April 2014

SANTA FE | AL B UQUERQUE | TAOS

HOMESTEAD

APRIL 2014

A TA S T E O F LI F E I N N E W M E X I C O

NEW SPRING HOURS MONDAY – SATURDAY 10AM – 5PM

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MOLECULE

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SANTA FE | sothebyshomes.com/santafe 417 East Palace Avenue | Santa Fe, NM 87501 | 505.982.6207 Sotheby’s International Realty and the Sotheby’s International Realty logo are registered (or unregistered) service marks used with permission. Operated by Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc.

Happy Hour

4–7pm every Tuesday–Sunday $5 house wine $1 off every beer on tap $3 well & liquer specials Plus lunch specials everyday!

Nob Hill Bar & Grill

3128 Central Ave. SE Albuquerque 505.266.4455 www.upscalejoint.com

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it’s always fresh, always local, always close.

Local ingredients, served locally. We seek out the freshest, seasonal organic produce, meats and fish. Then we serve it up with flair and attentive service right in your neighborhood. Join locals supporting locals. Deliciously.

OLD TOWN ALBUQUERQUE 505.766.5100 www.seasonsabq.com

HISTORIC NOB HILL

ALBUQUERQUE HEIGHTS

505.254.ZINC(9462)

505.294.WINE(9463)

www.zincabq.com

www.savoyabq.com

ALBUQUERQUE, SANTA FE 505.850.2459 www.tasteabq.com

. .truly local.

Inside Buzz pg.8

ON OUR COVER: Michael Reed

by Kelly Koepke

What’s in, what’s out, what’s hot, what’s not … that’s the buzz.

Grounded pg.12

by Gordon Bunker

Gracing our cover is Michael Reed: farmer, writer, environmental philosopher and certified permaculture teacher and designer from Albuquerque’s South Valley.

Goat Magic pg.17 10 th A N N UA L

Spring Garden Fair Saturday, May 3 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

FR E E A DM ISSION Santa Fe County Fairgrounds 3229 Rodeo Road

“The Best Plant Sale in Santa Fe” Speakers » Demonstrations » Exhibits Garden Shop » Jr. Gardener Corner Food Vendors » Tool Sharpening

For more information, visit SFMGA.ORG

The Garden Journal Radio Show

by Gail Snyder

JoAnna Conte Durham, her husband, Erin, and eight goats found their bliss on a little farm outside the village of Cerrillos.

Let Me Tell You ‘Bout the Birds & the Bees pg.20

by Caitlin Richards

It’s not a real homestead until the birds and bees call it home.

Home Away from Home pg.22

by Tania Casselle

Every Saturday at 10:30 am on KSFR 101.1 FM Stream it live at KSFR.org or listen anytime on SFMGA.org

Everything about Taos is down-home, but most especially the restaurants.

Here are ten tried-and-true favorites from writer Tania Casselle.

Home Canning pg.26

by Gail Snyder

A love and respect for heirloom kitchen skills is being rekindled and practiced once more.

Sourdough Starter pg.28

by Gail Snyder

Have a little fun playing with wild yeast spores, then bake your very own sourdough loaf.

Presents the Hoopla Wine Dinner Wednesday, April 16th Open seating from 5:30pm 4 courses with wine pairings $75.00 per person Menu details on facebook & santacafe.com

Sweetwater Harvest Kitchen pg.30

by Erin Brooks

A reverence for old school ways and a sense of community are what they’re serving up here.

Chef Johnny Vee Wants to Know pg.32

by John Vollertsen

A brand-new Q&A all about chefs and what they’re up to.

Still Hungry? pg.34

Have fun, that’s our simple philosophy.

– The folks at Hoopes

by Mia Carbone

Recipes from four acclaimed Native American chefs close out our Homestead Issue.

MARCH

2014 ~ Publishers: Patty & Peter Karlovitz Editor: Patty Karlovitz Publisher’s Assistant: Mia Rose Carbone Web Editor: Melyssa Holik Art Director: Jasmine Quinsier Cover photo: Joy Godfrey Prepress: Scott Edwards Ad Design: Alex Hanna Advertising: Santa Fe: Lianne Aponte 505.629.6544.

231 Washington Avenue Santa Fe, NM 87501 Free parking in our private lot 505•984•1788

Margret Henkels 505.501.2290. Cherilyn Swenson 505.501.5146. Mary Brophy 505.231.3181.

Albuquerque: Ashley Schutte 505.504.8130.

223 North Guadalupe #442, Santa Fe, NM 87501 Tel: 505.988.7560 www.localflavormagazine.com Subscriptions $30 per year. Mail check to above

address. © Edible Adventure Co.‘96. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be used with-

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out the permission of Edible Adventure Co. localflavor accepts advertisements from advertisers believed to be reputable, but can’t guarantee it. All editorial information is gathered from sources understood to be reliable, but printed without responsibility for erroneous, incorrect, or omitted information.

Letter

Of the many covers that we publish each year, there are only a few that are framed and make it onto my office walls. The ones that do are a constant reminder to our staff of what we can accomplish when we are at our best, of what creating Local Flavor each month means to us.

This cover made it.

A Taste of Friuli

Explore Italy’s Undiscovered Region 9-Day Tour Dates: September 14-22, 2014 Trip begins/ends: Venice, Italy Price: $3800/person + tax

Beau & David, New Owners

liz@vin-amore.com • 505-670-3312 • www.vin-amore.com

Happy Hour Everyday 4-6:30 $5 A ppet i ze r s $5 Margari ta s $4 W i ne $4 Wel l Drin k s $3. 50 Mi cro Pin ts

• • • • • •

Ho m em ade P as t a Ho m em ade B r ead Ho m em ade D es s er t s L o cal B eef Fr iendly S er v ic e Da ily S pec ials

50 East San Francisco Street • Santa Fe, NM 87501 505.982.2044 • sanfranbargrill.com

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Michael Reed farms in the South Valley of Albuquerque—minutes from the city’s center and all that it offers but also steps from the quiet world of the Rio Grand bosque. He is a farmer, writer, environmental philosopher and certified permaculture teacher. In other words, he is a tried-and-true homesteader and a son of New Mexico. And what was so important to us is that he inspires others to find their place within the broad definition of this powerful grassroots movement.

“Grounded” is the title of the story and the spirit of this issue.

The second homestead we visited is just outside the village of Cerrillos—home to Erin Durham and Joanna Conte Durham, plus their eight goats, several rabbits and a new batch of chicks. The photo shoot was a real trip—no one steals the limelight like a curious goat. We know you’ll fall in love with the entire family. We certainly did.

If you’re not quite ready for living that far off the grid, but you’re ready to take a step in the do-it-yourself realm, writer Gail Snyder is here with the cardinal rules of both home canning and (my favorite) creating your own starter for sourdough bread. If you thought playing with knives and fire in the kitchen was fun, wait til you corral those wild yeast spores flying around and end up with a real from-scratch loaf of bread.

Stories of down-home restaurants seemed like the perfect fit this month, so we headed up to Taos (always more laid back to begin with) to check out their restaurant scene. We think you’ll love Tania Casselle’s top ten picks in Taos—it makes for a handy guide when you’re headed up north this summer to enjoy the cool beauty of the region. Our choice for a down-home favorite in Santa Fe is the Sweetwater Harvest Kitchen, open for only a year but already the go-to place for people who appreciate homemade coconut nectar and kombucha, organic flour milled daily, mead made with wildflower New Mexico honey, and a concentration of vegan and vegetarian offerings.

We close the issue with recipes from four notable Native American chefs who will be in Santa Fe on April 12 to host “A Celebration of Native Food and Wine” at the Hotel Santa Fe. You can contact the Southwestern Association for Indian Arts (SWAIA) to see if tickets are still available for this first-of-its-kind dinner. It’s a quintessential event for readers of Local Flavor, and I hope to see you there.

The photo this month is of my twins, David and Teresa, who loved taking our family’s annual apple picking picnic with their mom, grandma and grandpa and great-grandma and great-grandpa. It was actually a weekend affair, and the four generations gathered in the kitchen the next day to peel, chop and can our bushels of apples, resulting in the best applesauce I have ever tasted. Or maybe it’s the sweet memory that I can still taste.

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A Taste of Life in New Mexico

APRIL 2014

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Trolley season begins April 1in Albuquerque.

Yep, this month marks five years of Albuquerque Trolley tours of the Duke City.

A big change to tours this year, too: Buy your tickets online at abqtrolley.com or visit the box office inside the new boarding location, the Hotel Albuquerque at Old Town.

Congrats to Jesse Herron and Mike Silva for this tourist- and local-pleasing activity that’s drawing notice, especially for the “Breaking Bad” thematic trips to notable locations from the award-winning AMC series. See you on board!

April means the start of the Downtown Growers’ Market season, too! The Spring Market begins April 5 at 906 Park Ave (between Java Joe’s and Firenze Pizza, kittycorner from Robinson Park), from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Growers and artisans bring fresh greens, delectable delights and unique creations, as we all get excited for another delicious season of celebrating the flavors of New Mexico.

Regular markets begin May 17 across the street in Robinson Park. And a high-five to Market Manager Gina Meyers, who is an Albuquerque Business First “40 Under 40” nominee this year. More at downtowngrowers. com.

| La Cumbre Brewing Company Albuquerque’s food and drink scene is racking up more awards. La Cumbre Brewing Co.’s Project Dank IPA took the 2014 National IPA Champion honors. The competition, coordinated by Brewing News, pitted ales and lagers from 128 breweries around the country, and Albuquerque’s La Cumbre dominated the rankings. La Cumbre describes the winning

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IPA as “juicy [with] tons of tropical fruits, rich grapefruit bitterness, even some lemon and dill.”

Photo: Indian Pueblo Cultural Center

ALBUQUERQUE

| Executive Chef Michael Giese Executive Chef Michael Giese, of Pueblo Harvest Café at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, earns more kudos, this time from FSR Magazine (“FSR” stands for “full-service restaurant”). Chef Giese has been named a “40 under 40” to watch in a nationwide list of chefs. The only chef from New Mexico, Giese was with Flying Star Café before joining Pueblo Harvest. Not only does he teach cooking courses and mentor local students, he’s livened up the already interesting culinary scene at Pueblo Harvest by adding outdoor events with music. Congrats, Chef!

Artichoke Café’s Chef Cristina Martinez took her own honors earlier this year. She won the People’s Choice Award in this year’s Souper Bowl for her green chile clam chowder.

And she made history last month as the first female chef invited to the Chef Knockout, a fundraising event for the Storehouse Food Bank. Five-time heavyweight champion of the world Evander Holyfield served as celebrity judge and appraised the dishes of six premier Albuquerque chefs and their creative use of a secret ingredients. Congrats Chef Christina— keep up the good cooking!

Farmer Monte and the crew at Skarsgard Farms have entered the burgeoning craft brew scene in Albuquerque, too. They are taking their organic apples and turning them into hard cider. Called Farmer Monte’s Hard Cider, the beverage debuted in March and is available online for daytime home delivery and Stanford

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b y K E L LY K O E P K E

warehouse pick-up. Cider production is a partnership with Casa Rondeña Winery, and John Calvin’s delicious wines can be included in your Skarsgard harvest box order. Visit skarsgardfarms.com for complete details.

And speaking of Casa Rondeña, from April 1 through the end of June, the North Valley winery will show Guiding Light, a selection of images of the American West by Santa Fe photographer Craig Varjabedian. The opening reception is April 9 from 5 to 8 p.m. “All I knew was that I was being called to capture in photographs what I was seeing in this new world,” writes Varjabedian in his essay from Landscape Dreams, A New Mexico Portrait. “As a photographer, I had found my home. Somehow, I knew that my entire life had been preparing me for this place, and that New Mexico would tell me what to do. The morning light had brought me clarity, which I still feel today.” Call 505.452.7208 for hours or to schedule a viewing.

And a bittersweet goodbye to Spencer Beckwith and his thought-provoking KUNM morning arts program, Performance New Mexico, which bid audiences farewell in March. For ten years, Beckwith covered the state’s arts and culture scene. He plans to continue with occasional coverage for KUNM’s news shows. Adieu, Spencer. We’ll miss you.

SANTA FE Happy Birthday, Café Pasqual! Thirtyfive years at the forefront of the Santa Fe culinary restaurant scene is an amazing accomplishment­­––what a testament to founding chef and owner Katharine Kagel.

Every detail that makes this restaurant great is a testament to her vision and her determination. This is not just a business, not just a restaurant, this is something you do from your heart. Happy Birthday, Katharine, and congratulations to the entire staff at Café Pasqual’s for 35 years of genuine local flavor.

| Craig Varjabedian photography Tea enthusiasts can join an exclusive new club from the delightful St. James Tea Room.

Members of the Tea Exuberance Association enjoy monthly benefits such as extra treats at afternoon tea services, exclusive specially ordered teas, early shopping opportunities with additional discounts in the shop and free entrance to the annual Holiday Shopping Extravaganza. What a lovely way to celebrate the world’s most popular beverage in all its variety. For details and to join, contact Laura at 505.681.3265. Visit stjamestearoom.com for more information.

In late March, the annual Creative Albuquerque Creative Bravos winners were announced at the Albuquerque Museum of Art and History. Awards for innovation, entrepreneurship and impact

Photo: Kate Russell

the buzz

on the Albuquerque creative economy went to TV and film prop master Mark Hansen, scholar Theodore Jojola, Maple Street Dance Space, poet Valerie Martinez, the Mayor’s Art Institute of the Harwood Art Center, singer Cathryn McGill, visual effects studio Pivot VFX, volunteer group Raices Collective, Route 66 Summerfest and Warehouse 508. The President’s Award for distinguished service went to North Fourth Art Center Executive Director Marjorie Neset. Bravo, everyone!

| Katharine Kagel The James Beard Award finalists were named last month, and though no New Mexico chefs made it to the next round, a notable Santa Fean foodie did. Deborah Madison’s divine cookbook Vegetable Literacy battles it out

Photo: Eldorado Hotel

for best Vegetable Focused and Vegetarian Cookbook. Yay, Deborah and yay, veggies!

| Executive Chef Anthony Smith

A round of applause to local author Anne Hillerman, who took up the mantle of her late father, Tony Hillerman, to continue the Chee and Leaphorn series of novels. Last year’s debut, Spider Woman’s Daughter, recently won the 2014 Spur Award for Best Novel from the Western Writers America. Awards are given for works whose inspiration, image and literary excellence best represent the reality and spirit of the American West.

The 14th Annual Santa Fe Film Festival runs May 1 through 4, with a program of over 40 films, panels, juried awards, workshops and parties. To warm you all up for the event, the 2014 Dream Awake Portrait Project, from Santa Fe photographer Bill Stengel, captured the portraits of 32 Santa Feans daydreaming with their eyes shut. The striking blackand-white images grace the festival’s marketing materials. The opening reception for the Dream Awake Portrait Project Show is April 11, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at The Betterday Coffee Shop (905 W. Alameda), and the portraits will remain on exhibition through the end of the festival.

Visit santafefilmfestival.com for more info.

The website lists venues, including the Jean Cocteau Cinema and the Center for Contemporary Arts, as well as films and filmmakers, such as Peter McCarthy, who will screen a sneak preview of his new, locally made film Death and Taxes.

Bring your taste buds to the Museum Hill Café as it presents Brasil: Food Popular, a tasting menu inspired by Brasil & Arte Popular, the exhibition currently at the Museum of International Folk Art. Indulge in the flavors of Brazil with exceptional international wine pairings. There will be duck tostaditas, Brazilian empanaditas, the traditional Brazilian stew feijoada, churrascostyle grilled steak and more. The exhibition itself presents a fascinating range of more than 350 pieces from the museum’s rich Brazilian collection: graphic woodblock prints, colorful ceramic and wooden folk sculptures, toys, puppets and religious art.

You can also check out lively festival dramas with dance, music and costumes. Visit museumhillcafe.net and internationalfolkart. org.

We’ve long loved The Cowgirl BBQ for its food, and now we love it even more for its expanded taproom selection. Beer enthusiasts can enthuse over 24 different craft beers.

Beverage director Colin Noll says the wide array of artisanal brews will feature a number of rare, limited-release selections. Daily pint specials mean that exploring the crafty array will be affordable, too.

Eldorado Hotel & Spa’s Executive Chef Anthony Smith will bring a bit of his British roots to Santa Fe on April 24 when he debuts his own specialty ale at an exclusive small brew batch dinner at Eldorado’s AGAVE Lounge. “After I arrived to the United States, I couldn’t readily drink English style ale. All they had at that time was Bass Ale,” says Smith.

Now, a lucky few will try “Chefster’s Ale,” an English style bitter that Smith has been home brewing for more than 20 years.

The chef ’s cookout will take place at Santa Fe Brewing Company and is open to the public, where he’ll be serving his AGAVE Lounge specialty Green Chile Cheese Kobe Beef Sliders as well as bratwursts and BBQ favorites. This is the first time Chefster’s Ale has been brewed for public consumption, which Smith did as a guest brewer at Santa Fe Brewing Company.

Tickets for the dinner are for sale at both Santa Fe Brewing locations, the AGAVE Lounge, and through Eldorado’s eventbrite. com account, 505.995.4530 or visit www. eldoradohotel.com.

Just up Guadalupe, Tomasita’s is tapping the power of the sun to provide 85 percent of the restaurant’s electricity needs, while providing shade to guests parking in their lot. We applaud them for making the investment in 210 solar panels and taking advantage of our abundant sunshine.

I’ll have a margarita blended with green energy, please!

Railyard neighbor Jean Cocteau Cinema now has its liquor license, serving up adult beverages to cinephiles in addition to the awesome popcorn (with real butter!).

And in April, multiple authors will grace the stage for readings, signings and conversation. Authors like 11-time Hugo Award–winner Connie Willis, Pulitzer Prize–winner Junot Diaz and Anne Perry. We’re giddy with anticipation! Go to jeancocteaucinema.com for dates, times and tickets.

| Ralph M. Pearson (1883-1958) “Church at Ranchos de Taos” William R. Talbot Fine Art, Antique Maps and Prints presents its annual exhibition of historic and contemporary works depicting the missions and moradas of New Mexico, April 14 through May 9, with prints, paintings, drawings and

Patio opens April 1st!

Visit our website for a list of special dinners and to make reservations.

8917 4th St NW

Albuquerque, NM 87114

505.503.7124 Farmandtablenm.com

Dinner: Wed-Sat open at 5pm Brunch: sat-sun 9am-2pm

Fine S�thwestern French Cuisine

229 Galisteo Street Santa Fe 505-989-1919 loliviersantafe.com A Taste of Life in New Mexico

APRIL 2014

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the buzz

photography. Missions & Moradas: Icons of New Mexico, 1925–1985 features the work of Gustave Baumann, Morris Blackburn, Charles M. Capps, Howard Cook, William Dickerson, Gene Kloss, Bertha Landers, Barbara Latham and Theo White. The missions of New Mexico were a favorite theme of early 20th century modernist artists. Their images of mission churches, especially, endure as icons of New Mexico.

Visit Monday through Saturdays, at 129 W. San Francisco St, 2nd floor, 505.982.1559.

We take turquoise, both the stone and the color, for granted in New Mexico.

Consider that people in the Southwest have used turquoise for jewelry and ceremonial purposes and traded valuable stones—within and outside the region—for over a thousand years. Learn more at the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture’s newest exhibition,Turquoise, Water, Sky: The Stone and Its Meaning, opening April 13. It highlights the museum’s extensive collection of Southwestern turquoise jewelry and presents all aspects of the stone, from geology, mining and history, to questions of authenticity and value. Details are at indianartsandculture.org.

TAOS Run, Ron, run! Ron Cooper, proprietor of Del Maguey Single Village Mezcal in Ranchos de Taos, is still in the running for a James Beard Award for Outstanding Wine, Beer or Spirits Professional. We’re keeping our fingers crossed that Cooper, now a finalist in the category, will beat out stiff competition when the winners are announced in May. Harwood Museum of Art hosts a landmark exhibition through May, Ken Price: Slow and Steady Wins the Race, Works on Paper 1962-2010, marking the first retrospective to highlight Price (19352012) and his long-term commitment to drawing. A part-time Taos-based sculptor, Price sustained a quiet storm of intense creativity with drawing that until recently remained under the art world’s radar. This exhibition includes a selection of 38 works on paper tracking Price’s dedication to drawing over a period of 50 years and demonstrating his ongoing exploration of the medium.

This retrospective was curated by Douglas Dreishpoon, Chief Curator, Albright-Knox Art Gallery in Buffalo and co-organized by The Drawing Center in New York City.

More at harwoodmuseum.org.

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Taos chef, foodie and author of The Homegrown Gourmet, a cookbook with gardening and healthy living tips, Brigitte Pauli-Barlos will appear on an April episode of the Food Network show “Chopped.” We don’t know the date, because as of press time, the Season 20 listings hadn’t been updated.

“Chopped” features four contestants challenged to prepare edible meals using combinations of ingredients presented to them. Will their courses be delicious or will they be chopped? You can guess from the title of the show what happens to those who don’t perform under pressure. Winners receive $10,000, so there’s real money on the line.

Check foodnetwork.com/shows/chopped. html for upcoming episodes.

The Art of Spring at La Posada The Art of Easter Brunch Easter Brunch - Sunday, April 20 An extravagant Easter brunch with both traditional and new favorites, a Bloody Mary bar and more. Easter egg hunt and handcrafted baskets for the children. $55 for adults; $25 for children 12 and under.*

The Art of Relaxation Relax and renew with special seasonal spa treatments including a Springtime Organic Facial or Mint Aroma Massage for just $109.* * not including tax and gratuity

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Last month, the Department of Game and Fish, along with volunteers from the community, stocked the Rio Grande Gorge with almost 10,000 Rio Grande cutthroat trout. Anglers, schoolchildren and cutthroat trout enthusiasts packed the fish down to the bottom of the gorge in bags filled with three to four gallons of water and containing more than 100 live fingerlings. “Anglers make this program possible, not only by volunteering but by funding it through license fees and through an excise tax on fishing equipment, rods and boat fuel through the Sport Fish Restoration Act,” said Jason Blakney, coldwater fisheries biologist for the department. “Sportsmen have invested in this program and make it possible to have a wild population of Rio Grande cutthroat trout in a large river system.” Hey, homesteaders and locavores, it doesn’t get any more sustainable then this.

In this day of fast food and fast lives, the entire family that creates CHE Chimichurri have chosen the slow, simple and healthier way to make their handcrafted meat marinade in Taos. CHE Chimichurri is a project of Carla and Bret Burden, with labels designed by Bret’s dad, Gary, and his wife, Jenice; website by brother Jesse; marketing by sister Amanda and, of course, taste-tested by sons, Jose and Lucas. Carla was looking to complement the flavor of the family’s favorite cuts of meat, not cover it up.

These Patagonian-inspired marinades/sauces are available at Cid’s in Taos, La Montanita and Eldorado Market in Santa Fe and Whole Foods Market in Albuquerque and Santa Fe. Visit chechimichurri.com.

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Call 505-986-0000 or visit OpenTable.com 330 E. Palace Avenue, Santa Fe • laposadadesantafe.com

A new kind of fabulous aroun d e v e ry corn e r!

511 Old Santa Fe Trail Santa Fe 505-982-2629 kaunes.com Follow us on

for specials

come home to your neighborhood market!

04.17 Sherry Dinner

Join us for a 5-course pairing dinner featuring the Sherries of Bodegas Hidalgo with Chef James Campbell Caruso.

04.20

Easter Sunday Brunch

04.23 Opening of IBIZA

menu by Chef James Campbell Caruso Come to our champagne

brunch and meet the Easter Bunny & take some pics in the photobooth.

Be apart of our Grand Reopening of our rooftop bar, Ibiza for the summer season!

A Taste of Life in New Mexico

APRIL 2014

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story by GORDON BUNKER photos by JOY GODFREY

Grounded

M

eeting with Michael Reed—gardener, thinker and doer in Albuquerque’s South Valley— gives me a new and clear understanding of what it means to be grounded. He is engaged less with the rhythms of hard drives and internet connections and more with those of plants, days and seasons. Michael runs La Orilla Farm with his wife, Susan, and teaches the Mother of All Back-Yard Gardening Courses; he is also part of the Erda Gardens and Learning Center’s core group.

When I arrive at La Orilla Farm, Michael is out front, keeping an eye open for me. I stop and put the window down. “You must be Michael Reed,” I say.

“Yes,” he replies, smiling and looking around. “I must be.” Based on this response, I know we’re in for a good conversation.

Michael has a strong, lean build. He’s in his mid-60s, and I bet he can show quite a few young whippersnappers what a day’s physical work is. He leads me across the property, past outbuildings, greenhouses and plantings of trees. We finally situate ourselves at the kitchen table in his and Susan’s snug home and have a talk. On the countertop sit jars of homemade pickles, beans and honey, as well as stacks of cookbooks. A neat row of pruning shears, not a speck of rust on any of them, rests on a side table.

Michael’s nature is quiet and thoughtful. He chooses his words with care. In the tumultuous 60s, as a student at Kalamazoo College, Michael says he faced many realizations. The college “sent me to West Africa to study for six months. I saw what America was doing in my name. They were cutting down forests and pushing John Deere tractors and fertilizers and taking away people’s livelihoods.” He pauses. “I did a lot of growing up in Sierra Leone. It’s a pretty bloody country anyway.” Michael was born and raised in South Bend, Indiana, where the Appalachian forests meet the Great Plains. It is also corn country. He continues, “I knew you weren’t supposed to be planting corn in rain forests, in tropical West Africa, that this is very destructive ecologically.”

Home again in 1968 without illusions, Michael followed his inspiration, which led him to the arts and gardening and teaching.

“More and more, I was drawn to the study of whole systems,” he explains matter-of-factly. “I want to know everything. I don’t really understand anyone who doesn’t, to be honest with you.” We share a laugh over this—grasping the reality of being insatiably curious while at the same time recognizing that “everything” is, well, a lot to know.

“It took me quite a while to understand you don’t do that by accumulating data,” he continues. “You can never keep up—that’s the rub of the current paradigm, this information gathering. We have very big intellects and very miniscule quantities of wisdom.”

Michael’s words carry considerable weight in this time of madcap data processing without much care for data interpretation. “Wisdom is what it takes,” he says. “The ability to see patterns and speak pattern language. If you master that, I assume because I haven’t yet,

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that’s your way of knowing everything. You can be dropped into a situation or landscape and see not only what’s going on but where you are—and when you are in the development or failure or collapse of that particular organism or system.” When Michael looks at current industrial agribusiness, he sees collapse. “By understanding the patterns, you can begin to recognize how to heal this.”

In 1976, Michael started Artspace magazine with three other people and was supporting himself on the side doing little landscaping jobs around Albuquerque. “I’d go into the country club area and prune roses for all these rich ladies. They all thought I was sweet and charming, so I’d ask if I could plant a little garden in just one section of the back and tell them, ‘You can have as much of the produce as you want. When I come once a week, I’ll take some for myself.’ They all said yes, every one of them, so I had this farm spread through all these backyards, and I would take all of this produce back to my starving artist friends who were living on hot dogs and Coke and say, ‘OK, come on, let’s eat.’”

Michael then started his own editing, typesetting, and design business, Prototype, and it took off. “It was very successful, so I never had any time to do what I loved. I was making money and getting a good reputation and hated every minute of it. It was killing me.” As serendipity would have it, he did a catalog for Plants of the Southwest.

Being knowledgeable about the plants, he could edit and fact-check as necessary. “The owner and I became good friends. We were talking and she looked at me and said, ‘You sound just like Mollison.’ And I looked at her and said, ‘Mollison who?’ [She was referring to Bill Mollison “the father of permaculture.”]I picked up his book and started reading and realized I had been trying to invent permaculture on my own, and he’d already done it. When I began to get involved with that, I realized this would be the direction I would go.” During Michael’s time with the Permaculture Institute, his instructors suggested he teach. “I’d never thought of myself as a teacher at all,” he says, “but they really encouraged me. And so I have them to thank for everything that’s happened since then.”

Through community involvement and the many questions friends would bring to him, Michael began to see the need for knowledge.

He sat down and developed the Mother of All Back-Yard Gardening Courses. (“It’s about everything,” he laughs.) Now in its third year, the 12-part course runs from the spring equinox to the autumnal equinox, and then it starts over and runs through the dark side of the year. This development coincided with Michael’s deepening involvement with Erda, and at that time he started giving scholarships each year to one or two gardeners from the center. Classes today typically have 8 to 10 students, and instruction consists of a mix of lecture, demonstration and hands-on processes.

On the importance of genetic diversity, Michael says, “My thoughts on this are very simple.” But they are profound. “The only long-term possibility we have for maintaining ourselves as a species is to become enlightened hunter-gatherers. Diversity means [living in] the most complex and resilient organism that you can. That’s true health, where everything is continually showing its adaptation and flexibility, so all of the nutrients are being recycled, not being hoarded—including money, including water. Storing for appropriate use is not the same as hoarding; that’s a very important distinction.”

He goes on. “Even a lot of organic orientation is about how to make the most money, and frankly there are a lot of unsustainable organic farms. You don’t have to be a genius to understand if something is not sustainable, it will stop.” With this, Michael’s voice drops to almost a whisper. “And so all of our food producing systems, right now, and all of our interactions with the environment to the extent that they are unsustainable, people better take notice of that.” Mother Nature, he says, is “teaching us lessons out here, knocking us around pretty good.

‘Hey, wake up!’”

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Grounded Michael is not an alarmist, but in his measured way he is very pragmatic. “We can heal this. There are ways of doing it, and there are no compromises in those steps. Do it in small steps, do it incrementally.

Nature will work with you, and help you. This is the foundation of my teaching. We’re not the master of nature at all; she’s in charge. She’s the big teacher. We’re simply here to do as little damage as possible, stay out of the way whenever possible and work with her as we are learning where she’s going.” Michael’s face lights up. One look at his gardens and you see the proof of his methods. “After a while that gets to be really fun, because things just pick up, and then it’s like riding the crest of an enormous beautiful wave. You’re no longer being batted around by nature, you’re not fighting it.”

Michael gives me a tour of La Orilla Farm. He has some 400 varieties of trees, primarily fruit. We pause for a moment beside a plum tree that is in full bloom. The invisible envelope of perfume overwhelms me. Wandering among hoop houses and sheet-mulched beds, Michael digs up a handful of soil; the richness, the life, practically jumps out of it. He picks sprigs of cress and celery and arugula, sharing them with me. We munch. I love the bitter greens; the flavors are pure and strong.

I can feel their vitality in my mouth. Sandhill cranes roosting in the nearby Rio Grande bosque chortle as low flying jets on final approach to Albuquerque International Sunport sweep overhead. We stand quietly in the garden. I take all this in—these systems, the harmony and dissonance.

“We have a choice,” says Michael. “We can adapt and advance or we can collapse. It’s common sense.” And he grins. “The tricky part is enlightenment. We’re a little thick; we’re still working on that. We know how the systems function, but do we have the wisdom to live that way?”

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For more information on La Orilla Farm and the Mother of All BackYard Gardening Courses, email Michael Reed at skreed@earthlink. net or call 505.877.2877.

Additional information on Erda Gardens and Learning Center where Michael teaches see their website erdagardens. org or call 505.610.1538.

To read Gordon Bunker’s interview with Amanda Rich of Erda Gardens go to our website localflavormagazine.com.

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Tomorrow never looked so good!

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Goat Magic Stewards of Animals and Earth story by GAIL SNYDER photos by KITTY LEAKEN

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Wings

W

hen I was a kid, I had a favorite game involving one of my dolls, Sharon.

Her short black hair was in a perpetual cyclone of disarray; her body was covered with a mean case of pencil-hole-poked measles. The other | JoAnna Conte Durham and Erin Durham dolls would discover her glowering, sickly self and take her in (off the streets, away from a cold, lonely castle or out of an evil stepmother’s clutches). They’d nurse Sharon’s wounds, feed her food fresh from their garden, encourage her to explore the surrounding woodlands and fields while sharing their love and their home. Step by step, Sharon would begin to get better—healthy, happy, even glowing.

This childhood yearning to participate in the miracle of transformation wasn’t mine alone. We all want that, for ourselves, for the world. That yearning is what spawned this recent interest in urban homesteading. And a young couple living outside the village of Cerrillos, JoAnna Conte Durham and her husband, Erin Durham, are its poster kids. Along with their eight playful goats.

“Goats are the best anti-anxiety medicine there is,” says JoAnna. “Yes, they give milk, they give meat to some, they cut the grass and fertilize it.

They’re amazing pets—intelligent, loving, affectionate. I try to name it, but they are just magic!”

As we near their pen, goat faces begin to bunch up, poking through the bars of the gate. With their horizontal pupils, they look like aliens. To enter, we have to push past them. JoAnna introduces me to each one, sometimes several at once, as they nose me, nudge me, sniff and eyeball me. You can’t be afraid of them—they’re just nosy. Nosier even than Curious George. In fact, they make you want to laugh.

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Goat Magic

Inside their pen are a number of wooden plank ramps at various angles, leading up to the roof of their home and across the yard. They can’t really balance on those, can they? “Yes!” says Erin, who built the planks—along with everything else out here. “They’re hilarious. Sometimes they stand on top of their house and just stare out to the highway. Friends have said they’re driving by and look over and there’s this goat standing above the fence line.”

JoAnna, an artist who also does art therapy, includes the goats as her assistants, similar to the way horses are used in equine therapy. “They’re so entertaining!

Their comic lightheartedness helps everybody relax into that deep state of being in the present moment, which activates our body’s abilities to heal. They connect us to our hearts. Someone who was abused and has trusting issues, even they automatically fall in love with the goats, feeling safe. Goats have their own mission.”

“And if we’re going to have ‘em,” Erin adds with a smile, “let’s milk ‘em.”

JoAnna’s love affair with goats began when she was a little girl growing up in Maryland. “Trashy. He was my garage goat. I walked him around the neighborhood, and my mom used to load him in the back of the jeep to pick me up from school.” JoAnna’s always loved farm animals and has had what she laughingly calls “a paragraph” of them all her life. “Animals are medicine for me. They help me; they’re a divine gift. They’re always there for you. They teach me to be like them, to walk without separation.” She knew ten years ago, as she first discovered the Cerrillos Hills, off Highway 14, that she wanted to live within view of them and have goats.

Recently graduated from art school, she’d come out west to enroll at Santa Fe’s Southwestern College to begin her art therapy study.

She found her house, a turn-of-the-century adobe. It matched up exactly with the floor plan she’d previously drawn. She fenced in the land. Then she got goats. Her first two, bought from a nearby ranch, she named Basil and Nova. Nova was a strong and healthy kid, she says, but “Basil was teeny, just one week old. Her mother wouldn’t feed her, so she was traumatized.” JoAnna brought her home and fed her from a bottle. That’s how, soon afterwards, she met Erin.

“She had goats,” Erin laughs, “I had hay.” He’d grown up surrounded by chickens, pigs, horses and a potbellied pig on a 40-acre ranch up the highway in Lone Butte.

“I knew I could trust him,” JoAnna continues, “so I asked him to watch Basil and Nova for me while I was away. Then we stared dating.”

The goats are members of their family. There’s Basil, Copper, Clover, Watson, Wings, Teddy, Story and Vicente. They got Story from a ranch in Edgewood; she’d never been touched and was skittish. Now she’s mothered several litters. Wings was born right here, a little black guy with two white wing shapes on his back. “We knew we’d keep him!” JoAnna adds. And Watson was their first Nigerian—they got him four or five years ago. He was the size of a Chihuahua when they brought him home; his bed was a dog carrier in the kitchen. “Now he’s really loyal,” JoAnna says.

“He comes and lies on our feet.”

Watson, JoAnna says, has become a crucial part of the family’s history. “Erin had made a pack for Watson to wear out of an old pair of jeans, and he left the pocket on. Watson was wearing the pack, and Erin said, ‘Let’s go for a hike.’ We took Harley, my dog, too, and went up into the Cerrillos Hills. At the top, I was sitting with Harley on one side of me, Watson on the other, and Erin proposed! Watson had the ring in his pocket!”

By now, it must be obvious that these goats aren’t raised for their meat. JoAnna and Erin need to breed the girls in order to milk them—that’s Erin’s job. He devised a wooden milking stand for

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Watson and Teddy Bear

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them which, he says, they walk right onto, voluntarily fitting their heads over the bar in order to reach the feed container to munch from during the process. JoAnna makes cheese with the milk. They don’t sell the milk or the cheese, because they aren’t certified to do that. They use it themselves instead, or trade some and give some as gifts. But they do sell baby goats each year, to neighbors as pets or as future milkers. Because goat milk isn’t homogenized, explains JoAnna, who is allergic to cow’s milk, and there are no hormone additives, it’s a lot healthier. “Our bodies are able to use a lot more of the nutrient energy in goat’s milk. It’s easier to assimilate.”

“And,” Erin adds, “it’s the closest thing to human milk. A lot of babies go right from breastfeeding to goat milk.”

Erin built what he and JoAnna refer to as their maternity ward, a little house just off the pen, for birthing mothers. “Story just drops the baby and starts nursing,” he says. “Basil still has to have us do it for her.” How do they know when it’s time? “There are signals. And the goats tell us.

Sometimes it even seems like they wait till we’re around.”

They also have several rabbits. Erin designed their cages so their waste falls down to a lower level (“Everybody has a job,” says JoAnna—the rabbits’ household contribution, besides love, is fertilizer). And they’re about to start raising a new batch of chicks. As we tour around, Erin’s on the porch setting up a large round covered home he built for the chicks til they’re ready for the chicken house. He’s also in the process of starting a passive solar greenhouse. “I’ve been collecting windows a long time for this,” he says.

The couple grows a surprising variety of vegetables in Erin’s raised beds, including tomatoes, corn, chiles, bell peppers, cauliflower, cabbage, squash, lettuce, onions, kale, swiss chard, beets, radishes, carrots and strawberries, plus raspberries from two bushes. JoAnna is Italian on her father’s side; he makes his own wine | Wings and Clover in front and gave her and Erin nine grapevines. They water their fruit trees with rain catchment.

“It’s all research,” Erin says, clearly relishing that part. “How to plant a particular thing, what soil it likes. You use a lot less water if you do it in the proper way.”

“He’s got a lot of books,” JoAnna interjects.

“We do all this,” Erin continues, gesturing around the property, “so that, no matter what might happen, we won’t have to leave. We can just trade with our friends.”

“At some point,” JoAnna says, indicating a shady space in the front yard, “Erin is building me an outside kitchen and an horno. I’m used to large Italian gatherings. That’s what we do!”

“All our friends are pretty much on the same page,” Erin says.

JoAnna agrees. “We’re a unique community out here: stewards of animals and the earth.” They’ve sold a lot of their friends on the idea of raising goats.

When they sell their goat babies, “we think of it as their chance to move up.”

“Goats really increase our quality of life,” JoAnna continues. “They’re our inspiration.” One of her favorite paintings is one she made of Wings, flying through the air, his alien eyes shining. “Goat medicine,” she adds, “is joy medicine.”

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Wendy McEahern

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I

n Upstate New York, where I grew up, water was so ubiquitous that I didn’t notice it. Grass needed to be cut once a week, trees didn’t need to be watered, and our property was surrounded by woods and fields. The soundtrack to summer was the chirping and warbling of birds and the drone of bees. I took all of that bounty for granted until I bought a home in southwest Santa Fe (or what was southwest Santa Fe 15 years ago). I looked around my yard, which had been cleverly landscaped by the previous owner with a mix of dirt, goat heads and tumbleweeds, and thought to myself, “Something is missing.” As I built an oasis for myself, adding flower beds, bird feeders, outdoor drinking areas for the cat and brightly painted patio furniture and garden walls, I noticed that birds and bees moved in as well. Now I can look out my bedroom window and watch a hummingbird sitting on her nest, and when I nap in the hammock I can hear the bees.

The rules of attraction are fairly simple: have things in your garden that birds and bees love.

“The single biggest attraction [for birds] is water,” said Roberta Beyer of fatfinch.com, an online avian accessory store based in Albuquerque. “It’s like a magnet.” If you can make the water move, that’s even better—the birds can see and hear it from a greater distance. Active water also stays cleaner, harboring fewer of the parasites that can harm birds. Bird baths, fountains and ponds are all inviting to birds, and the water attracts a wider range of birds than feeders alone. (Bees also need the water; they use it for cooling their hives.) A few rocks or floating twigs added to your bird bath or fountain just above the water line give the bees a foothold while they collect water.

Bird feeders and hummingbird feeders are fun, because not only do they attract birds, but they attract them to where you want to see them, such as your porch or outside the window where you drink your coffee in the morning. Make sure to hang feeders in an area that has some protection from cats and wind. Hummingbirds, Roberta told me, will remember from year to year what hook you hang the feeder on, and once you’ve let them know that you’re open for business, you’ll be on their route each year. I asked her if it’s the same hummingbird I’ve been seeing for years in the nest outside my window, and she assured me it is. “She’ll keep coming back as long as you leave the nest alone.” Hummingbirds also send out an early scout, so you should already have your feeders out!

I spoke with Terry Smith, who used to keep bees, and asked him for some tips. His top suggestion was to keep fruit trees. “Fruit trees love bees, and bees love fruit trees,” he said. “Plant an apple tree and just stand by and watch them come.” He noted that when he had his bees, he had apples by the cartful. He also told me that bees have a three-mile radius, and when a bee finds a good source of nectar and pollen, it returns to the hive, where it does an elaborate ritual dance that transmits the direction and distance of the source to the other bees. So there really is a bee out there saying to his mates, “Caitlin planted some Russian sage and some bee balm, and she has an apple tree. It’s this way—let’s go!”

Let Me Tell You ‘Bout

story by CAITLIN RICHARDS

the Birds & the Bees

The rules of attraction are fairly simple: have things in your garden that birds and bees love.

Native plants are important to birds and bees, as is variety. One of the reasons we’re losing bees is monoculture farming, in which there is only one crop to be seen for miles on end. Bees need a range of flowers and plants in order to maintain their health and health of the hive. When laying out your garden, plant flowers of different shapes, colors and varieties—preferably arranged in clumps rather than in solitary fashion. Bees are particularly attracted to purple, blue and violet. It’s also important to have a combo of plants that flower at different times so that there’s something available the entire growing season.

Native plants are better than hybrids, which have less pollen and nectar. (Of course, they also take less maintenance to grow.) When planting for bees, bear in mind that they prefer sun to shade, and they like to be protected from the wind. I have lavender and salvia along a sunny wall, and they are very popular with both the bees and the hummingbirds.

When you’re in your beautiful garden surrounded by colorful native plants, the sound of fountain gurgling, birds in the trees and bees buzzing around, you should keep certain caveats in mind. You don’t get to pick and choose which birds you attract. If you invite one bird, you invite them all. And the expression, “The early bird gets the worm”?

Well, birds take that to heart. They get up early. Very early. And they like to sing about it. The beautiful hummingbird outside my window? She’s also very messy. Sit down to a nice dinner or lunch al fresco, and the bees will assume that they are invited guests. But I can live will all of that. The birds are quiet in the afternoon, so I can take my hammock nap then. A broom, a hose and some window cleaner take care of the mess from the hummingbird. And a few bees have never ruined my picnic; if they show too great an interest in the strawberries or the wine, I always give them their own dish off to the side and politely ask them to buzz off.

| “#1 Sunflower Lane” Pat Woodall Fine Art, Taos, patwoodall.com

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Home Away

From Home

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s t o r y b y TA N I A C A S S E L L E

W

e all need a few restaurants that feel like a home away from home. Those places where you’re guaranteed a warm welcome, a satisfying meal, a great atmosphere.

Those places where even if everybody doesn’t know your name, you kind of feel like they might very soon. Those places where you take visiting guests for the fresh local food, confident they’ll be impressed and love it just as much as you do.

Add these ten of my favorite tried-and-trusted Taos restaurants to your list, whether for a casual lunch or a splurge night out.

Trading Post Café

Last time I ate at the Trading Post, it was a dark and stormy night to end all clichés. We ran in from a drenching thunderstorm, lighting crackling overhead, and opened the door to … heaven. In the bustle of this warm (in every way) restaurant, made even cozier by flames blazing on the grill in the open kitchen, we shook ourselves off like wet dogs and settled in to relax. You can go as simple or as fancy as you want here. Just a bowl of chunky Minestrone? That’s fine. My husband usually orders the roast duck with heaping mashed potatoes and fruit compote, insisting it’s the best he’s ever had. Mussels Bouillabaisse draws weekend customers from as far away as Santa Fe. Sitting at the open kitchen bar to chat with the chef makes a meal into an experience. Co-owner Kimberly Armstrong says, “If I had to cook behind the scenes and not interact with my guests, I don’t know if I could do it.” Great local art on the walls, often by co-owner chef René Mettler, adds to the Taos vibe. A $12 early bird three-course dinner (4 to 6 pm, Tuesday through Thursday) also keeps this 20-year-old restaurant popular in the ‘hood.

4179 Highway 68, Ranchos de Taos, 575.758.5089, tradingpostcafe.com.

© Benkrut | Dreamstime.com

The Gorge Bar and Grill

The Gorge’s kitchen stays open later than most in Taos, making it my go-to place for a snack and a glass of fizz after an evening show, when other places are rolling up the carpet. Well, what would you expect of a restaurant owned by the Roesslers, bringing their big city ways from Albuquerque, where they also own Seasons and Zinc and Savoy? Crispy fried green beans with ranch dip is my personal sin of choice, although be warned: Everyone will want to share them. But the biggest-selling item on the menu according to assistant general manager Lucas Motsinger is the Gorgeous Burger with green chile, applewood smoked bacon and lemon aioli. “Our burgers are awesome,” says Motsinger. “Everything is made inhouse.” The sleek and modern décor is a far cry from the usual Taos funky, although you can still get your local flavor fix by heading out to people-watch on the balcony patio overlooking the old plaza.

103 East Plaza, 575.758.8866, thegorgebarandgrill.com.

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Home Away

From Home Taos Cow Scoop Shop, Cafe and Deli

There is just about nothing nicer on a blue-skied spring or summer day than sitting by the creek outside the Taos Cow and slurping on one of their homemade ice creams. Yeah, yeah—the ice creams are all natural and rBGH-free, but with flavors like this, you could tell me they’re made with essence of petroleum, and I’d still devour them. The rotating menu incorporates New Mexican ingredients from lavender to pistachio. Cherry Ristra is my weakness, packed with chocolate chunks and piñons, and fresh peach runs a close second (split the large scoop to have a taste of both).

If you insist on a “proper meal,” breakfast and lunch serves up deli classics and traditional New Mexico combos, and you can reliably step out with the tangy Thai coleslaw as a side. Well worth the quick jaunt up to Arroyo Seco, Taos Cow is fun for kids and provides every excuse to shop at the village arts-and-crafts stores.

485 Hwy 150, Arroyo Seco, 575.776.5640, taoscow.com.

Doc Martin’s in the Taos Inn

The Taos Inn likes to promote its status as “the living room of Taos,” and much as I hate to go along with PR messages, this one is true. The main bar area is a default meeting place, bang in the center of town and hard for even out-of-towners to miss, with its cool retro neon sign outside. No matter how crowded the bar gets with the nightly live music, Doc Martin’s restaurant tucked off to the side always feels like a relaxing haven.

There’s just enough bustle to create atmosphere but not so much that you feel crowded or rushed—great for those of us who like to linger with company over a good meal. And the meal here is always good. Doc’s corn and beer–battered chile relleno delivers a satisfying crunch, those with a taste for the exotic might be tempted by rabbit and rattlesnake sausage, and brunchers can’t go far wrong with blue corn and blueberry hotcakes with fruit butter. The check often seems lower than expected, too, for upscale cooking in an authentically historic Taos setting.

125 Paseo del Pueblo Norte, 575.758.2233, taosinn.com.

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Michael’s Kitchen Café and Bakery

Mosey on up to a seat at the counter and you feel like you’re in the real Old West.

The coffee is served fast, hot and strong as a cowboy, and it’s easy to get chatting with a pardner on either side if you’re taking your victuals alone. Even owner Derek Apodaca admits to a soft spot for the counter. “I like to sit there and just people-watch.” Families head into the woody, mountain cabin–style dining area for daily breakfast or lunch or an early weekend dinner when the café stays open till 8 p.m. Portions (and bakery items) are huge—too much for this cowgirl to eat in one sitting. Stuffed sopaipillas are a local favorite, classic huevos rancheros almost spills off the plate, and bacon and eggs are a surprising best-seller, thanks to a generous four-rasher serving of thick bacon. “Good food at a helluva price,” is Apodaca’s neat summing-up. The family feel extends to the staff—many have worked there for decades since Michael’s opened 40 years ago. “I have one lady that’s been here 54 years,” says Apodaca.

“She came with the building when I bought it.”

304 C N Pueblo Road, 575.758.4178, michaelskitchen.com.

Guadalajara Grill

I knew I was finally a Taos local during a visit to my home city of London when I had a violent craving for a platter of Guadalajara Grill’s cheese enchiladas, rice and beans. By this time I was already calling the popular Mexican cantina “Guad’s” just like everyone else, a no-frills name for a no-frills-but-plenty-of-flavor eaterie. You’ll find two family-run locations in Taos, one on the north side of town and one on the south. My home haunt is on the southside, where a magnificent dragon mural covers one wall and where the line sometimes stretches out the door. (Don’t worry, they move the line through fast.) We’ve never found a duff dish on the menu of reliable, hearty and honest cooking, but the chicken Monterey, fish tacos and shrimp Diablo earn special mention. Oh, and the fried ice cream. Yeah. You just have to experience it. One of these taco shell-clad desserts shared between two is quite enough.

822 Paseo del Pueblo Norte, 575.737.0816; 1384 Paseo del Pueblo Sur, 575.751.0063, guadalajaragrilltaos.com.

Mondo Italiano

As a bit of an Italian food snob (I’ve eaten the real thing in the real place), I didn’t visit Mondo Italiano when it first opened a couple of years ago. Please don’t make my mistake. When I finally did roll up for a friend’s birthday dinner, I wondered what took me so long, and we went back soon after for my own husband’s birthday. The convivial atmosphere and red-checked tablecloths give a taste of Italian hospitality, and co-owner Jennifer DeBow’s menu draws on items from all her favorite New York restaurants. “The linguine vongole is from Umberto’s Clam House in Little Italy,” says DeBow. “I used to go there all the time with my father—that was our place to eat.” The amazing cornmeal-crusted zucchini with basil ranch dip? “That came from one of my favorite restaurants on Second Avenue, Maxwell’s Plum.” Chicken Alfredo is the most popular dish. “All the sauces are made to order,” says DeBow. “I think that makes such a difference, makes it really fresh.” Wines are nicely priced, so you can really get into the Italian swing of things, and there are gluten-free pasta options. The New York cheesecake is a delectable dairy orgy.

622 Paseo del Pueblo Sur, 575.758.1329, mondoitalianotaos.com.

Gutiz

Latin-French cuisine in little ol’ Taos? Yes, we’re full of surprises. As a daytime spot for brunch or lunch, Gutiz rings the changes with dishes like Croque Monsieur, Creole poached eggs and the andouille sausage plate. The Parisian crepe is fabulous, not just for the gooey mix of melted Brie and cheddar with mushrooms and ham (spinach for vegetarians), but because the yellow chile sauce on the side is bowllicking good. “Breakfast served all day” is one of my favorite phrases in the English language, and whatever you order, do yourself a favor with a side of Gutiz potatoes if it isn’t included in the dish. The warmly colorful décor matches the spicy fusion cooking, and if you can’t find a seat at the regular or hightop tables, Gutiz’s counter seating lets you watch the cooks or start flirting with desserts in the bakery case. Or head outside to the patio on a hot summer’s day, being sure to order the perky mint lemonade as a thirstquencher.

812B Paseo del Pueblo Norte, 575.758.1226, gutiztaos.com.

El Meze

As a semi-finalist in the 2014 James Beard Awards, chef Frederick Muller was keeping his fingers crossed for a trip to New York on the day we talked. By the time this magazine is in print, we’ll know whether it’s second time lucky (he was a semi-finalist in the same Best Chef: Southwest category in 2012) and if he made the cut. Either way, Taoseños know that Fred is an award-winner for his cuisine blending innovative flavors and rustic appeal, all served up with typical Fred flair in the historic site, El Torreon Hacienda. “I’m moving more toward Norteño cuisine,” says Muller. “Local heritage, that’s the direction. Preserving culture.” Buffalo short ribs adovada, swimming in red chile marinade, is a traditional winner. Truchas Yerba Buena is another local favorite. “People want a taste of the Rocky Mountains,” says Muller, referring to the fact that this trout dish is inspired by nature’s own menu, combining the wild watercress and mint that grow beside trout streams. “I put a little Moorish or North African influence in and serve it with preserved lemon as well.” El Meze serves dinner only, from Tuesday to Saturday, and Muller is always in the kitchen.

“Our food is consistent; I’m here every night. If I’m not here, we’re closed.” Sit inside the cozy hacienda or enjoy Taos Mountain views on the patio, overlooking the flourishing summer garden that provides herbs and produce for the kitchen. An occasional rain storm only adds to the atmosphere, with everyone sheltered beneath the covered patio awnings. “It becomes like a German beer tent,” says Muller. “It’s kind of funny.”

1017 Paseo del Pueblo Norte, 575.75.-3337, elmeze.com.

Orlando’s New Mexican Cafe and Station Cafe 3 One 6

A quintessential Northern New Mexican restaurant, the familyrun Orlando’s always charms visitors with its cozy space, folk art décor and authentic flavors. I’m still kicking myself for the night two different sets of friends invited me out to dinner—one group at Orlando’s and the other elsewhere. I chose elsewhere, and next day the Orlando’s party was abuzz with the news that they’d dined just a few tables away from Johnny Depp. I can only hope that Mr. Depp enjoyed the famous blue corn enchiladas, or perhaps as an individualist he opted for the “create your own bowl” dish. Posole instead of rice adds another touch of local character, and the frozen avocado pie is a can’t-miss-it dessert. The Ortega family that owns Orlando’s also opened Station Cafe 3 One 6 on the other (south) end of town last year, with an eclectic menu of American and local dishes plus pastas. I’ve only been once, but my fettuccine Alfredo was fantastic, and my husband still swoons about his steak. With the friendly service and laid-back retro vibe in this converted former filling station, we’ll pull in again soon for a fill-up.

Orlando’s, 1114 Don Juan Valdez Lane on Paseo del Pueblo Norte, 575.751.1450, facebook.com/OrlandosNewMexicanCafe.

Station Café 3 One 6, 316 Paseo del Pueblo Sur, 575.737.0316, facebook. com/StationCafe3One6.

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Home Canning Not so long ago, gardens were a large part of family life for most people across the country, and when commercial canning didn’t exist, long, hot hours were spent in the steamy kitchen, canning their bounty at the peak of harvest for the winter months ahead. Outside, summer still blazed; inside, it was even hotter, as great pots of water boiled and the tang of tomatoes or apricot jam filled the air. In the frozen dead of winter, when green would be exotic, opening a jar of peas brought back memories of heat, thunderstorms, picnics and parades, along with the kitchen camaraderie of those late summer days.

Most of us, having grown up with commercially canned or frozen vegetables, have only a hazy idea of what we’ve missed. My childhood friend Alyce remembers going to visit her mother’s extended family in their French village, back in the early 60s, when families still all had kitchen gardens and canned their produce. The result, Alyce says, was “always crisp and flavorful, not mushy grey like commercially canned goods. My grandmère would send us down to the ‘cave,’ or cellar, which was always cool and dry and of the earth—[it had] a nice clean smell—to fetch whatever was needed. I loved the cherries!”

Barbara, a Madrid artist, says that years ago when she lived in Nashville, she had a neighbor in her 80s who knew that Barbara liked to keep lost arts alive. “She told me, ‘C’mon over, honey, and I’ll show you how to can.’ It’s a zen thing, like painting—there’s no way to rush it, and you can’t skip any steps. She was all old-school, very serene and patient. You could tell she’d been canning her whole life. She’d learned from her mother, who learned from her mother.”

Another Madrid artist, Crico, was enlisted to help with canning when he was seven. “It was my two grannies, my mom, me and my brother,” he says. “Everybody had aprons, and my mom’s mother would play stacks of orchestra records. She made it festive, and we sure loved doing it! ‘You’re going to be a chopper,’ they’d tell me, and that would be my job. One grandma used to show us how much of a spice to use by pouring it into her hand, and that’s still how I know, by the memory of her hand.

Things just seem to taste better. Fresher. And I grew them.”

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story by GAIL SNYDER photos by GABRIELLA MARKS

Canning in Ten Easy Steps Of course, as a friend’s mother, Barbara Offner, reminds us, the exact directions depend on the specific vegetables or fruit you’re canning.

But the basics are as follows: 1. Start by filling a canning kettle with water: half-full for pint jars, two-thirds full for quarts. Bring the water to a boil. It takes about 45 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, sterilize the jars and lids by setting them in boiling water for 10 minutes. “After they’re sterilized,” Barbara says, “I only handle them with tongs, which I keep in the hot water.”

3. Rinse and pat dry your produce before proceeding with your recipe. (For instance, fruit is often canned in some type of syrup— and, Barbara adds, “Specific vegetables are blanched in boiling water to preserve their color prior to canning.”)

4. Ladle the fruit or vegetable into each jar through a canning funnel. Be careful, warns Barbara, not to overfill—stop at the bottom of the threading on the jar.

5. Release air bubbles by running a thin-bladed knife around the edges of the insides of the jar. Then wipe the tops of each jar clean with a damp cloth to ensure sealing.

6. Apply lids snugly but not over-tight—just so they stay in place.

7. Lower the jars, lids up, in the boiling water bath, making sure to keep at least one-inch of water above the jar line. Boiling time varies per recipe. (“At least 15-20 minutes” is Barbara’s advice.)

8. Remove each jar with tongs; place them on a towel. Barbara suggests placing them upside down for 5 minutes, then flipping them over. Cool to room temperature. You should hear each jar “ping” as it seals.

9. Push down in the center of each lid to test the seal. If it stays down, its seal is ensured. If it pops back up, it isn’t sealed. Refrigerate that jar instead and use it right away.

10. Label each jar with contents and canning date, then store in a cool, dark place. Use before next summer.

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Sourdough Starter

story by GAIL SNYDER

T

To produce even one such loaf involves making the starter by mixing yeast with other ingredients and letting it rise, adding flour to make the dough, letting it rise again, then punching it down, pulling, pushing, slamming, spanking, patting it and repeat. It’s meditative and laborious, both. And it all starts with this magical rising agent, yeast.

Of all the forms of leavened bread, sourdough is the oldest and most original of them all. Before that, there was flatbread, thin and heavy—a mixture of water and some sort of flour, essentially. Sourdough can be traced back to the early 1500s B.C. Egyptians.

Probably the first sourdough loaf came about inadvertently, when someone mixed a batch of flatbread dough and left it out in the sun, where the natural sugars in the flour’s starch attracted wild yeast in the air. In the U.S., before the onset of commercial yeast, settlers traveling west by wagon train had to bring along their own starters to make bread along the way, sometimes even sleeping with it when the air got too cold at night.

Sourdough bread was famously popularized in the California Gold Rush days by miners, who mixed their own “mother dough” and baked with it in their camps. Sourdough culture produces a lot of lactic and acetic acids, which is what gives the bread its rich complexity of flavor and that famous sour tang. By trial, error and constant readjustment, sourdough bakers develop their own favorite balance and version; as long as this starter culture is fed equal amounts of flour and water regularly, it will remain active.

Sourdough’s starter culture is the big key. And there’s certainly no shame in using commercial yeast for yours. But where’s the adventure in that? True, as cookbook authors Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins admit in The New Basics, if you follow their recipe which relies on the “very lengthy process” of using wild yeast spores in the air to form the starter and raise the dough, you’re risking the possibility of failure. But, they go on, interacting with wild yeast spores “can be a very rewarding experience.” And those inside your house are really relatively benign. They grow on the surfaces of such common foods as vegetables, grains and fruits. If you like,

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© Djauregui | Dreamstime.com

he smell of bread baking is legendary. Just the memory of it is an olfactory arrow straight to the heart— and then the stomach. Before there was such a thing as a bread aisle, bread was baked at home. As with laundry and ironing, our great-grandmas used to devote a whole day every week to bread baking. Not just white bread but all kinds: whole wheat, potato, pumpernickel, soda, whatever was at hand. And this was bread that had heft and character and integrity, none of this limp cardboard-tasting stuff that tears when you try to spread butter on it. Plus crust! Dense, yeasty crust, crust you could really sink your teeth into.

you can literally just use water and flour; eventually, unless it dies or molds and you have to start over, this mixture will begin to bubble.

There are many more recipe suggestions for making sourdough mother culture. I had success with the New Basics one (below). It only took two days. In fact, I was thrilled when it actually started bubbling into this foamy, viscous, creamy sponge. (I made this! It’s alive!) Just be careful not to shock it with excessive warmth, remember to keep feeding it and, once you’ve got one going, store it in a stone crock, plastic or glass container—never metal. Who knows, you may create a mother dough as important as the one originally conceived by San Francisco’s famous Boudin Bakery, heroically saved by Louise Boudin during the Great Earthquake of 1906!

The starter: ¾ cup skim milk ¼ cup low-fat buttermilk ¾ unbleached all-purpose flour ¼ cup whole wheat flour 1 teaspoon sugar

1. Make the starter: Stir all of the ingredients together in a nonreactive bowl. Cover the bowl with a double thickness of cheesecloth and tie a string or stretch a large rubber band around the rim to secure it. If the weather is warm, place the bowl in a sunny window; otherwise put it in a warm place.

2. Let the mixture stand until it is bubbling, 2 to 3 days. You should have about 1 cup.

The bread:

4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour 1 cup warm water ½ teaspoon salt 2 Tablespoons yellow cornmeal

3. Divide the starter in half. One half will be used for the bread.

The other half will be replenished and saved for future baking.

4. Scrape half the starter into a large bowl. Stir in 2 cups of the all-purpose flour and the warm water. Let the dough stand, loosely covered, until doubled in bulk, 4 to 6 hours.

5. Stir in the salt. Slowly work in the remaining 2 cups of flour, ½ cup at a time. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic, 10 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl and turn the dough to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl loosely and let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, up to 12 hours.

6. Punch the dough down, knead it once or twice and shape it into three loaves about 16 inches long. Butter a baking sheet and sprinkle it with cornmeal. Arrange the loaves on the cornmeal.

7. Loosely cover the loaves and let them rise until doubled in bulk, about 4 hours.

8. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

9. Using a razor blade or a sharp knife, slash the tops of the loaves crosswise in several places. Open the oven door and quickly spray the interior with a water mister. Place the bread in the oven and bake for 9 minutes, spraying the oven every 3 minutes. Then continue baking until the loaves are golden and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom, another 11 to 13 minutes.

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Makes 3 loaves *Note regarding replenishing the starter: To replenish, add ½ cup all-purpose flour and ½ warm water to half the starter. Let the mixture stand, loosely covered, until it bubbles. Then refrigerate it in a nonreactive container or freeze it. Use half this starter for the next baking, replenishing the other half.

Lunch M-F 11-2 · Dinner Nightly at 5 505.995.9595 · 322 Garfield Street, Santa Fe AndiamoSantaFe.com

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Sweetwater

story by ERIN BROOKS photos by GABRIELLA MARKS

Harvest Kitchen

|

Fiona Wong and Soma Franks

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weetwater Harvest Kitchen is a wonderful place to walk into: clean white walls, a high-pitched ceiling with wooden beams and light, light, light pouring in from the many windows and skylights. The décor is modern and minimal, with simple wood and metal tables and chairs. A row of red, orange and yellow bell peppers preserved in big mason jars lines one wall and overlooks the community table, which has a mini garden filled with plants running through its center.

The atmosphere here, just like the food, is sincere and honest. When I met Soma Franks and Fiona Wong, joint owners of the venture (which opened in December of 2012), they explained why the principles of homesteading are important to the philosophy behind their first restaurant.

For Soma and Fiona, the mission of Sweetwater is to nourish people with food. Meat, produce and even beverages are sourced locally as much as possible, and the pair chooses organic products. But what really sets the restaurant apart is its commitment to sustainability and homemade products—two of the major principles of homesteading. The modern use of the term dates to the 1960s and 70s, when people began to focus on self-sufficiency and sustainability, in both rural and urban settings. Growing and preserving your own food, using less energy, creating less waste, making products yourself and even raising your own livestock or bees are all elements of homesteading. My mom, for example, handmade clothes for my brothers and me, and never purchased baby food—she made it from scratch instead. She baked all our bread and even grew her own sprouts in jars.

Homemade dishes and ingredients are what give Sweetwater its sense of integrity. While I spoke with Soma and Fiona, I noshed on some of their homemade gRAWnola—100% organic sprouted live-food granola, made with sprouted buckwheat, pumpkin seeds, goji berries and coconut, doused in sugar-free almond milk. The berries and coconut provided just a hint of sweetness. I decided to try another unique item on the menu, the buckwheat pancakes. The restaurant has a stone mill for grinding fresh, organic flours from whole-grain spelt and buckwheat, which is also used for pasta. Fiona pointed out that the nutrients in flour oxidize rapidly within 24 hours, so it’s important to grind flour every day to increase nutrition. I could taste that these pancakes were special and truly homemade. They were hearty but ultra-fluffy and soaked up every bit of the real maple syrup I poured over them.

The principles of homesteading have always existed—it’s a way of life—but they’ve been gaining momentum again as people become more aware of problems inherent in our modern-day food supply. Fiona knows firsthand how disconnected consumers can be from the sources of their food. Originally from Singapore, she spent much of her life as a city girl in places like New York and San Francisco, embedded in a cosmopolitan lifestyle. When she moved to Santa Fe in 2006, she planted a garden, which became part of the inspiration for Sweetwater. “I was so ignorant and naive about how things grow,” she told me. “We bought things in supermarkets which were all beautifully packaged. The first time I harvested from my garden, I couldn’t recognize the radishes—they didn’t look like what I got in the supermarket! It was quite a spiritual experience for me.”

“Homesteading is reactionary to what’s happening with food,” Soma continued. “If we’re going to survive, these are skills that we’ll need.”

Fiona agreed. “More people are conscious,” she said. “Everybody is waking up to healthy eating.” The pair reminded me that more people these days are having trouble with food, especially gluten. While they don’t want to be exclusively a vegan or gluten-free restaurant, both women find it important to offer these types of choices to diners. Although the menu is suitable for vegetarians and vegans, and many items are gluten-free, there’s still something for everyone. In the morning you can order a breakfast burrito or try the Mediterranean breakfast quinoa with dates, apricots and honey. For dinner, items range from traditional shrimp and grits to Indonesian vegetable curry with coconut milk, kaffir lime leaves and blue ginger. I had a bowl of the curry, which is made using Fiona’s grandmother’s recipe, and it was lovely: thick and creamy, with big crisp chunks of root vegetables and a spicy punch.

Soma is a master at accommodating special dietary preferences, having been a server off and on for 25 years. For her, owning a restaurant and serving high quality food is the best way to give back to our community. She mentioned working for Katharine Kagel, the owner of Café Pasqual’s, whose commitment to organic food helped inspire Sweetwater. Although Soma has a long history of being interested in food (she learned about organic farming and the importance of eating locally in college), she became even more concerned with what’s happening to our food supply after she became a mother. “I wanted to have a place where people can be nourished and feel good when they leave,” she said. “We can have a positive impact on society in that way.”

Soma and Fiona want Sweetwater to be a great restaurant, but they also want it to be a gathering place and a tool for building community. They use the premises as a drop point for a local CSA. Farmers bring their bags of produce to the restaurant, where participants pick them up. In return for hosting, the pair receives a couple bags of produce from the farmers, which they incorporate into the menu. They also participate in the café at the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market by turning some of the farmers’ vegetables into curry. Shoppers can get a delicious meal, and proceeds go to benefit the farmers’ market.

At Sweetwater, the homestead approach extends beyond food and into the world of beverage. The restaurant makes fresh coconut nectar and kombucha, a lightly effervescent, fermented drink. I was eager to try the coconut nectar, but it was sold out; although it’s made three times a week, the restaurant can’t keep it in supply. “People come here just for the coconut nectar,” Soma told me. The process is labor intensive and expensive. Raw coconuts are tapped and drained of their milk, and then the flesh of the fruit is scraped. Together the milk and flesh are run through a Vitamix blender. The result is worth the effort. The completely raw nectar is super hydrating and the perfect companion to the homemade gRAWnola.

Most of the beers are sourced locally, including Marble Brewery Pilsner and Wildflower Wheat, Dual Brewery Bad Amber, Santa Fe Brewing Company State Penn Porter and La Cumbre Brewing Company IPA from Albuquerque. Locally produced mead is also offered, made from local wildflower honey, yeast and fruit from Santa Fe’s Falcon Meadery. Customers can choose from original mountain, peach or cherry mead, or have a sample flight with a two-ounce pour of each.

For me, one of the most exciting elements of Sweetwater is wine on tap. It’s the first restaurant in New Mexico to offer wine in this way, and I love the idea of reducing the amount of glass bottles, labels, foils, corks and wine shipping boxes in our city. Wines are delivered in kegs made from recyclable materials that hold over two cases worth of wine. The dispensing system keeps wine fresh for three months and holds the temperature steady. The wines themselves, made by Niven Family Wine Estates, are SIP (Sustainability in Practice) certified. Although the keg system does take up space and requires an investment in equipment, it was perfect for Soma and Fiona, who planned sustainable techniques for the restaurant from the beginning. “The wines are great quality so it’s not economic at all,” Soma explained. “It’s not about cheap wines. It’s about sustainability. It feels good to be doing this.”

Commitment is just one more aspect of what makes Sweetwater so special. Is it more difficult to practice homesteading in a restaurant setting? “The volume is so much greater,” Fiona explained. Soma added, “We’re taking it step-by-step and evolving as we go.”

The pair have plenty planned for the restaurant in the future, including canning and preserving foods, particularly jams, to use in-house and to sell. They have planted a small grow bed of herbs and edible flowers on the back patio and hope to later install grow towers. Soma and Fiona would also like to delve into making fermented foods, such as sauerkraut and kimchi. I can’t wait to see what comes next for Sweetwater and these two dedicated women, whose commitment to providing the best quality food for their community is very sweet indeed.

Sweetwater Harvest Kitchen is located at 1512 Pacheco Street in Santa Fe. 505.795.7383. sweetwatersf.com.

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Chef Johnny Vee

stor y by JOHN VOLLERTSON

Wants to Know!

W Photo: Gaelen Casey

hen a new restaurant opens in town, there is always much foodie chatter and media attention. But as the hubbub dies down, the real test of success kicks in. Is the early acclaim warranted? Will the eatery be around for a while and survive the foibles of competition? There’s so many restaurants and so much culinary talent in our food-crazed city, and I’m always excited not only to check out the latest and hottest but also to delight in seeing how the well-established and time-honored guys are doing. I caught up with Roland Richter, from Joe’s Dining, the week of his 26th wedding anniversary with wife and business partner, Sheila. The answers he gave to my questions proved him to be quite eloquent—I suggested he take up writing as a side career!

Johnny Vee: You have always been such a big supporter of the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market. How much do you think this support has to do with your success and longevity in the Santa Fe restaurant scene?

Roland Richter: To be honest, until the last few years, it had no influence on our success. It was just our personal choice. In 1996, we started purchasing from the farmers for our first restaurant, Pizza Etc. simply because it was in alignment with our food values. The problem has been that in general, the U.S. populace eats for entertainment; palates have become accustomed to what we call “inflated taste sensations.” That’s come about in recent decades due to a whole new industry of chemical food enhancers that are integrated into cheap industrial “food-like products.” So these food-like substances become tasty and addictive. But here’s the good news: The local foods movement has exploded in the last three to five years, hitting critical mass. We in the food industry are witnessing a heartwarming and massive demand for the real, clean taste and multi-faceted value of locally grown food. So, at long last, we do see a positive impact on our business.

JV: What changes in your business and clientele have you noticed since you opened?

RR: When we first opened Joe’s in 2002—I guess because we called it a diner—people expected cheap greasy-spoon food. There was a serious mismatch. But we just kept doing what we do, and gradually we have attracted a loyal following that understands what we’re doing, that understands the broad benefits of eating good local food—not to mention the yummy factor! Also we see people spending a higher percentage of their budget on food. In Europe, this has always been the case; good quality food has never been cheap, and that expenditure is treated as a priority. I believe I see a shift in spending priorities here, too.

JV: I love your newsletter “Dija Know,” which is available on your website, joesdining.com.

Who handles the writing and content for it, and how do you find the time to keep it up? And just exactly who is Joe?

RR: Who is Joe? Sheila wrote this shortly after we opened to try to define the ambience we

JV:

Photo: Kate Russell

wanted to set—casual and unpretentious but quality-oriented: “Joe is everyman. He is you, he is me, he is the guy next door, the gal next door. He is José, Giuseppe, Joseph and all female renditions of the name. Joe is the common thread among us, and yet he is one-of-a-kind. He is friendly, unpretentious, straightforward, with quietly discriminating tastes. Joe has a robust sense of humor—he loves to laugh, even at himself. He loves good food, good drink and good company. Welcome to Joe’s!”

My wife writes the newsletter/blog. It springs from her deep interest in health. She had a healing practice for several years. It started with horses and eventually [expanded to] all species. In her eyes, health and food are inseparable, so she simply enjoys sharing her current research. I never know where she will go next!

If you had to eat one dish every day for the rest of your life what would it be?

RR: That’s tough when you love food. But I guess Joe’s grass-fed and -finished mesquitegrilled burger, with a nice thick slice of local heirloom tomato on a Fano bun, perhaps with some nice sautéed veggies or crisp salad.

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Roland Richter |

be a

RR: That old saying, “Don’t sweat the small stuff, and it’s all small

What is the secret to working with your wife, Sheila? Does it ever get explosive?

505.988.7560 ads@localflavormagazine.com

RR: Only between the sheets! But seriously, it’s all about the pearl. We’ve been creating a magnificent pearl for many lifetimes together. As you may know the oyster creates a pearl only when irritated—in the oyster’s case, with a grain of sand. We don’t always agree on business decisions, but most of the time we come to the same conclusions. It’s almost boring how much we think alike.

JV: What’s your favorite dish on the Joe’s menu? And your least favorite?

RR: Joe’s Benedict—poached eggs on our house-made smoked salmon, resting on potato latkes, smothered with Hollandaise and [accompanied by] a nice crisp salad. Of course a nice glass of Gruet Sparkling Rosé Brut or a mimosa with that.

Least favorite? Johnny, really, I created the menu—there’s nothing on it I don’t like and eat!

JV: What’s the hardest part of being a chef/owner?

RR: Wearing two hats: balancing the conflicting demands of being a free-spending creative artist (the chef ) and those of being the tight-ass accountant (the business owner).

JV: And the most rewarding part of your career as a chef and restaurant owner?

p m a C m o l a Sh 4!

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ic

JV: Many people think it would be difficult to work with their spouse.

advertiser

us

stuff ”—it’s really true. We remind ourselves frequently to really enjoy the moment, the unfolding of life. Otherwise, if it’s all about work and achieving and striving to attain goals, the daily joys of life can just pass unnoticed. Wherever you find yourself is where you should be. Slow down and enjoy it. With that being said, the devil is still in the details! Also, as one passes the 50 mark, it’s not just about doing a job anymore. There’s got to be more to it. The restaurant is a context we have created, a vehicle through which we express who we are and why we’re here. And that context has formed and solidified our mission at Joe’s.

ing Treasure Hun rden ts

years as a chef? Do you feel differently about things relating to hospitality than you did when you first started out in the industry?

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JV: What are a few of the life lessons you feel you have learned in your

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is] harder than you think [because there are] no labeling laws. Corn, for instance, we try not to use until we can get local corn that is verifiable nonGMO. Most corn and soy and, unfortunately, a lot of wheat are GMO. [We avoid] obvious neurotoxins like aspartame/Splenda/sucralose, and HFCS is something else we try to avoid. It, of course, comes from GMO corn.

imals Africa Asia Yog a

RR: We try like crazy to avoid GMO foods and ingredients, [which

THINK BUY STAY

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JV: What ingredients will never appear in a Joe’s Dining dish and why?

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RR: When a guest leaves with a smile and heartfelt comment like, “This is my second home; see you tomorrow,” that makes it all worthwhile.

Joe’s Dining is located at 2801 Rodeo Road in Santa Fe. 505.471.3800. joesdining.com.

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A Celebration of Native story by MIA CARBONE photos COURTESY OF THE CHEFS

&

Food

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n April 12 at the Hotel Santa Fe, the Southwestern Association for Indian Arts (SWAIA) is hosting A Celebration of Native Food and Wine, a first-of-itskind dinner featuring the culinary talents of four acclaimed Native American chefs paired with the wines of Fire Mountain Wines, founded and helmed by Jamie Fullmer (Yavapai-Apache Nation). The four-course dinner of contemporary Native foods will be prepared by Jack Strong (Siletz), Nephi Craig (White Mountain Apache/Navajo), Walter Whitewater (Navajo), and Lois Ellen Frank (Kiowa).

We can think of no more fitting way to conclude our Homestead Issue than with these stories and recipes from the descendants of the original homesteaders of our beloved southwest.

Jack Strong, Executive Chef at Chinook Winds Resort and Casino in Oregon Jack Strong has more than 20 years of experience in the culinary industry, and his Native American heritage plays a strong role in his philosophy. Hailing from Siletz, Oregon, he attended the culinary program at Lane Community College in Eugene, Oregon, and he takes pride in leveraging the region’s farm-fresh ingredients to develop his indigenous Pacific Northwest cuisine. Strong is influenced by elements that are native to the area, and his recipes highlight the seafood, herbs and produce that have always thrived there. The co-author of The New Native American Cuisine: FiveStar Recipes from the Chefs of Arizona’s Kai Restaurant, he was nominated for the James Beard Award Best Chef: Southwest in 2008.

Wine

Native Alder Plank Herb Salmon and Shrimp served with a Three Sisters Ragout Serves 6

Chef Jack Strong offers up this salmon and shrimp dish.

“Three Sisters,” he explains, “is a Native combination of corn, beans and squash that is a traditional ancient farming technique. These three ‘sisters’ depend on each other to grow and thrive when planted together.”

3 Tablespoons olive oil 1 cup small zucchini squash, diced 1 cup small yellow squash, diced 1 cup cooked beans (any variety: red kidney, black, white, etc.)

2 cups roasted corn kernels Salt and pepper to taste 1 yellow onion, medium diced 2 stalks of celery, medium diced 2 Tablespoons fresh garlic, minced 2 cups heavy cream 6 6-ounce salmon fillets, cleaned Small alder planks ½ cup chopped tarragon, chives and parsley 12 shrimp, peeled and deveined In a sauté pan add 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat.

Next add the zucchini, yellow squash, beans and 1 cup of corn. Cook for 2-3 minutes while stirring, then add 1 tablespoon chopped garlic. Finish by seasoning with salt and pepper and reserve warm.

To prepare the corn sauce: In a saucepan, add 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat.

Next add the diced yellow onion, celery, 1 tablespoon minced garlic and the remaining 1 cup of corn. Stir and cook for 3-4 minutes, then add the heavy cream and reduce to a simmer for about 15 minutes. Purée and strain and finish with salt and pepper to taste.

To prepare the salmon and shrimp on alder: Season the salmon and shrimp with salt and pepper, then toss with the chopped herbs. Place the salmon on the alder planks and place in the oven at 350 degrees for about 10-15 minutes, or until cooked medium. In a sauté pan add 1 tablespoon oil and cook the shrimp on medium heat for about 4 minutes, or until cooked through. Place 2 each shrimp atop each piece finished salmon and serve with the three sisters combination and corn sauce.

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Nephi Craig, Executive Chef and Founder of the Native American Culinary Association and Executive Chef at the Sunrise Park Resort Hotel in Arizona.

Western Apache Seed Mix “This is a mix of seeds from the pre-reservation ancestral Apache diet,” says Nephi Craig. “It is a critical piece of our identity and speaks to health and resiliency as we continue to forge de-colonial culinary pathways toward solutions in health and wellness in Western Apacheria.

There are many variations of this seed mix. This recipe is basic and easy to replicate with seeds readily available in markets. Independent study will allow the eater to discover more combinations of this protein packed combination of seeds that revitalize ancestral taste and health. As you snack on this seed mix, please think about pre-reservation indigenous health and regional dominant flavors. Although this mix can be made year-round, historically, spring, summer and autumn were spent gathering and cultivating these seeds to be consumed in winter time, while telling stories and playing string games with the family at home. We share this recipe in the hopes that we remember our ancestral taste and food relatives.”

Nephi Craig is an enrolled member of the White Mountain Apache Tribe.

He is also half Navajo on his latefather’s side. Chef Craig is the chef and founder of the Native American Culinary Association, an organization dedicated to the research, refinement and development of Native cuisine.

Craig helped to prepare a Native American–themed menu for the renowned James Beard Foundation at the James Beard House in New York City. He’s also worked internationally in London, Germany, Brazil and Japan.

A published author, Chef Craig is also the co-founder and CEO of the Western Apache Center for Food and Agriculture, a non-profit organization devoted to the protection of water rights, land, food and people in Western Apacheria.

1 cup dried white corn 1 cup sunflower seeds 1 cup piñon (pine) nuts 1 cup pumpkin seeds Kosher salt to taste Each ingredient must be prepared separately and combined.

© Quanthem | Dreamstime.com

Parch the corn in a heavy skillet over high heat, stirring constantly, until the corn cracks and is golden brown. Do not burn. Toast the sunflower seeds for 10 minutes at 350 degrees or until golden brown. Toast the pine nuts in a 350-degree oven for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Do not burn. Toast the pumpkin seeds in a 350-degree oven for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and allow the seeds to cool. Combine all seeds and season with salt to taste if desired.

Place the cooled mixture in a tall Mason jar, and place in a high place of honor to display.

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Walter Whitewater, Chef de Cuisine for Red Mesa Cuisine Walter Whitewater in Santa Fe grew up in Piñon, Arizona, on the Navajo Reservation.

In addition to his restaurant experience, he teaches at the Santa Fe School of Cooking and leads various community-based cooking programs.

Whitewater is the Chef de Cuisine for Red Mesa and has appeared on a number of TV shows, including “Southwest Cooking with Bobby Flay” and “The Secret Life of Southwest Foods.”

Spicy Corn Soup with Roasted Red Bell Pepper and Chipotle Chile Purée Serves 6

“There is nothing like the taste of fresh sweet corn,” says Lois Ellen Frank, Ph.D., describing the soup that Walter Whitewater is preparing for the SWAIA dinner. “I usually make this soup from fresh corn during the warm weather months and at harvest time when corn is at its sweetest, but it can be made at any time of the year with organic, frozen sweet corn. Its spicy flavor comes from New Mexico red chile powder and chipotle chile powder. Chipotles are jalapeños that have been dried and then smoked.

This medium-size, thick-fleshed chile is smoky and sweet and has a subtle, deep, rounded heat. In Santa Fe, local farmers sell fresh freshly ground New Mexico red and chipotle chile powder.”

4 ears of corn, kernels scraped from the cob, or 3 cups corn kernels (fresh or frozen) 1 yellow onion, diced 1 teaspoon garlic, finely chopped ½ teaspoon dried chipotle chile powder 1 teaspoon New Mexico red chile powder ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon black pepper 6 cups vegetable stock 1 red bell pepper, roasted, peeled, seeded and diced ½ cup sour cream Prepare the corn by cutting the kernels from the cob. You should have approximately 3 cups of corn kernels from 4 cobs. Save the corncobs and set aside. The cobs will add additional corn flavor to the soup. If using frozen corn, use 3 cups of corn kernels.

In a medium-size saucepan over medium-high heat, add ¼ cup of the vegetables stock and then add the onions. Sauté the onions for 3 to 4 minutes until they are translucent, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.

Add the garlic and chipotle chile powder and sauté for 1 more minute. If your pan is too dry, add another ¼ cup of the vegetables stock. Add the corn kernels and sauté for another 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the salt, black pepper and the stock and bring to a boil. (If you have cut your corn fresh from the cob, place the reserved cobs into the saucepan at this time.)

Once the mixture has boiled, reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

Stir occasionally to prevent the corn kernels from burning or sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Photo: Lois Ellen Frank

While the corn soup is simmering, roast the red bell pepper using the open flame method, then peel, seed and dice it. Place the diced bell pepper into a blender with the chipotle chile powder and the New Mexico red chile powder. Then add sour cream. Blend thoroughly for 1 minute. Pour through a fine sieve and discard the contents of the sieve. Pour the red bell pepper sauce into a plastic squirt bottle and set aside.

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Remove the corn soup mixture from the heat, discard the corncobs and set aside. Place the corn soup mixture in a blender and purée for 3 minutes.

Pour the mixture through a sieve and discard the contents of the sieve.

Return the mixture to a saucepan, and heat over medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Pour into bowls, garnish with some of the red pepper sauce and serve immediately.

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Chocolate and Piñon Torte Serves 12

Says Dr. Lois Ellen Frank: “The Feast Day is one of the biggest celebrations of the year among the Indian Pueblos of New Mexico. To honor their patron saints, the people of each Pueblo gather together. They attend mass in the morning and hold a procession into the plaza, where an altar houses their patron saint. After mass, dressed in ceremonial clothing, ancient traditional dances begin and are offered at various times throughout the day...

“After mass, many of the women return home to set up for the day’s feast— which they have been preparing for, in most cases, for days—and set the special dishes up on their tables with chairs crowded around them. On each table is a variety of salads, stews, meats, homemade breads and, of course, desserts—both traditional as well as modern dishes.

“During the afternoon, as the dances are going on in the plaza, relatives and visitors drop in and enjoy what foods each household has to offer, express their thanks and leave to go back to the dances. People drop in throughout the day to taste the fine foods at many different houses. It is a festive day filled with warmth and friendliness.

“This recipe is my adaptation of some of the tortes I sampled at different Pueblos, and I serve it a lot in my catering company. I like to serve it with two sauces, a peach sauce from locally grown farmers’ market peaches from the Velarde family’s farm and a hand harvested prickly pear fruit syrup. You can decorate the entire torte and set it out with the sauces for a buffet, or you can slice it and plate it individually for your guests. Either way, it’s a wonderful dessert.”

1 cup raw piñon (pine) nuts (walnuts or pecans may be substituted) 2 Tablespoons blue cornmeal 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter 9 ounces semisweet dark chocolate 6 egg yolks 3/4 cups granulated unbleached organic sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla bean extract or vanilla bean paste ¼ cup confectioners’ sugar 2 Tablespoons blue cornmeal, for decoration (optional)

Lois Ellen Frank, Ph.D., Chef and Founder of Red Mesa Cuisine in Santa Fe Dr. Lois Ellen Frank, Kiowa, is a New Mexico–based chef, author, historian and photographer. Her James Beard Award– winning book Foods of the Southwest Indian Nations reflects her in-depth research on Native foods and culture. Frank received her Ph.D. in Culinary Anthropology from the University of New Mexico and currently teaches classes on Native and Southwestern food at the Santa Fe School of Cooking. She is the founder of catering company Red Mesa Cuisine.

Grease and flour a 9-inch round cake pan. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a food processor, grind the piñon nuts to a very moist nut butter. Add the blue cornmeal and blend again for about 30 seconds, just long enough to combine. In a double boiler over medium-high heat, melt the butter and chocolate together, stirring occasionally so that they melt and blend together evenly. Add to the piñon mixture in the food processor and blend about 1 minute until smooth. Beat the egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla together in a bowl, and add to the other ingredients in the food processor. Blend again until smooth. Do not over mix at this point or the nut oils will be released, making the torte very oily. Always add the egg mixture last.

Otherwise, the eggs will curdle from coming in contact with the heated chocolate.

Place the batter into the prepared greased pan and pat down with your fingers until evenly spread in the baking pan. This is a thick batter and you will be able to handle it. Bake approximately 10 to 12 minutes (depending on your oven— convection works well for this torte), or until the cake springs back when the center is touched.

Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool before decorating. This is a dense torte, and to me it resembles dense very moist brownies. I like it very moist, which is why I only cook it for 10 to 12 minutes; if you desire a crisper torte you can cook it slightly longer.

Photo: Lois Ellen Frank

When the torte has cooled, after 20 to 30 minutes, remove it from the pan, and then be creative for the decorating process. You can do individual stencils on each slice or decorate the entire torte. To make the Southwestern motif pictured, cut a stencil out of cardboard. First, dust the cake with confectioners’ sugar using a medium sieve, lightly tapping the sides and moving it in a circular motion around the surface of the torte. Then, carefully holding the stencil as close to the torte’s surface as possible without touching it, sprinkle the blue cornmeal through a sieve over the exposed areas. Carefully remove the stencil without disrupting the design.

For a finishing touch, place a few piñon nuts at the corner of each stenciled triangle.

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Italy

ATaste of

SFCC Culinary Arts Students prepare an Italian Feast to raise funds for an educational trip to Italy.

Wednesday, April 23, 2014 6 p.m.

Jemez Rooms Santa Fe Community College Tickets: $50. Reserve now. Space is limited.

To order tickets, call SFCC Foundation’s Kelly Smith at 505-428-1855 to pay by credit card or mail a check payable to the SFCC Foundation, 6401 Richards Avenue, Room 111, Santa Fe, NM, 87508.

Made possible through support from the Simon Charitable Foundation, Victoria and Roy Bridges and the SFCC Foundation.

A benefit by students for students.

0312 iota lf april.pdf

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