corner Café Formerly 8:15 Early, Louie’s is now open for breakfast and lunch. All of your old favorites—panini, salads, breakfast burritos, homemade pastries and more! Come in today to enjoy our “homemade-everything” philosophy and reasonable prices.

Beer, wine (and dinner!) coming soon...

Walk from the Railyard. 229 Galisteo St., 505.820.2253. Open 7 days, 7 am to 4pm www.louiescornercafe.com Museum Hill Café Museum Hill Café, a beautiful setting situated between two world class museums serves lunch daily. Our eclectic menu includes Asian Shrimp Tacos, Traditional Reuben, Roast Beef on Grilled Sourdough, Curried Lentil Salad, Cobb Salad Wine & Beer. Lots of free parking.

710 Camino Lejo on Museum hHill.

505.984.8900. www.museumhill.org/dine Second Street Brewery at the Railyard Enjoy Santa Fe’s best locally brewed beer in a comfy public house environment beloved by locals. Patio dining and live music. Pub favorites and a variety of salads, appetizers, and daily special featuring local produce, meat and cheeses. Wine served. Sun open at noon. 1607 Paseo De Peralta @ North end of Farmers Market building. 505.989.3278. www.secondstreetbrewery.com (check out the original Brewery and Restaurant at 1814 Second Street - M-Sat 11am to close).

Station House Café Serving the best coffee and espresso drinks in Santa Fe located in the historic Gross Kelly Warehouse track side at the Santa Fe Depot in the Railyard. Pastries, groumet sandwiches and all natural Taos Cow ice cream. Look for the red umbrellas! 530 S. Guadalupe in the Railyard.

505.988.2740. www.stationcoffeeandtea.com

Vinaigrette A bright and lively bistro and wine bar in an historic adobe near downtown Santa Fe. Specializes in creative, gourmet entrée salads that highlight local and organic ingredients, including produce from the owner’s farm! Walk from the Railyard, 709 Don Cubero Alley, 505.820.9205 M – S 11am – 9pm, Closed Sun www.vinaigretteonline.com

taos

ZIA Diner High energy deco diner and bar serving Santa Fe for almost 25 years. Beautiful patio, great desserts, milkshakes and cocktails. Serving only NM grassfed organic beef, free range chicken, hormone free eggs, some organic greens. Short walk from Railyard, 326 S. Guadalupe 505.988-7008 Daily 7am - 10pm www.ziadiner.com

edible

lunch • dinner Local Recipes, Locally weekend breakfast • full bar Grown, Tasty Prices!

Doc Martin’s, Taos Inn Doc Martin’s Restaurant is a true Taos tradition, an acclaimed dining establishment located in a registered historic landmark. Executive Chef Zippy White specializes in fresh local food with a splash of the southwest, sourcing from regional farms and gardens. With over 400 wine selections, our world class wine list has earned Wine Spectator’s “Best Of” Award of Excellence for twenty consecutive years.

125 Paseo del Pueblo Norte, Taos.

575.758.2233. Open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner, serving brunch on Saturday and Sunday. www.taosinn.com

Santa fe

505-983-7401 DeVargas Center 193 Paseo de Peralta Santa Fe www.atriscocafe.com

®

A tavola non si invecchia.

New Mexico has its own unique food traditions and we’d like to help you find some of the area restaurants that create a distinctly New Mexican dining experience.

Restaurants are invited into this dining guide because of their emphasis on using local, seasonal ingredients and their committment to real food.

(At the table with good friends you do not grow old.)

Open Nightly from 5 AndiamoOnline.com 505.995.9595 · 322 Garfield

NEIGHBORHOOD TRATTORIA

Join Chef Josh Gerwin, three time Albuquerque “Best Chef”, at Chefʼs Bar and dine in the kitchen amongst the action.

505.508.3244 4541 Corrales Road www.casaviejanm.com

Celebrating 27 Years Follow us on Facebook for anniversary specials.

125 E. Palace, Santa Fe, NM (505) 988-9232 | lacasasena.com

www.ediblesantafe.com

F r e s H LocaL organic 35

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edible events Sat Mar 26, 2011 Planting your Garden: Starts & Transplants w/ John Ashe (Collaborative Workshop) 10 a.m. - noon Rio Grande Community Farm, Albuquerque Gardeners Guild, Rio Grande Community Farm, and Harwood Art Center present this FREE Workshop. First-time gardeners and seasoned growers are welcome. Come learn, share and grow your knowledge! RSVP or questions to wade@harwoodartcenter.org or 505-242-6367. $5 • free to members of Harwood Art Center, RGCF, Gardeners Guild or the Action Buzz Garden Sat Apr 2, 2011 Backyard Farming Series; Drip and Flood Irrigation 9:30 am – 2 p.m.

Gutierrez-Hubbell House, 6029 Isleta Blvd, ABQ Actually install drip tape and flood irrigate the Hubbell field with acequia water. This workshop will also cover passive water harvesting. This year’s series includes a larger hands-on component so that participants can get practical experience transforming their backyards into a thriving urban oasis of food, medicine and wildlife habitat. The series will continue to highlight experts in their field. The workshops are free, however space is limited and participants must RSVP in advance. To RSVP, email calangan@ bernco.gov or call 505-314-0398. www.bernco.gov/ openspace.

Sat Apr 9, 2011 Topbar Beekeeping 2010 EcoVersity in Santa Fe EcoVersity is offering Top bar Beekeeping Classes for its 7th season! An alternative to conventional beekeeping, Top bar Beekeeping is a low-impact, natural method that offers bees maximum freedom to build honeycombs organically, which may contribute to very docile, “easy bees”, that show more resistance to illness and environmental challenges.

Take advantage of this opportunity to become comfortable with handling bees in this season-long class series where each session includes both theory and hands-on practice. Robert Sturm at bees@ ecoversity.org. 505.424.9797 Sat Apr 9, 2011 Permaculture: what goes around, comes around 10 a.m. - noon Rio Grande Community Farm, Albuquerque Gardeners Guild, Rio Grande Community Farm and Harwood Art Center present this FREE Workshop.

First-time gardeners and seasoned growers are welcome. Come learn, share and grow your knowledge! RSVP or send questions to wade@harwoodartcenter.org or 242-6367. $5. Free to members of Harwood Art Center, RGCF, Gardeners Guild or the Action Buzz Garden Wed Apr 13, 2011 Agriculture Collaborative Meeting The Agri-Cultura Network 9 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.

MRCOG Offices – 809 Copper Ave. NW, ABQ The Agri-Cultura Network is a farmer-owned collaborative located in the South Valley of Albuquerque. The Agri-Cultura Network grows organic vegetables and fruits year round on a dozen plots and within passive solar cold frames. The organic food is sold to the Albuquerque Public Schools, local restaurants in Albuquerque, La Montanita Co-Op stores and distribution center, as well as the farmers markets. For more information, contact Ann Simon at 505-724-3617 or asimon@mrcog-nm.gov.

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Fri Apr 15, 2011 2011 Annual New Mexico Dietetic Association Conference & Exposition, 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

2500 Carlisle Blvd. NE, Albuquerque Learn about some of the most recent findings in nutrition, enjoy networking with dietitians from around the state, and check out what the exhibitors have to offer. www.eatrightnm.org Sat Apr 16, 2011 Composting Workshop (Hubbell House) 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Hubbell House, 6029 Isleta Blvd. SW, Albuquerque Take time out for a hands-on day focused on ways to build, maintain and utilize organic compost with the assistance of Albuquerque Master Composters, sponsored by Bernalillo County Open Space. Also learn to improve the onsite compost pile at Hubbell House as an example of typical Albuquerque conditions. To get directions or for more info, visit www.hubbellhousealliance.org.

Sat Apr 16, 2011 Nature’s First Green: Earth Day at Coronado State Monument, Bernalillo 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

485 Kuaua Road, Bernalillo Nature’s first green is gold, wrote the poet. Activities for all ages will include atlatl throwing contest in the South Plaza, demonstrations, preparing the monument gardens for planting, and naturalist-led tours of the bosque. All Earth Day activities are free.

For info: 505-867-5351 or www.nmmonuments.org.

Sun Apr 17, 2011 Earth Day Festival: La Montanita Co-op on Central Behind La Montanita Coop at 3500 Central Ave. SE, Albuquerque Bring your dancing shoes too! This is a fun festival with wonderful local plants of every variety, and timed perfectly to keep your soon-to-be-planted companions from a late freeze. Great entertainment and some yummy food to round out the experience! For more info visit www.lamontanita. coop Wed Apr 20, 2011 Santa Fe Farmers Market Institute Wednesday Night Movie Series—“Dirt” 7 p.m. – 9 p.m.

Santa Fe Farmers’ Market Pavilion, Santa Fe Narrated by Jaime Lee Curtis, “Dirt” brings to life the environmental, economic, social and political impact of soil. The opening scenes show us that “dirt is very much alive,” however, in the clamor for both profit and natural resources, human connection to and respect for soil has been disrupted.

“Drought, climate change, even war are all directly related to the way we are treating dirt.” “Dirt” is a call to action. For pricing and more info, visit www. farmersmarketinstitute.org/news-and-events Sat Apr 23, 2011 Backyard Farming Series; Planting Bed Preparation 9:30 a.m. – 2 p.m.

6029 Isleta Blvd., Albuquerque Build a garden bed and learn what to plant keeping in mind succession planting and microclimates.

This year’s series includes a larger hands-on component so that participants can get practical experience transforming their backyards into a thriving urban oasis of food, medicine and wildlife habitat.

The series will continue to highlight experts in their field. The workshops are free, however space is 36

limited and participants must RSVP in advance. To RSVP, email calangan@bernco.gov or call 505-3140398. www.bernco.gov/openspace.

Sat Apr 23, 2011 Easter Egg Hunt & Springtime Hayride @ Dixon’s Apple Orchard 2 p.m. – 4 p.m.

Dixon’s Apples, Pena Blanca “Cabin Orchard Hayrides” will venture through the entire Dixon’s Apple Orchard on a tractor-pulled hay wagon, with a guide to explain our history and operations. The kids will love riding on the led horseback rides through the orchard, taking a trip around the orchard in a horse drawn carriage ride, and hunting Easter eggs! Reserve early for this one-time only springtime event. Advanced reservations and payment is required. 505-465-2976, www. dixonapples.com Fri Apr 29, 2011 Food & Life series—Chocolate Consumption, Exchange, and Ritual in the American Southwest 7 p.m.

UNM: Maxwell Museum, Hibben Hall, Albuquerque Presented by Patricia L. Crown, Distinguished Professor of Anthropology, UNM. Anthropology Lecture Hall 163. Reception follows. “The discovery of cacao residues in ceramics from Chaco Canyon raises questions about how and when populations in the American Southwest acquired chocolate, how it was obtained from the tropical areas where cacao grows, and how populations in the American Southwest incorporated cacao into their lives. Free, for more info visit www.unm.edu/~maxwell/ Sat Apr 30, 2011 Food & Life series—First Cup of the Day: Coffee, Tea, and Chocolate, the Drinks that Fuel our World 2 p.m.

UNM: Maxwell Museum, Hibben Hall, Albuquerque Presented by Lisa Huckell, a practicing paleo-ethnobotanist for more than 30 years, investigating the interrelationship between people and plants of prehistoric and historic cultures in the Southwest and California using plant remains recovered from archaeological contexts. www.unm.edu/~maxwell/ Sat Apr 30, 2011 Garden Party: La Montanita Co-op on Rio Grande All day La Montanita Co-op at 2400 Rio Grande NW, ABQ One-stop spring shopping: This is one of the best garden events in town, and it happens just once a year. Get everything you need for your garden, from seeds and tips to seedlings and nutrients!

Great entertainment too! www.lamontanita.coop Sat Apr 30, 2011 Council Annual Garden Fair & Plant Sale, Albuquerque 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.

10120 Lomas Blvd. NE, Albuquerque This is the big one! Heirloom tomatoes grown by ABQ Master Gardeners, daylilies, vegetables, bedding plants, home-dug plants, annuals and perennials, xeric & native plants, and advice for planting! Come early! The Garden Shop will be open. www.albuquerquegardencenter.org

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www.ediblesantafe.com

Santa Fe Farmers’ Market Institute Sat Apr 30, 2011 La Union, NM La Vina Spring Wine Festival Noon – 7 p.m.

4201 S. Highway 28, La Union Outdoor wine festival featuring fine La Vina Wines, local food, art and craft vendors and entertainment. Denise Stark, stark@lavinawinery.com, 575-882-7632, www.lavinawinery.com Wed May 18, 2011 Santa Fe Farmers Market Institute Wednesday Night Movie Series “Nicotine Bees” 7 p.m. – 9 p.m.

Santa Fe Farmers’ Market Pavilion, Santa Fe In 2005-2006, honeybees began dying simultaneously – worldwide. Now we know why. “Nicotine Bees” is a documentary film about the simultaneous death of honeybees all over the world and the momentous threat to our food security. Why? Because bees are needed for one-third of our food supply. This film explains that our global honeybee die-off is linked to a new class of pesticides based on nicotine that makes entire plants toxic to these food pollinators and may have a wide-reaching effect on us. For pricing and more info, visit www.farmersmarketinstitute.org/ news-and-events Sat May 21, 2011 Backyard Farming Series; Living Gracefully with Insects 9:30 a.m. – 2 p.m.

6029 Isleta Blvd., Albuquerque Discover how to attract beneficial insects with insectory plants and deter pests without using harsh chemicals. Also, create habitat by building wood burrowing and top bar bee houses. The workshops are free, however space is limited and participants must RSVP in advance. To RSVP, e-mail calangan@bernco.gov or call 505-314-0398. www.bernco.gov/ openspace.

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Please visit our website at www.ediblesantafe.com for a complete listing of local food and garden events each week!

www.cupcakeology.com 505.266.1115 3400 Constitution Blvd NE

just west of Carlisle

Cupcakes, Cakes & Confections

baked fresh daily from scratch with love

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March 16 SO RIGHT, SO SMART

See major businesses show something unheard of in most of the corporate world: concern for the Earth’s well being.

“Delivered with humor, reality and hope!”

April 20 DIRT

Reconnect to the environmental, economic, social and political impact of soil. “Drought, climate change, even war are all directly related to the way we are treating dirt!”

May 18 NICOTINE BEES

There’s new information about the simultaneous, global demise of the honey bee, which threatens our worldwide food supply!

Location: Santa Fe Farmers’ Market Pavilion, 1607 Paseo de Peralta Time: 7:00pm Admission: General Admission: $12, Institute Members, Seniors & Students with ID: $10, Under 18: $6, Santa Fe Farmers’ Market Vendors: Free Sponsors: Atrisco Café & Bar; Joe’s; KSFR 101.1 FM; Real Food Nation

More info: 505.983.7726 www.farmersmarketinstitute.org/news-and-events

Sat May 28 - 30, 2011 Albuquerque Wine Festival Noon – 6 p.m.

Balloon Fiesta Fairgrounds, Albuquerque Wine Festival combines wines from around the state, arts and crafts, food, live music and educational opportunities on the lush grass near the golf course. Kick off your summer fun! Detailed information is available at the festival website: www.abqwinefestival.com.

Sat May 28 - 30, 2011 Southern New Mexico Wine Festival (Las Cruces) Southern NM State Fairgrounds, Las Cruces The oldest of New Mexico’s wine festivals kicks off the summer season in the south. Taste wine from around the state, and learn during hourly seminars about wine and how to pair it with food. Live music from your favorite local bands keeps everyone’s toes tapping as they enjoy the wine, shop for unique arts and crafts and a wide variety of other agricultural products, or just enjoy some fun in the sun. For information and to buy tickets, visit www.snmwinefestival.com.

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FIRST ANNUAL

HOME GROWN AND EDIBLE

Kitchen Garden & Coop Tour July 24th & 31st 9am – 1pm Presented by: For More Information: homegrownnewmexico.org and ediblesantafe.com homegrownnewmexico@gmail.com or 473-1403

liquid assets

brewhaus: bock beckons...

By Brad Kraus

S

pring brings much to mind: the end of the cold of winter, the renewal of the earth, the beginning of the windy season – and bock! Some beers used to be brewed seasonally, but with the desire to meet public demand and the technological ability to produce year-round, many have become available any time. Bock is the exception that has pretty much defied that trend.

Typically brewed after the summer harvest when temperatures started to cool, these beers were made strong to last the several months of aging through the winter. There are four main styles of bock beer: traditional bock, hellesbock or maibock, doppelbock and eisbock. Traditional bock was brewed originally in the Northern German city of Einbeck, a brewing center and popular exporter in the days of the Hanseatic League from the 14th to 17th centuries.

“Einbeck” became corrupted to “bock” by the Bavarians, who recreated the beer in Munich in the 17th century. Bock also means “billy goat” in German, hence the continuing appearance of these animals in labels and marketing.

These beers typically are dark, strong (6.3 to 7.2% alcohol by volume), malty lagers.

Hellesbock or maibock is a fairly recent invention, and though there are some disagreements as to whether they are synonymous, most agree they are pretty much interchangeable. Maibocks are sometimes considered more of a festival beer and can have higher color and bitterness. “Helles” means “pale.” and “Mai” means “May,” so the latter definitely shows an association with springtime. They can be thought of as a pale version of traditional bock, but they have less of the dark, rich malt character, and may be drier, hoppier, and have more bitterness.

Doppelbock was first brewed in Munich by the monks of St. Francis of Paula.

Considered “liquid bread” by the brothers, doppelbock was consumed during the Lenten fast. Historical versions were much less alcoholic and higher

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Doppelbock was first brewed in Munich by the monks of St. Francis of Paula.

Considered ‘liquid bread’ by the brothers, doppelbock was consumed during the Lenten fast. in sweetness than the modern day versions, which can be from 7 to 10% ABV, making them very strong, rich lager beers – “doppel” means “double” in German. The first cask of that famous doppelbock is traditionally tapped by a celebrity, usually the mayor of Munich on St. Joseph’s Day, March 19.

Eisbock is a specialty lager originating in Kulmbach, Germany, made by freezing a doppelbock and removing the ice to concentrate the alcohol and flavor; modern refrigeration made this possible in the late 19th century. At 9 to 14% ABV, these are extremely strong, dark, malty and full-bodied lager beers.

Most bocks pair well with roasted meats or sausages, or hearty, spicy food such as Mexican or barbecue, as well as washed-rind cheeses. The maibocks and hellesbocks are great with roasted chicken or pork, spicy Jack cheese and custard desserts. Eisbocks can easily overwhelm most main dishes and would best be reserved for strong cheeses or dessert, especially those with chocolate or caramel. So have an eisbock with your Easter chocolates and a maibock with your May pole dance!

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Brad Kraus is a professional brewer with more than 20 years experience. He is currently the head brewer for Blue Corn Brewery and brewmaster for Abbey Beverage CompanyMonks’Ale. www.ediblesantafe.com

3500 Central Ave S E | 505-266-2222

photo: Sergio Salvador

from the vine

Natural or Organic? Don’t judge the wine by it’s label by kate Gerwin How important is the word “organic” on a wine label? What does it really mean? With the importance we put on organic products, it is surprising we don’t find the market saturated with big bold ORGANIC WINE labels. Or perhaps organic wines are more common than we realize, it’s just not there for us to see.

Unfortunately for wineries, it’s not easy being green. Now, I am not implying that wineries are not making strides in mountainous ways towards replacing chemical technology with natural techniques. In fact, many wineries have always operated that way and acknowledge the taste advantages to naturally farmed grapes, but because of a multitude of reasons, many wineries do not label, or certify their wine organic, even if that is their practice.

By USDA standards, an organic wine has been made from organically grown grapes and has not had the addition of sulfites. Now, the latter poses a problem for one of wine’s most revered quality… it’s aging ability. By nature and history, wine is meant to be aged. It was produced to travel long distances without turning to vinegar. Some winemakers craft their wine in anticipation of what 10, 20 or 30 years in a bottle will do. In order for this to transpire, wine must have a preservative, in this case the antioxidant sulfur dioxide, added to it.

European certification standards, as well as numerous others, are not recognized by the USDA, causing more confusion when looking for organic wines.

Many of these imported wines have been crafted from organically farmed grapes for generations of farmers who never even considered putting it on the label.

In fact, labeling a wine organic could have an adverse effect on its value in the wine world. In 2010, a UCLA-led study found that wines that had an “ecolabel” had plummeting sales, commanded lower prices and received lower rating scores than their counterparts who practiced organic farming, however did not label eco-friendly. Yep, it was actually better business to hide the fact that you use organic methods. That certainly makes things more difficult for the conscious consumer.

Fortunately, most wineries have all of their philosophies on grape growing and winemaking practices on their websites, and if they don’t, well that should tell you enough right there.

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Quick Sip on green labelling: Organic Wine – must be produced from organically farmed grapes, no synthetic pesticides, herbicides or fungicides in the growing process, and no addition of sulfites.

Made from Organically Grown Grapes – the wine was made from organic grapes, no synthetic pesticides, herbicides or fungicides in the growing process; however sulfur was added to the wine.

Sustainable -the growing area is self-sustaining. Cover crops planted that will be ploughed under to add nutrients back into the soil, plantings to attract beneficial creatures to eat destructive wildlife.

Biodynamic farming creates a self-contained ecosystem that not only allows your vines to thrive, but benefits all the other inhabits of the network. Biodynamic wines are crafted following the philosophy anthroposophy, which includes the understanding of the ecology, energy and spirit found in nature.

Biodynamic grapes are farmed organically, but also in accordance with the Earth’s movements along a series of farming guidelines developed by Austrian named Rudolf Steiner in 1924.

Natural/Sustainable– this can be misleading, as there is no governing body, however it implies the wine had been made with as little chemical or technical intervention as possible throughout the entire winemaking/grapegrowing process.

No Sulfites Added/Sulfite Free – means the wine had no Sulfur Dioxide added to it, however all wines contain some amount of sulfur, which is a natural byproduct of fermentation.

Resources: Code of Sustainable Winegrowing Practices, the benchmark for self-perpetuating environments. See www.wineinstitute.org for the details.

Guidelines specific to California and in concert with the Wine Institute have been set forth by the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance, www.sustainablewinegrowing.org. For a list of wineries that are producing a variety of very good wines either organically, biodynamically or both, visit us at:. www.ediblecommunities.com/santafe

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Kate Gerwin is a Certified Sommelier from the International Court of Master Sommeliers, a Certified Specialist of Wine from the Society of Wine Educators, and one of the few women in the country to hold the Expert Diplôme es Vins de Bordeaux. www.ediblesantafe.com

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“White Sweepstake Winner– Best of Class 2011”

– San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition

“Where Artisan Cocktails Meet Creative Cuisine.”

Seasonal, Sustainable, Organic featuring Niman Ranch Meats Wine Spectator Award of Excellence 505/243-0200 • www.ArtichokeCafe.com

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ants, Same Great Corner! Cor

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505/243-0130 www.FarinaPizzeria.com

www.ediblesantafe.com

Toll Free 1-866-336-7357• www.stclairwinery.com

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SUMMER OF FUN A LIFETIME OF MEMORIES SUMMER PROGRAMS Day Camp, Teens, Youth Sports, Swim Lessons, Resident Camp ENROLL TODAY!

YMCA OF CENTRAL NEW MEXICO

Several locations throughout Albuquerque, Rio Rancho, & Santa Fe

ymcacnm.org