Spring 2016

southwest edible colorado A quiet refuge from your electronics since 2010

No. 24 Spring 2016

Making a Case for Blue Corn

Chef School at the Soup Kitchen Eat this, Don't eat that Pine Needle Tea (and tequila and olive oil and ... )

CONTENTS

3 things you should know about Upper Cervical Care Do you ever feel like you should feel better than you do? Do you go to the doctor and are told you are fine? Is your performance down? Your anxiety up? Minute misalignments in the upper neck compress the brain stem and can cripple the body’s ability to heal.

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WHAT THEY ARE SAYING

6

PINE NEEDLE TEA and Tequila and Olive Oil and ...

#1 Dizziness/Headaches

After a car accident several years ago, I found I had no curve in my neck and a bulging disk. Years of headaches and getting dizzy every time I looked up as well as chronic neck pain—after several visits I am able to look up and I haven’t had a headache!

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By Kate Husted

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I have noticed positive improvements from my Upper Cervical Care in everything from sleep to my thinking. I have been completely off my sleeping meds for over a year now after chronic insomnia my entire life. Not only that, but I have noticed overall that I have a brighter outlook on life: I feel like there is more space in my brain, I am more present and more joyful. So grateful for Atlas Specific and all the gifts of Upper Cervical Care. —NATALIE B.

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I’ve not had a migraine since that first adjustment over a month ago—this is unheard of for me, as I’ve suffered them for over 20 years and was recently getting them in clusters for several days at a time. Gone are my expensive migraine pills! I can run without knee or lower back pain, I don’t ache when I get out of bed. This may sound like I was in pretty bad shape but the truth is, I just didn’t realize how truly awful I was feeling until I didn’t feel that way anymore. —NANCY S.

12

By Sarah Syverson

18

24 Dr. Clayton Sullwold has helped thousands of people from the Four Corners area find relief from a variety of health conditions without the use of drugs or surgery. People who once suffered from allergies, back pain, digestive disorders, fibromyalgia, high blood pressure, migraine headaches, neck pain, sleeping problems, seizures, weakened immune function and even multiple sclerosis have found relief while under Upper Cervical Care.

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EAT THIS. DON'T EAT THAT.

By Rachel Turiel

MAKING A CASE FOR BLUE CORN

By Sharon Sullivan

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CHEF SCHOOL AT THE SOUP KITCHEN

Illustration by Kayla King

By Grant Curry

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Eggs are really good for you. See page 18. Photo by Bonni Pacheco

EDITOR'S LETTER

ON THE COVER

F

or those of you who are faithful readers of this magazine, it may seem evident that we avoid politics or anything hinting at activism. This is because I dislike politics (probably because I fear confrontation). Forgive the “I,” but it is I who determines the editorial direction of this magazine while it is our managing editor who determines much of the editorial content. The problem is, as many activists will tell you, food is politics. If this is true, then the flavor of politics depends on your point of view. Your culture, your background, where you live.

And therein lies the problem. By serving one, you alienate the other. Yes, food may very well be political but really, around here, mountain biking can be political. Whether you are riding your petrol-fueled four-wheeler or pedaling your $4000 bicycle, you are most likely annoying the living hell out of somebody.

But issue after issue I fear we are letting down an important part of our population. As we gain more and more traction, we have the opportunity to influence, or at least shine some light on, policy (ugh, just typing the word “policy” makes me a little sleepier than I was two seconds ago). For each issue, when I sit down to write this letter, I think, “I should be writing about something meatier.”

Something with heft. “No doubt,” I can hear you say. Water rights.

GMOs, soil depletion ... zzzzzz.

“Why do you feel that way?” Michael Thunder inquired after I expressed the above concern to him.

Thunder, an accomplished writer and writing coach, was the owner of The Tea Room in Durango before he shut it down to go up to his hilltop house and do absolutely nothing. “Nothing?” I asked, seeking clarification. “Yes, nothing,” he said. “Dolce far niente.” This roughly translates to the sweetness of sitting on top of a mountain and doing nothing much to your wife’s chagrin. It sounds better in Italian. In his defense, the nothingness is deliberate. He would call it contemplation. It's apparently an express train to enlightenment.

“I don’t know. I am not sure,” I replied to his inquiry.

“Well stop that. It’s a judgment. You should write about what’s on your mind,” he replied.

I think, “that could get me arrested.” Besides, if I weren’t judging myself, then what would fill my days?

If we were to use this platform to affect policy (I am getting drowsy again), we would alienate half the population of Southwest Colorado – be it the red half or the blue half. Thus, in my opinion, it is a losing proposition.

Spoiler alert: I am about to deliver a platitude. But only as a setup. It doesn’t help, of course, that for the past 20 years or more, the political climate of our country has been wicked. (Okay, done.)

And just when you thought it couldn’t get worse, it did (although I am writing this in March and you could be reading this in June and the storm has now subsided, the birds are chirping and we are all holding hands as we teach the world to sing in perfect harmony). It is almost impossible to avoid. It’s like living in a house with parents (or children) who constantly fight over who is right and who is wrong. It makes one strongly consider the perks of living solo – in an RV deep in the Baja.

So my perspective is this: hide here. We want to be an oasis from that fray. Red or blue, vegan or carnivore, Birkenstock or steel toe – it is safe to enter.

Rick Scibelli, Jr., Editor and Publisher PS: While we, the staff, avoid pushing an agenda, we do happily publish essays submitted by our readers, regardless of their point of view.

We publish them under a “Reader’s Opinion” tagline. Write us!

Blue corn farmer, Kevin Betts

In January, Kevin Betts pulls off a a forgotten corncob from the dried cornstalks still standing and dusted with snow. A lone tobacco plant is rooted nearby. A little farther away, a resident owl blends into this black and white wintry day from his perch high in an elm tree. “A family of four used to live there,” says Betts. He scatters grains for the field mice that become food for the owl. – Sharon Sullivan. See page 24.

Cover Photo by Michelle Ellis

southwest edible colorado MANAGING EDITOR Rachel Turiel

EDITOR AND PUBLISHER

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COPY EDITOR Chris Brussat Press Colorado Juice Company

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WRITERS Sharon Sullivan, Sarah Syverson, Kate Husted, Rachel Turiel, Grant Curry

PHOTOGRAPHY AND ILLUSTRATION Rick Scibelli, Jr., Michelle Ellis, Bonni Pacheco Kayla King, Cecilia Macaulay DESIGN Rick Scibelli, Jr.

INTERESTED IN ADVERTISING? Michelle@ediblesouthwestcolorado.com Rick@ediblesouthwestcolorado.com

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STORY IDEAS, WRITER'S QUERIES Contact Rachel at sanjuandrive@frontier.net Edible Southwest Colorado is published quarterly by Sunny Boy Publications. All rights reserved. Distribution is throughout southwest Colorado and nationally (and locally) by subscription. No part of this publication may be used without written permission of the publisher. © 2016.

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What They are Saying

Greetings. First, I must congratulate you on such a fine publication. I look forward to each and every issue. I cannot put a single one into the recycle box and also love collecting the Edible issues from areas far from here ... DC, Sun Valley, etc.

Thank you for your quality publication.

– Laura Schiavone

I have read both parts of this wondrous story [ModernDay Artemis, issues 22 & 23]. I wish other hunters would, and even more so, non-hunters as well. It should be required reading at hunter safety and gun shops! I have hunted a time or two and this story brought tears to my eyes, making it so I had to read twice the beautiful words and experience put to print by Ms. Turiel. Adjectives can't begin to describe my appreciation of this tale! Thank you! Just, well, thank you!!

Just wanted to write and tell you how much I enjoyed reading your story Modern-Day Artemis in the winter edition of Edible. Your writing is beautiful and your poignant description of killing the elk and the process of harvesting meat touched my heart.

We raised beef for many years and I always said “thank you” to the animals when we hauled them off to the processing plant. Both my husband and I agreed that was the hardest part of the business. Plus, we have had to put down aging cows and goats and horses. It is another part of the learning process about life on a ranch. Birth and death are just part of the circle of life.

On Tuesday morning, I heard a story on NPR about a woman who has written a new book about strong women in the outdoors and hunting elk. Pretty ironic that I read your story and then heard this, but thought you might enjoy reading it.

My compliments to you on your writing and on Edible. It is a beautiful publication put together with high quality and care. Keep up the good work!

– Linda Mannix, Santa Rita Ranch

– Bill Burke

ROW CANYON CARCHAEOLOGICAL CENTER I look forward to receiving your magazine each season, mostly because the content and images are like nothing I've experienced in any other magazine. While I've chosen to receive most of my information and news in a digital format, I would never want to do that with Edible Southwest Colorado. You manage to capture the local flavor and culture in a unique and beautiful way. While reading the articles, I feel like I'm actually visiting your part of the country. Can't wait for the Spring issue! Thank you.

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Pine Needle Tea and tequila and olive oil and ...

By Kate Husted

I

f you are reading this Edible magazine in Southwest Colorado, you’re likely within walking distance of a pine tree. Imagine walking to that tree, standing beneath its boughs, and plucking a few needles from its sappy embrace. Crush those needles with your fingers, snapping a few. Raise your hand to your face, close your eyes, and inhale.

How does it smell? Perhaps even the imagined scent of pine uplifts your spirits and conjures warm memories. Are you smiling just a little?

For all their commonness, pines offer a unique sense of wellbeing, protection, and nourishment. The power of the pine extends beyond our winter holidays and forest walks. It can be savored in food, drink, and medicine all year round.

The term “pine tree” is widely thrown at all evergreen needlebearing trees, where “conifer” would be more accurate. Pine is technically a common name for those in the genus Pinus, like our piñon, ponderosa, limber, and lodgepole pines. Here, I will use “conifer” to refer to all trees in the Pinaceae family, which includes our Douglas, white, and subalpine firs, and Engelmann and blue spruces. Though each species has its own taste, aroma, and character, the needles of any of these species can be used interchangeably in the following recipes.

In early spring, these conifers produce fresh shoots, light green and supple needles forming at the tip of each branch. The shoots are edible raw, and are a small explosion of astringent, citrusy flavor with a hint of vitamin C. You can use them as a culinary spice, substituting for lemon in your recipes.

Medicinally, conifers bring heat and movement to our bodies.

Think of the way their smell animates your senses and invigorates

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SOUTHWEST COLORADO SPRING

2016

your resolve. They act much the same way on our circulatory and respiratory systems. When taken internally or used topically, the needles are very warming and stimulating. That makes them suitable for chronic, stagnant conditions, like that lingering cough you’ve harbored since winter, or sore muscles.

Ingesting them in the form of a tea or tincture stimulates the immune system and employs their anti-microbial properties, helping to tame a cold or flu. They’re one of the strongest expectorants I can think of, not so gently turning a weak cough into a productive one.

In times when mucus has been stubbornly stuck in my head, I’ve gotten things moving by combining conifer needles with sage leaves in an herbal steam.

Pine needles motivate the flow of blood in a similar way. I take advantage of this trait by using conifer oil on chronically sore muscles. Increased circulation and soothing warmth bring relief to the painful site.

The pine tree’s gifts don’t stop at the needles. The resins of the piñon and Ponderosa offer all of the same medicinal qualities mentioned above, and can be made into tinctures, oils, and salves that act even stronger than preparations of the needles.

If you’ve ever buried your face in the bark of the Ponderosa tree and drawn in its butterscotch-like scent, then you can guess why its sweet and juicy inner cambium was harvested and eaten by Native Americans. The particularly long needles of the same tree can be woven into baskets.

Next time your steps tread on pine duff, or you turn your gaze to a sky full of needled limbs, pause and give thanks for a tree which graces us so generously. (See recipes on the next page)

Photos by Rick Scibelli, Jr.

Pine Needle Tea

Conifer Needle M assage/Body Oil INGREDIENTS 1 part (by volume) coarsely-chopped of any one or various types 1 part apricot or almond oil

METHOD In a double boiler, combine needles and oil. Heat to 120-160°F, and hold the temperature there for 8-10 hours. Strain needles away.

Use as massage oil, or simply rub it on your body for the aromatherapy/skin nourishment/fun of it.

INGREDIENTS 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped pine needles (fresh spring shoots or mature needles) 1 cup water

METHOD Boil water and pour over needles, steep for fifteen minutes.

Piñon-Infused Olive Oil INGREDIENTS 1 part (by volume) coarsely-chopped pinon needles 1 part olive oil

METHOD Combine ingredients in a clean jar with a lid. Stash for at least two weeks. Strain needles away.

Ponderosa Herbal Syrup INGREDIENTS 4 tablespoons chopped Ponderosa needles 1 quart water 1 cup honey

METHOD Heat needles and water in a pot on high heat until the water boils, then turn the heat down to simmer.

Simmer until water volume is reduced by half, measuring one pint. Strain needles away. Add honey to the warm tea, shake, and store in a clean, sealed, and labeled jar in the fridge.

This is a medicinal herbal syrup to be taken by the tablespoon for colds, flu, and unproductive coughs.

Use as a dip for bread, in salad dressings,on popcorn, etc.

Piñon Tequila INGREDIENTS 2 tablespoon chopped piñon needles 1 pint Tequila

METHOD Optional: 2 teaspoons chopped fresh orange peel 2 smashed cardamom pods Place ingredients in a clean jar with a lid. Stash for 36 hours before straining the solids away. If you desire, sweeten with honey. Add sparkly water for a pleasant cocktail.

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METHOD Place needles in a clean jar. In a double-boiler, warm honey just until it pours easily, no longer. Pour into jar over needles. Close the jar and stash it. After two to four weeks, reheat in a double-boiler until the honey pours easily, and strain the needles away.

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INGREDIENTS 1 handful chopped conifer needles 1 handful wild sage leaves Boiled water

METHOD Put needles and leaves in a large bowl, and cover with boiling water. Rest bowl in your lap, and cover your head and the bowl with a towel. Breathe deeply.

Be prepared to get rid of some mucus.

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Chef School at the Soup Kitchen

By Sarah Syverson

It’s Monday morning, 8:30 sharp – shockingly early in the world of chefs (save for the baker or breakfast cook). Kimberley and Jill, two Manna Culinary Arts Program students, are milling around the kitchen classroom, their hearts and minds presumably aflutter with dreams of uncharted gastronomic territories. They appear perfectly at home among the huge metal pots, gleaming stainless steel counters and a monstrous cast iron stove top, as though they somehow grew up in this kitchen, a spatula and a mixer their first toys; fire and boiling water, early friends.

Nineteen-year-old Vicky joins them for class. She has enrolled in the program for a second time, “taking it for the sheer fun of it.” She offers up stories of her current exploits – namely a newly-launched relationship with fennel (apparently it is spectacular in chicken soup).

Being in the presence of such talented palates is like watching worldclass gymnasts perform in a copper kettle world – veritable food wizards in the making.

Sarah Neely-Smith carefully drains a pot full of pasta during her culinary class at Manna Soup Kitchen.

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Photos by Rick Scibelli, Jr.

SOUTHWEST COLORADO SPRING

2016

Today’s lesson is on Cooking Methods and Techniques. This is the fourth week of a 3-month-long program where students convene for three hours a day, Monday through Friday, to hone their culinary chops. Initiation starts with “Getting to Know Your Kitchen.” This is followed by 10 days focused solely on “Mastering the Art of the Knife,” an apt choice as blade skills are one of the most important kitchen proficiencies you can possess. From there, students study the deeper layers in the culinary onion – broths, soups, and sauces, cooking techniques, plate composition (who knew plates composed themselves?), garde manger (cold food preparation), and baking methods. The program culminates in a Manna Showcase Dinner Event, an evening of cuisine developed and prepared by students that makes one’s taste buds dance in sheer anticipation. The recentlygraduated class prepared dishes for their event that included mini beef wellingtons, crab and spinach gnocchi, and a vanilla gelato accompanied with churro bites and caramel sauce. All from scratch, of course.

McKenzie Miller is the resident teacher and Culinary Program Manager for Manna. She attended the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, a prestigious and world-renowned establishment. If she was a composition of ingredients, the list would go something like this: 12 sticks of dynamite, a plethora of known and unknown cooking utensils, one copy of Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking, her Grand-mama Stafford, ample foie gras AND chicken fingers, dashes of love and good humor, and a bottomless vat of cookery knowledge and expertise. Top that with her uncanny ability to eloquently deliver the finer details of subjects like moist-heat versus dry-heat cooking in an entertaining yet completely accessible fashion. You really don’t even realize you’re learning. She’s that good.

Miller describes the Manna program as “intended to teach the basics of culinary arts from a classic French approach in order for students to have some basic knowledge of food safety and culinary techniques.” The course has had great success with 21 graduates so far. Fifteen are currently employed in the trade and two have continued on to other culinary programs.

Students come from a range of backgrounds, adding to the overall beauty and strength of the program. Jill has been a “mommy cook” for 20 years, and in the last year she and her family have established a dairy goat herd. With the culinary skills she is developing, she hopes to start her own artisanal goat cheese business. Her 21-year-old daughter, Sarah, signed up for the course to elevate her already strong culinary skills. Meanwhile, 28-year-old Kimberley readily admits that she “didn’t even know how to boil water” before she started the program. She has also struggled with drug addiction issues and is now clean, sober, and looking to better her life with a new career in the kitchen. Four weeks into the program and she’s already deboning chickens and concocting her own broths from scratch.

During break, Vicky whips out her phone to show the group a modernist cooking video that uses sous-vide cooking methods (sealing your ingredients of choice in a plastic bag and cooking them in a hot water bath) while Kimberley explains how they learned to make the perfect demi-glace last week in class. It’s invigorating to be around such passion and enthusiasm coupled with a growing expertise that is clearly empowering for these promising classic French culinary protégés. In a world full of fast food and heat-and-serve options, these future chefs are creating hope for the lost art of cooking a well-composed meal.

Norma Coppinger

Tim Prowell, a student at the Manna Culinary Arts Program.

Liz Stellrecht, right, the administrative assistant at Manna Soup Kitchen in Durango, snaps a shot of students and their Citrus Grilled Chicken Breast with Moroccan Spiced Pasta. See the recipe on page 17.

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2016

Grilled Citrus M arinated Chicken Breast with Moroccan Spiced Pasta Courtesy of Chef Charlie Curtis of El Moro Spirits and Tavern in Durango

Prepare one pound of dried spaghetti per manufacturer's instructions. Drain cooked pasta and leave warm for service.

INGREDIENTS, CHICKEN 4 chicken breasts, boneless/skinless 4 tablespoons olive oil Juice of 2 fresh oranges Juice of 1 fresh lemon 2 teaspoons kosher salt 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

METHOD Combine all ingredients and refrigerate in Ziploc bag for at least 30 minutes, but no longer than 3 hours. Remove chicken from bag and discard marinade. Grill chicken breasts over medium flame 8-10 minutes per side until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Serve chicken over finished pasta and sauce.

METHOD Heat oil over medium heat in saucepan. Add diced onions and cook, stirring often, until translucent and just beginning to brown (10-15 minutes). Add garlic and cook until just fragrant (2-3 minutes). Add Ras El Hanout, crushed pepper flakes and tomato paste, stirring to incorporate until tomato paste begins to brown. Stir in canned tomatoes and bring sauce to a simmer for 15-20 minutes. Stir in sugar and cilantro and remove from heat. Pour finished sauce over cooked pasta and serve. Garnish with feta cheese.

INGREDIENTS FOR RAS EL HANOUT 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1 teaspoon kosher salt 3/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seeds

INGREDIENTS, SAUCE

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

2 medium yellow onions, diced small

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

2 tablespoons minced garlic 3 tablespoons Ras El Hanout*

METHOD Combine all ingredients and store in airtight container. This recipe yields about three tablespoons.

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 2 tablespoons tomato paste 24 ounces canned diced tomatoes 2 tablespoons sugar

*Ras El Hanout is a Moroccan spice blend common in North African cuisine.

1 bunch fresh cilantro, minced 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled 16 edible

SOUTHWEST COLORADO SPRING

2016

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Eat this. Don't eat that

By Rachel Turiel Photos by Bonni Pacheco

I

n the late 1990s, I spent many summer nights in the backcountry listening to a camp stove sputter its particular acoustics of whooshing gas and burbling simmer. The dinner my now-husband and I loved was a medley of dried beans, rice and spices rattling around a shiny silver package. After eating approximately 74 of these “Caribbean Black Bean” meals, we decided to peruse the ingredients. Following the first four easily-identifiable names was a parade of dubious, unrecognizable, lab-synthesized additives.

I lament those days of blissful ignorance, when I thought swapping whole wheat flour for white in sugar-bombed cookies was the pinnacle of health; or that mornings could be optimized with non-fat yogurt emerging like icebergs in a plastic, single serve ocean of artificial colors and flavors.

In 2014, The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced that diet is a contributing factor to the top four causes of death in Americans: heart disease, cancer, lower respiratory disease, and stroke. Clearly this essential fuel, the food that runs the machine of our bodies, has the power to both harm and protect.

Edible Southwest Colorado asked an herbalist, a naturopath, a farmer, and two nutritionists, all of whom earn their living from making food recommendations based on science coupled with experience, two questions: “What one food would you recommend people add to their diet?” and “What food would you suggest they omit?”

Here are their answers: Marija Helt Clinical herbalist and educator. Owner of Osadha Natural Health, Durango, Colorado. PhD in microbiology, fellowship in infectious diseases.

Food to add: Cooked wild or organic mushrooms Why: They have an enormous range of health benefits aside from being highly nutritious (vitamin, mineral and protein-rich). Mushrooms generally benefit immune system function, liver and kidney function, blood sugar regulation, cardiovascular function, etc. Many have chemo-preventative properties (cancer prevention) and some are even used in specific forms as adjunct treatment to chemo and radiation in other countries.

Best way to cook mushrooms? Dry sauté: heat pan on medium, slice mushrooms thinly and put in single layer. Sprinkle with sea salt.

Cook off the water. As they start to brown, push them aside and add the next layer of mushrooms. Dry sauteing prevents rubbery texture.

After all of the mushrooms have been added, then you can add whatever fat you want (butter, coconut oil, etc.) to finish.

Food to omit: Processed carbohydrates (bread, pasta, baked goods, sweets, etc.)

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2016

Why: They are inflammatory and a significant contributing factor to atherosclerosis (thickening of the arteries leading to cardiovascular disease). Many are a source of oxidative stress (free radicals).

They are generally high in calories while often low in nutritive value and disrupt blood sugar and insulin regulation (in turn, leading to many other problems).

Devyn Elliott Nutrition Therapy Practitioner; Owner of Seasoned Wellness in Grand Junction, Colorado Food to add: Egg yolks Why: Although egg yolk has been demonized for its cholesterol content, dietary cholesterol does not have a huge effect on overall blood serum cholesterol. The body naturally produces less cholesterol when dietary cholesterol is consumed. Also, cholesterol is the building block for all of the hormones in our bodies, so in order to have hormonal balance we need cholesterol. Additionally, the yolk is full of healthy fats that will help keep you satiated throughout the day, so eating whole eggs for breakfast is a great way to help manage your blood sugar.

Food to omit: Processed vegetable oils Why: For so long, oils like canola, soybean, sunflower and safflower have been touted as health foods for their low cholesterol content, but the truth is that these oils are highly processed, turn rancid very easily, and throw off our body's fatty acid profile, which can lead to an excess of inflammation. The best fats and oils to use depend on what you are cooking (as some should not be heated), but I always keep coconut oil, extra-virgin olive oil (use on low heat), and even bacon fat (from high-quality, nitrate-free bacon) around the kitchen.

Nasha Winters Naturopathic Oncologist; Owner of Optimal Terrain Consulting in Durango, Colorado Food to add: Organic pastured homemade bone broth Why: Bone broth supports formation of healthy joints and bones with its glucosamine and minerals, healthy skin with collagen, and immune support with its amino acids. It’s deeply nourishing, and the gelatin repairs the gut lining. It tastes good, adding richness to homemade soups, or one can simply drink a cup of strained broth like tea.

Food to omit: Sugar Why: Sugar, in all forms, is the real driver in many of our inflammatory chronic illness patterns today. This includes processed sugar, natural honey, the fructose in fresh fruit (minimize this!), and grains and starches. Diabetes, Fatty Liver, Alzheimer’s, Cancer, Cardiovascular Disease, and obesity are but a few implicated in sugar excess. It is just as addictive and lights up the same part of our brain as cocaine! Finding the natural sweetness in life itself is a great opportunity for us all.

Andrea Rossi Certified Nutrition Therapy Practitioner at Namaste Health Center in Durango, Colorado Food to Add: Turmeric Why: Cucurmin, a component of turmeric known for the classic deep yellow to orange hue of curry, offers a host of healing qualities.

Curcumin is a powerful anti-inflammatory agent, improves liver function and has been linked to lowering cholesterol and increasing cardiovascular protection. And, in cases of cancer, curcumin has been found to suppress cancer cell proliferation and also induce cancer cell apoptosis (cell death).

Food to omit: Food dyes Why: Formed from petroleum byproducts, food dyes aren’t exactly a food, which is the source of the problem. Most of us, and especially the most susceptible of us (children), eat food dyes on a regular basis (in processed foods like cereal, candy, coffee-based drinks, even some breads). Food dyes, like red dye 40 and yellow 5, have been repeatedly linked to developmental disorders and hyperactivity in children.

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Linley Dixon Owner of Adobe House Farm in Durango, Colorado; Master’s Degree in Plant and Soil Science, specializing in Organic Agriculture; PhD in Plant Pathology.

Food to add: Swiss chard Why: It’s a nutritional powerhouse containing vitamins K, A, and C, as well as a good source of magnesium, potassium, iron, and dietary fiber. Able to withstand both heat and cold, chard is the easiest leafy green to grow year-round in Southwest Colorado. Chard has many different antioxidants, including kaempferol, the cardioprotective flavonoid that's also found in broccoli, kale, strawberries, and other foods, but also syringic acid, a flavonoid that regulates blood sugar. Scientists have also identified many pigments in chard shown to provide antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and detoxification support.

Food to omit: Factory-farmed meat Why: There are intricate relationships between diet and ecological sustainability and no food is more unsustainable than factoryfarmed meat. Compared to grass-fed, the meat and milk that comes from grain-fed animals is higher in unhealthy fats and lower in good fats that reduce inflammation such as omega 3s and CLAs. Factory-farmed meat contains residues of antibiotics, hormones, and beta-agonists (asthma medication). Large amounts of fossil fuels, fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides are used to grow and transport grains to confined animal feeding operations which increases air pollution and pollutes waterways by concentrating waste. ***** Breaking up is hard to do. And confusing. If you were silently crossing your fingers that neither coffee nor beer would appear on the “omit” lists, you are not alone. Phew, we made it! And, if 75% of your fond childhood memories center around boxed cereal (processed carbs + sugar + food dye + vegetable oils), take heart: with our bodies churning out new gut cells every 24-72 hours, there is time to reform our ways.

Amita Nathwani, practitioner of Ayurvedic Medicine and owner of Suyra Health and Wellness in Durango, consults with many people who harbor guilt for their eating pleasures. She believes this guilt and judgment can be worse than the foods we covet. Nathwani generally recommends an 80-20 diet. “80% of the time, I recommend eating what is healthy for the body and 20% of the time, I recommend eating what is healthy for the soul. If both happen to be the same foods, then great.” (Does your soul need donuts?)

Perhaps joy is a condiment we can sprinkle liberally on our food to benefit our health. We can find joy in knowing our farmer, in eating with friends, in a plate full of colors, in the ancient alchemy of cooking, and yes, in a celebratory ice cream cone, savored to the last lick.

I occasionally pass by those Caribbean Black Bean packages in the grocery store. I’ll never go back, but I send out a little high five for all the memorable nights we shared together.

Golden Turmeric Latte

Creamy Swiss Chard Dip

by Andrea Rossi

by Rachel Turiel

T

his is a cooked dip, and a great way to use up the acres of chard you receive weekly from your friendly CSA without it actually tasting like you’re eating a meadow of leafy greens. This dip can serve as a meal.

Serve with edible dipping implements: chips, pitas, raw cut veggies like carrots, celery, peppers, and radishes.

delicious pastries & sandwiches fresh squeezed juices, soups & salads local free-range eggs hand-crafted artisan breads award-winning coffee & espresso...

INGREDIENTS (Serves 4-6 people) 1/2 pound of fresh Swiss chard leaves or 8 cups fresh Swiss chard

INGREDIENTS

1 can olives, chopped

2 cups almond milk

1 can artichoke hearts, chopped

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 red pepper, chopped (a tomato in season would be

Pinch of ground or fresh grated ginger

lovely)

1 tablespoon turmeric powder

1 ½ cups cheese, shredded (any kind you like)

1 tablespoon honey (or use stevia drops to taste)

2 cloves garlic, chopped Juice of 1 lime

METHOD Combine everything in a saucepan and bring to a light boil.

Can mix with an immersion blender to increase froth, and then pour and enjoy warm.

* Incorporate with cinnamon, to create a powerful blood-sugar regulator, and ginger, a soothing digestive aid.

How to get more turmeric in your diet: Add to scrambled eggs. Consider a curry scramble, with onions sautéed in coconut oil with turmeric, cumin, coriander, and black pepper, later adding the beaten eggs with kale, a splash of coconut milk, and some chopped tomatoes.

Add to smoothies. Turmeric pairs well with cacao powder in particular, but even a splash to a green smoothie can add a nice pungent flavor, especially when combined with a squeeze of lemon, some fresh minced ginger, and a hearty helping of full-fat coconut milk or full-fat yogurt from pastured cows.

Add to a sauté. Add a tablespoon of turmeric to butter, and sauté greens like broccolini or chard, or mix a dash of turmeric into ground beef (from grass-fed and -finished cows) to put on top of a fresh salad or roll into a lettuce wrap.

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Salt and pepper to taste.

METHOD Wash and steam Swiss chard until it is limp, then cut into small pieces. Wring out water, then place chard in a large cast iron pan, or whatever oven-safe vessel you’ll be baking the dip in. Add all other ingredients. Stir.

Bake at 350F for 20-30 minutes. Serve hot.

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Making a Case for Blue Corn

By Sharon Sullivan

A

“three sisters” stew of Anasazi beans, hominy and squash simmers on the stove inside the cozy Clifton home that Kevin Betts shares with his wife, Melode. Before lunch, he offers visitors a slice of polenta made with blue corn hominy, dried cherry tomatoes and garlic – it’s delicious! A plate of dried blue corn on the cob makes a fitting centerpiece for the table.

Wearing his standard overalls and baseball cap, Betts is a youngish 62-year-old, with a salt-and-pepper beard and wire-rimmed glasses. He’s been “playing with blue corn,” as he puts it, for 30 years.

As a child, he watched his Creek Indian grandmother in southern Arizona cook hominy on a woodstove. She’d add wood ash to the whole corn – a tradition passed down from her mother.

“Wood ash, since it’s been cooked, concentrates the calcium and potassium,” says Betts. “That’s what is fantastic about it. The wood ash increases the amount of calcium absorbed, making it a real health food.” That explains why corn makes up to 90 percent of the diet of some people in Mexico, says Betts. Corn was domesticated thousands of years ago in Mexico, where it continues to be a staple and has many ritual uses.

These days, food-grade mineral lime is typically added to corn to achieve the effect of swelling the kernel to shed the outer hull, releasing the amino acids in the grain. While food-grade lime – available at hardware stores – will suffice, Betts prefers making hominy the way his grandmother did by adding wood ash from the woodstove.

He likes the savory smoky flavor the ash imparts.

“Native people used blue corn for survival food; especially the Hopi,” says Betts. “Every part of the corn symbolized life. At every stage there were ceremonies. It was sacred; it attracted me to growing blue corn. Modern man has taken sacred corn and turned it into an industrial chemical product. We drive our cars with it. It’s in every-

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thing from plastics to paint.”

Betts grows his organic blue corn, beans, squash and other vegetables on an acre of land in the middle of Clifton – a tiny town nestled between Grand Junction and Palisade. In this residential neighborhood, houses surround his field. Chickens range freely around the property.

In January, Betts pulls off a forgotten corncob from the dried cornstalks still standing and dusted with snow. A lone tobacco plant is rooted nearby. A little farther away, a resident owl blends into this black and white wintery day from his perch high in an elm tree. “A family of four used to live there,” says Betts. He scatters grains for the field mice that become food for the owl.

Betts says he’s drawn to blue corn both for its nutritional qualities and ability to store for long periods. “I wanted to grow foods that I could store without processing much,” says Betts. “I don’t even need a grinder because I can make hominy – though it helps to have a grinder,” he quickly adds. He mashes his hominy to make tamales and tortillas. The grinder comes in handy for making blue cornmeal for cornbread, polenta, pancakes and sweet muffins.

A Colorado State University study indicates that blue corn’s protein content is consistently 30 percent higher than that of yellow or white corn. Another study, at New Mexico State University, claims blue corn has higher levels of zinc, iron, phosphorus, potassium and the amino acid lysine.

When Betts began growing blue corn 25 years ago, he purchased seed from Native Seeds/SEARCH, a Tucson, Arizona-based nonprofit that promotes heirloom seed conservation, sharing and education. Native Seeds carries several types of Hopi corn, and other open-pollinated, non-GMO of heirloom and landrace varieties.

Native Seeds/SEARCH keeps alive the old corn varieties. Gary

Photos by Michelle Ellis

Nabban, Mahina Drees, and the late Barney Burns co-founded Native Seeds after working on a project in 1983 to assist the Tohono O’odham Nation in establishing sustainable gardens. According to their web site (http://www.nativeseeds.org/), tribal elders told them, “What we are really looking for are the seeds for the foods our grandparents used to grow.”

After more than two decades, the corn Betts acquired from Native Seeds continues to germinate. He plants from seed that he’s saved – until after about three years when crosspollination begins to occur, causing pearl- and red-colored kernels to appear. When that happens, Betts returns to his original seed stock to preserve the corn’s blue pigment.

Blue corn is coarser, grainier and contains more minerals and antioxidants, says Betts. “The Indians knew this,” he says. “They survived on this. They had other colors – Indians selected out the characteristics of corn to preserve its solid blue color.”

Erich Grotewold, a professor at Ohio State University and director of the Center for Applied Plant Sciences, agrees that blue corn has more antioxidants, and that given a choice between blue and yellow corn tortillas, he chooses blue corn for its possible added health benefits.

John Wood, of Ouray, uses blue corn when making bourbon for his KJ Wood Distillers that he plans to open in May, at 929 Main Street.

Bourbon mash must be made with 51 percent corn, says Wood. Although it’s more expensive than the genetically modified yellow corn from which most bourbon is made, Wood says he prefers blue corn for its “unique, unmatched flavor” in the final product. Plus, blue corn is native and heritage seed quality, he adds.

After Wood announced he was setting up shop in Ouray, the Colorado Department of Agriculture contacted him about buying his blue corn from the nearby Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, in southwestern Colorado. He had been getting his blue corn from an Albuquerque distributor but plans to switch to the Utes’ corn.

Betts grows enough blue corn each year, when dried and shelled, to fill a five-gallon bucket – enough for his family and to share with friends. Although he owns a tractor with corn planters, Betts prefers planting by hand, one seed at a time. “I feel more of an attachment, the seed feels more a part of me, a part of my own soul,” Betts says. “It’s more like a meditation.”

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SOUTHWEST COLORADO SPRING

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Blue Corn Porridge INGREDIENTS 3-4 cups water with salt to taste

Kevin's (Blue) Cornbread

1 cup ground blue corn Dried fruit, raisins, dates, favorite nuts or fresh blueberries Sweeten to taste (fruit often sweetens enough)

METHOD Cook over low heat, stirring often, for half an hour or more. Serve with butter.

Blue corn porridge is very forgiving. If it becomes dry, just add water and stir it in to regain hot cereal consistency.

Blue Corn Polenta INGREDIENTS 1 cup blue corn flour 3 cups water or stock

INGREDIENTS 1 ½ cups blue corn flour ½ cup rye or whole wheat flour 1 tablespoon baking powder ½ tablespoon baking soda 3/4 tablespoon salt 1 cup yogurt or buttermilk 2-4 tablespoons melted butter 2 eggs, lightly beaten

METHOD Mix the first five (dry) ingredients. If desired, add 1 cup grated cheese. The dry ingredients coat the cheese to keep it from clumping. Beat the wet ingredients until well mixed. Combine everything, and add milk as needed until it is a batter consistency (varies according to type of yogurt/buttermilk used). Optional: add green chilies and/or creamed corn to taste. Pour into buttered pan or cast-iron skillet. Bake at 425 F for 20 to 25 minutes

Salt to taste 1 tablespoon olive oil Garlic and dried tomatoes are nice optional additions.

METHOD Cook slowly, stirring frequently, 30 to 45 minutes.

Add water if needed to maintain the consistency of a porridge. Can be served warm, or poured in a mold (before it sets up) immediately after cooking. Use oiled smooth drinking glasses for a tube shape. Baking dishes can also be used. Chill overnight. With oil, tube shape slips out of glasses. Slice and serve or fry in skillet/grill. Serve with sauce of choice.

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Five Ways To Bring Permaculture To Your Yard This Season

Various Historic Lodgings Continually Flowing Natural Hot Springs Vaporcave, Outdoor Pool & Private Lorelei

By Grant Curry

As featured in the Smithsonian, New York Times, Fodor’s, Travel & Leisure, Money, Forbes and many other publications ...

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Illustration by Cecilia Macaulay

Create Treasure to Bury: Compost Compost helps build soil fertility. Find a spot outdoors that is close to where you generate food wastes (i.e. your kitchen) and start making a compost pile. Reserve a pile of brown matter (leaves, sawdust, etc.) and a pile of aged manure (bunny and goat manure don’t really require aging) to mix with your food scraps. Depending on how fluffy your brown matter is, you can add 2 parts brown matter (only 1 part if it is finely shredded like sawdust), 1 part manure, and 1 part food scraps. Once your pile is 3’ x 3’ x 3’ fork it over to the next spot in line and start a new pile in first position. After you have moved the pile a few times and it has a lovely coffee color and pleasant smell, it is ready to work miracles.

Capture the Elixir of Youth for Plants Nothing makes plants happier than rainwater. Since catching rain off your roof is still illegal in Colorado, it is more important than ever to at least make the roof runoff follow the most beneficial path before leaving your property. (For an indispensable guide, check out the free preview of Brad Lancaster’s book Rainwater Harvesting on Amazon). Run your downspout or rain chain into a shallow trench. Using an “A” frame level, lay out a shallow trench that will allow the water from a large rain to spread out gently on your little corner of paradise (planted with food crops) and sink slowly into the ground.

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By Rachel Turiel

ermaculture is a term coined by author and biologist Bill Mollison based on the phrase “permanent agriculture.” Mollison explains, “Permaculture is a philosophy of working with, rather than against, nature; of protracted and thoughtful observation rather than protracted and thoughtless labor; and of looking at plants and animals in all their functions, rather than treating any area as a single product system.”

Some permaculture basics are: make gardening easier by planting perennials, which produce every year. Forget tilling – spread compost, manure and straw and let the worms do the work. If you’ve got a cold spot in your house, use it to store root crops. If you’ve got a slope, grow moisture-loving plants at the bottom, where rainwater collects. If you’ve got oak trees where you want a garden, trim their limbs and use them as trellises upon which to grow grapes, hops, and other fruitful vines.

Harness the strengths of your property to yield an abundant, permanent garden.

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TELLURIDE Build an E asy Street Garden Bed Pick a spot in the path of this elixir of youth (rain) to put down a wonderful bed of fertility on top of the native soil. The first layer can be all the slashed vegetation from the spot you are developing, then aged manure, then cardboard or newspaper, then more manure, then rotten hay/straw (try to ensure no materials with systemic herbicides), then 1-2 inches of the compost you have just produced.

The top layer will be mulch on the whole area after you are finished planting it.

A nchor With a Tree As you learn more about permaculture, you will stumble upon this quote: "The best time to plant a tree is 10 years ago. The second best time is right now.” In the garden bed you prepared, plant one fruit or nut tree as space permits. This will be the anchor of your miniature food forest. Accompany it with successively lower layers of food-producing plants. Try to pick plants that will “guild” with each other. If one plant is the “odd duck” and does poorly, replace it with something else the following year. Permaculture is about not getting bogged down with self-recrimination when you make a mistake. One combination you might try is an apple tree surrounded

by Siberian pea shrubs, Jerusalem artichokes, asparagus, horseradish, daylilies, and wild strawberries for groundcover.

Take A dvantage of the Perennial Gift While growing annuals creates significant labor each year, perennials will return year after year with greater vigor and more food! Perennial roots go deeper annually, mining nutrients in the earth that annuals can’t reach. In addition, those deep roots are more effective at erosion mitigation, reaching water reserves, and out-competing weeds.

Some edible perennials that are thriving at our Montezuma County demonstration site are: Buffalo Berry, Nanking Cherry, Aronia, Chokecherry, Elderberry, Siberian Peashrub, Saskatoons, Gooseberry, Sea Buckthorn, Daylilies and Jerusalem Artichokes. All of these provide great foods and will continue to deliver the goods for years to come.

Another plant that will produce the maximum abundance with the minimum effort is Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus).

Find some at the farmer’s market in the fall or online any time and dig them into soil virtually anywhere. These plants do spread and need to be dug up to prevent this. I find that any plant that produces delicious healthy food and has the propensity to spread is the very definition of a “good problem.” In fact, digging them causes them to grow even more vigorously. Their flowers smell like chocolate and their leaves and stalks make great goat and chicken food. Your holi-

day table in the fall will be incomplete without a bowl of buttered “chokes” and, best of all, they will come back year after year with no additional plantings.

You A re R eady These five steps will insure that your small plot will produce wonderful food year after year with little additional labor. Having not disturbed your soil but merely covered it with fertility and then mulched it, you will minimize new weeds. By placing food crops downstream of your rain catchment you insure a grotto that stays cool and moist even on hot summer days. Each trip to the compost pile adds to your garden’s fertility. You will also have a wonderfully beautiful test plot to observe as you explore permaculture more and realize your Eden is just around the corner…in your backyard!

Proprietor chef Chad Scothorn

Grant Curry is an RN and a certified permaculture consultant who operates the nonprofit Permaculture Provision Project – a permaculture demonstration site at Hananiah’s Rest Ranch in Cortez, CO. More information at www.permacultureprovision.org

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OUTTAKES from the ARCHIVES

Mesa Verde Country 2000 Years of Local Foods

1870 BEEF:

20 A.D. CORN: Planted by Ancient Puebloans.

Today: Ute Mountain Ute Tribe farms 3,000 acres of Bow and Arrow cornmeal.

1930’s egGs: 258,965 dozen milk: 2,104,339 gallons produced annually. wheat: Blue Bird Flour launched.

established.

Today: 15,000 head raised annually.

1904 McElmo Canyon PEACHES: Win national awards at the Saint Louis World’s Fair.

Today: U-Pick at heritage Orchards.

2015 farm to table restaurants vineyards, pubs, and more...

1972 Cortez Farmers Market opens.

Today: Five local markets, winter through fall.

1,200 Farms 5 Farmers Markets 3 Vineyards/Wineries 4 Brew Pubs 1 Distillery 5 School Gardens

follow our roots mesaverdecountry.com