the NEW

MEXICO

FARM TABLE

COOKBOOK

100 Home-Grown Recipes from the Land of Enchantment

SHARON NIEDERMAN

Photographs by Kitty Leaken

QUELITES

Begin with scissors, staff, sack prowl back alleys, startle feral cats hope in God’s gifts: Quelites, Wild spinach, yes, here, in dusty despair nourishment abounds. This portion of manna forces its way through shattered glass, broken concrete, forgotten intentions, discarded possessions A scavenger for grace rejoices in Stalks bearing jagged green leaves.

With no abuelita to teach preparation grasp the spoon, intuit the method: Rinse well, boil chop garlic, onion, fry bacon, add leaves, stir gently until tender, serve hot, enjoy.

—Sharon Niederman

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Thanks to the staff of The Countryman Press for their astute professionalism and receptivity to ideas, especially Kermit Hummel, Lisa Sacks, my perceptive longtime Vermont editor Jennifer Thompson, and finally to Ann Treistman and Devorah Backman of W.W. Norton & Company in New York City. This team’s insight and care guided the making of this book during every step of the process. Again—and still—I appreciate the opportunity to do what I like doing best: to head down New Mexico highways, talk to people about this place and write about it.

Thanks to the dedicated growers, food producers, restaurateurs, and chefs who contributed their time and recipes and shared their love of what they do. Thanks to photographer Kitty Leaken for her inspiration and view of the world. In addition, a bag of sun-dried, fresh ground Chimayo red chile to my husband, Charles Henry, who makes as good a hot red chile as anyone in northern New Mexico and whose enthusiasm for the next food adventure is insatiable.

—Sharon Niederman, 2015

Contents

Introduction

Breakfast and Brunch

Los Poblanos

Los Poblanos Pound Cake French Toast

Dixon Cooperative Market

Chard, Roasted Baby Beet and Caramelized Onion Tart

Bear Mountain Lodge

Bear Mountain Lodge Fresh Corn or Blueberry Ricotta Pancakes

Bear Mountain Lodge Granola

Toasted Piñon-Dusted Blue Corn Pancakes

Café Lush

Café Lush Custardy French Toast with Lush Dust

Café Lush BLT with Red Chile Bacon Aioli

Black Range Lodge

Black Range Lodge Fruit Crisp

Black Range Lodge Decadent Breakfast Bread Pudding

Skarsgard Farms

Farmer Monte’s Sautéed Chard with Farm-Fresh Eggs

Black Mesa Winery

Black Mesa Winery Blue Corn Polenta

Soups and Stews

La Fonda—La Plazuela

La Fonda Sopa de Tortilla

Sugar Nymphs Bistro

Sugar Nymphs Zuni Stew

Sugar Nymphs Corn Chowder

Boxcar Farm

Boxcar Farm Katz Family Italian Potato Soup

Farm & Table

Farm & Table Loaded Baked Potato Soup

The Porch

The Porch Creamy Asparagus Soup

Los Poblanos Zucchini Gazpacho

Café Pasqual’s

Café Pasqual’s Green Chile Stew

Shepherd’s Lamb

Shepherd’s Lamb Green Chile Stew

Epazote

Duck Soup Epazote Style

Schwebach Farm

Schwebach Farm Ive’s Bean Soup

Appetizers

Black Range Lodge Salsa

Coonridge Dairy

Coonridge Goat Cheese Quesadilla

Three-Pepper Chile con Queso

Snake Ranch Farm

Snake Ranch Jalapeño Hot Poppers

Santa Fe Brewing Company

Santa Fe Brewing Company Spicy Ancho Salsa

Bike In Coffee at Old Town Farm

Bike In Quiche Babies

Salads and Vegetables

Schwebach Farm Fiesta Bean Pot

Schwebach Farm Corn Sauté

Café Pasqual’s Granny Smith Apple and Fennel Salad with Lemon Zest Vinaigrette

Farm & Table Rustic Quinoa Salad

Green Tractor Farm

Green Tractor Farm Chopped Salad with Chickpeas

Green Tractor Farm Turnips with Greens

Farmers’ Market Balsamic Grilled Vegetables

Salman’s Raspberry Ranch

Salman’s Raspberry Ranch Fruit Salad

Terra Four Seasons Resort Rancho Encantado Santa Fe

Terra Gratin of Smoked Bacon, Green Chile, Macaroni and Cheeses

Snake Ranch Farm Calabacitas

Boxcar Farm Farm-Fresh Peas

Mountain View Market, Farm & Eateries

Mountain View Farm Swiss Chard with Lentils

Mountain View Farm Stir-Fried Amaranth Greens

Romero Farm

Matt and Emily Romero’s Eggplant Sandwich

Curious Kumquat

Curious Kumquat Salt-Baked Beets

Main Courses

Los Vallecitos Ranch

Beef Fajitas Los Vallecitos Style

Los Vallecitos Lamb Roast

Black Mesa Winery Moroccan-Style Glazed Lamb BBQ

Caffe Greco

Caffe Greco Frito Pie

Love Apple

Love Apple Baked Tamales with Oaxacan Mole

Oaxacan Red Chile Mole

Shepherd’s Lamb Slow-Roasted Lamb Shanks

Il Piatto

Il Piatto Paillard of Chicken

Il Piatto Pumpkin Ravioli with Brown Sage Butter, Pine Nuts and Parmesan

Johnny Vee

Johnny Vee’s Buffalo Adovado Empanadas

Café Pasqual’s Vertical-Roasted Chicken or Turkey

Los Poblanos Seared Rib Eye with Béarnaise Sauce

Los Poblanos Pork with Modern Soubise

RZ’s Bees

RZ’s Bees Honey Oven-Baked BBQ Chicken

La Posta

La Posta de Mesilla Chiles Rellenos

La Posta Mesilla Valley Cucumber Jalapeño Margarita

La Posta La Pinta Pomegranate Margarita

Fresh Grilled Lemon-Mustard Trout

1zero6

1zero6 Salmon Frontera

1zero6 Pollo Rojo

Santa Fe Brewing Company Beer-Marinated Carne Asada with Ancho Chile Salsa

Linda’s Summertime Bear Mountain Lodge Poached Chicken in Coconut Milk

Curious Kumquat Braised Oxtails

Buckhorn Tavern

Bobby Olguin’s Green Chile Cheeseburger Secrets

New Mexico CowBelles

New Mexico CowBelles Arroz con Pollo

New Mexico CowBelles Coca-Cola Brisket

Dave Harkness’s Dutch Oven Beef Stew with Wheat Berries

Sauces, Marinades, Salad Dressings

Los Poblanos Cumin and Vanilla Bean Vinaigrette

Green Tractor Farm Hot Pepper Vinegar

Rebecca’s—The Lodge Resort and Spa at Cloudcroft

The Lodge at Cloudcroft Fresh Poblano Chile Vinaigrette

Hotel St. Bernard Sesame-Chile Dressing

Epazote New Mexican Mole

Dave Harkness’s Red-Eyed Speckly Gravy

Rancho de Chimayo

Rancho de Chimayo Vegetarian Green Chile Sauce

Rancho de Chimayo Classic Red Chile

Los Vallecitos Home-Style Red Chile

La Posta de Mesilla Chile Colorado con Carne Stew

Breads and Desserts

Walatowa Visitor Center

Valerie Pecos’s Oven Bread for the Kitchen Oven

Love Apple Corn Bread

Green Tractor Farm Upside-Down Corn Bread

The Porch Corn Oat Muffins

Chef Dave Harkness—Cast Iron Cookie—Sourdough Secrets

Dave Harkness’s Black Pot Sourdough Biscuits

Dave Harkness’s Pan de Horno (Oven Bread)

Pie-O-Neer Café

Pie-O-Neer Piecrust

Pie-O-Neer Chocolate Pecan Pie

Pie-O-Neer Pecan-Oat Pie with Sweet Potatoes

New Mexico Peach Pie with Chiles

New Mexico Apple Pie with Green Chiles and Pine Nuts

The Pink Adobe

The Pink Adobe French Apple Pie

1zero6 Blackberry Marscapone Torte

Los Poblanos Lavender-Lemon Cupcakes

RZ Bee’s Apple Honey Cake

McGinn’s Pistachio Ranch

McGinn’s Chocolate Pistachio Bark

McGinn’s Pistachio-Cranberry Biscotti

Snake Ranch Farm Natillas

Farm & Table Lemon-Basil Ice Cream

Kakawa Chocolate House

Kakawa Amazing Gluten-Free Espresso Brownies

Route 66 Malt Shop

Root Beer Float

Caliche’s

Caliche’s Green Chile Sundae

Measurement Conversion Tables

Directory

Index

Maggie Dexter from Frisco Farm at Silver City Farmer’s Market.

Introduction

Long before the phrase farm-to-table entered popular culture as a description of fresh, sustainable, local produce, New Mexico’s small farms and ranches provided for New Mexican families and communities with homegrown vegetables, fruit, milk, and eggs. Watered by the Rio Grande, cultivated through community, and sheltered through the seasons, Native American pueblos, Spanish villages, and Anglo homesteads borrowed ancestral traditions of growing and preserving staples of corn, chile, and beans. Neighbors shared seeds and recipes, cultivating the Land of Enchantment’s rich agricultural legacy.

This legacy, at the heart of the state’s history, values, and customs, is godparent to today’s farmers’ markets, school and community gardens, wineries and micro-breweries, urban gardens and organic farms, and cafés and restaurants serving healthy, artfully prepared seasonal food and spirits. New Mexico’s traditional cuisine—its frijoles, salsas, tortillas, burritos, enchiladas, red and green chile stews, and blue corn—predominantly a mixture of Native American, Spanish, and Mexican flavors, exists only here. Here many cultures intermarried and cooked together in the high desert under the turquoise sky.

At Boxcar Farm, in the northern New Mexico Sangre de Cristo Mountains, the biggest melons and cabbages, the sweetest peas, and the tangiest cloves of garlic are grown. Jason Neel, farm intern.

The old High Road between Santa Fe and Taos is embedded with New Mexico food traditions.

Reynaldo Romero is mayordomo of the La Cienega acequia, which means he is a powerful man in charge of the ditch and where and when the water flows. In early spring, at sunrise, he oversees its annual cleaning.

Once tasted, these pungent, savory, satisfying flavors are never forgotten. They appeal to the senses of smell and sight as well as taste. If food is our best medicine, they are good medicine indeed, nourishing both body and soul.

For centuries, New Mexico’s remote location and infrequent trade over difficult routes dictated that its people learn to make do with materials at hand. Adaptation was key to survival. Barter was a way of life, as were recycling, repurposing, and sharing land and water commons. Staples of corn, beans, chile, and wild fruit and game sustained native populations; the Spanish introduced fruit trees, cattle, and wheat. Agricultural waterways called acequias, gravity-fed, community-managed ditches, fostered an ethos of cooperation with the seasons as well as among neighbors. Indigenous people pioneered water diversion from the great rivers for their crops, and four centuries ago, the Spanish then integrated their Moorish-based irrigation knowledge. Acequias are kind to the environment, providing an excellent means of recharging the aquifers. Grazing commons, as practiced on Spanish land grants, promoted local stewardship.

Today, 97 percent of New Mexico ranches are family owned, many managed by the same family into the fourth and fifth generations. New Mexico supports a complex of family agriculture, food growing, preserving, and sharing that continues to sustain and nourish as it revives and takes root throughout the state. The numbers of small farms are increasing, as are wineries, CSAs, and all manner of local growers who bring their garlic, tomatoes, honey, eggs, and preserves to dozens of farmers’ markets throughout the state.

Water is precious in New Mexico. During the extended drought it has been pumped from limited underground aquifers in Hatch (top). Ditch gates are often locked and guarded, such as by this mayordomo in Nambe.

The daily messages we receive about eating healthfully convey that we are in the midst of a cultural shift that links our own welfare to that of the earth, animals, food producers, servers, and purveyors. Industrial, GMO food is suspect, and the public questions the viability of food that has been irradiated or chemically treated, while believing that the impacts of agribusiness and factory farming are detrimental to the earth as well as to consumers. We are the first to connect with an awareness of food’s carbon footprint. We long for real food that is safe, healthy, and delicious. If it is available, many of us prefer locally grown and delivered, tree- and fieldripened produce to the hard tomatoes, grapes imported from Chile, and peaches that spoil before they ripen packaged on grocery store shelves.

We long for food that both tastes good and is good for us and our children; the kind of food our grandparents ate.

In The New Mexico Farm Table Cookbook, photographer Kitty Leaken and I invite you to journey with us throughout New Mexico as we document the foodways of family farms, traditional small ranches, mom-and-pop cafés, farmers’ markets, and fine, spirited restaurants that showcase locally sourced ingredients. We introduce you to the people who love preparing food that is both nourishing and delightful, and to those behind the scenes who create the uniquely New Mexican must-try eateries.

Travel with us down old Highway 60, the two-lane slow road devoid of billboards or chain restaurants, as we visit with Kathy Knapp of the Pie-O-Neer Café in Pie Town and she shares her treasured recipe for New Mexico apple pie with green chile. Meet Bobby Olguin, the green chile cheeseburger king of San Antonio, New Mexico, who bested chef Bobby Flay in the ultimate green chile cheeseburger throwdown. Olguin shares his secrets for the perfect burger so you can wow guests at your next cookout. We go on a tour of Costilla, north of Taos, with “Gogo” Gonzales, the last wheat grower in northern New Mexico. He shows us his wheat fields and the mill where he processes his fine Nativo flour for the gourmet bakeries of Santa Fe. We meet with growers at the Silver City Farmers’ Market and the Mountain View Market Farm in Las Cruces with its innovative methods of cultivation. We encounter a roadside attraction, the world’s largest pistachio at McGinn’s Pistachio Ranch in Alamogordo, and we talk with farmers cultivating the chile fields of Hatch, “the green chile capital of the world.”

The Virgin of Guadalupe sits on a shrine in El Paragua kitchens.

We celebrate the seventy-fifth anniversary of the classic restaurant that was once a stagecoach stop on the Mesilla Plaza, La Posta, with delicious margaritas and chiles rellenos; then we dine at 1zero6, Jake Politte’s free-spirited Thai–Oaxacan–New Mexican fusion Silver City restaurant; and in Taos we sample the romantic café located in an ancient adobe church, the Love Apple, with its famous corn bread and baked tamales with mole. And we learn to bake bread in a horno, the beehive-shaped adobe oven, at Walatowa Visitor Center of the Jemez Pueblo.

We journey to the Blessing of the Fields, celebrating the Feast Day of San Ysidro, patron saint of farmers, at the Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum in Las Cruces. There bread baked in cast iron is blessed and shared with participants as they pray over the animals and the acequias for a good growing season. In New Mexico, the saints are never far away. A look behind the scenes at many restaurant kitchens around the state reveals an array of saints offering their protection.

We taste floats made with honest homemade root beer at the Route 66 Malt Shop in Albuquerque, take a tour of Central Avenue’s vintage neon landmarks, and we experience the culinary expertise of James Beard Award-winning chef Jonathan Perno at Los Poblanos Historic Inn & Organic Farm, where at dawn he harvests ingredients. A cross-section of New Mexico agricultural history resides here in these fields surrounding the serene, timeworn North Valley inn, as it has transformed from pastureland to a commercial dairy to lavender fields, to its current incarnation as organic vegetable farm.

Our travels take us to the Vallecitos Ranch of Carla Gomez at 9,000 feet, above Mora where she raises grass-fed beef, lamb, and goat, and to the Boxcar Farm in view of the Truchas Peaks, just off the High Road to Taos. Here teacher-artist Avrum Katz and journalist Kristen Davenport Katz raise garlic, sweet peas, a stunning variety of squash, and their family. First-generation farmers, they made the leap back to the land and now combine traditional wisdom with modern know-how to farm organically. They, like many other family growers, may be found at the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market on Saturday mornings.

And we sit at the counters and chat with locals and visitors at New Mexico’s mom-and-pop cafés, perhaps the warmest, most comfortable places of all, where the proprietors get up way before dawn to bake fresh doughnuts, smoke brisket, and stir a pot of red chile. Such places as Nueva Casita in the old Mesquite neighborhood of Las Cruces, Yum Yum’s in Tularosa, and Chope’s in La Mesa can be relied on for authentic New Mexican dishes lovingly prepared.

We share their most treasured recipes and techniques for preparing New Mexico’s distinctive bounty—its honey, pistachios, lavender, sweet peas, garlic, corn, lamb, beef, buffalo, goat cheese, apples and pears, as well as its famous chile. We also bring you the inside secrets to making the best green chile cheeseburgers, sourdough biscuits, chiles rellenos, empanadas, red and green chile, mole, and more, from the masters, so you can be cooking like a Southwest kitchen wizard in no time even if you live as far away as the land of Buffalo wings.

Yoli Jimenez serves up enchiladas at Nueva Casita in Mesilla.

It’s all good at Yum Yum’s in Tularosa.

Carla Gomez collects eggs at her Vallecitos ranch.

Debbie Bencomo makes tortillas by hand and cooks them on a wood stove in the front room of El Paragua in Espanola.

Santa Fe, New Mexico, was recently voted the #1 (Numero Uno) small city in the United States in a Condé Nast readers’ poll. Of course, food is one of the city’s primary attractions. Even if Santa Fe is only a number on your bucket list and you promise to get there one day, with the simple recipes and descriptions from several of the city’s most beloved chefs that are available in these pages, you can easily prepare the tastes of Santa Fe for your friends and family.

Our hope is that the recipes gathered from those who love to produce and prepare New Mexico’s bounty will expand and enliven your meals from start to finish with creative appetizers, soups and stews, main dishes, vegetables, and desserts. If you think New Mexico cooking is all burritos and enchiladas, you are in for a surprise as you turn these pages graced with Kitty Leaken’s exquisite photographs.

Many of these recipes provide fresh takes on the use of traditional ingredients. All are prepared with ingredients that are readily accessible and all are simple for the home chef to create. This book is an excellent tool for anyone who wants to eat tasty foods that are also healthy, and to serve delicious food to family and friends.

We hope it brings a bit of that New Mexico enchantment to your kitchen. We’d love to hear from you about your favorite New Mexican fare and recipes.

See you down the road.

Sharon and Kitty

LOS POBLANOS

The reputation of Los Poblanos Historic Inn & Organic Farm as a culinary paradise is growing faster than its fields of lavender and fresh vegetables. Many well-known artists, architects, and craftspeople contributed to the beauty of this special place. Inhabited by Ancestral Pueblo peoples, the land became part of the Elena Gallegos Land Grant in the early eighteenth century.

Congressional colleagues Albert Simms and suffragist and newspaperwoman Ruth Hanna McCormick Simms built Los Poblanos into an agricultural and cultural center during the midtwentieth century. Following their marriage, they combined their herds to found Creamland Dairy and many of Albuquerque’s cultural institutions—the Little Theater, Sandia Prep, Albuquerque Academy, and more. Here at their famous La Quinta, now used for special events, they brought together the leading cultural and political lights of their day.

In 1976, the Rembe family acquired Los Poblanos. Their mission, “To preserve the historic Los Poblanos Ranch by cultivating a dynamic business dedicated to sustainable agriculture, hospitality, historic preservation, and community,” has enlivened the entire North Valley. Now in the third generation, the Rembe vision continues to preserve this special place while fostering its growth in a way that is consistent with the values that come from the land itself.

Chef Jonathan Perno, of La Merienda at Los Poblanos Inn, received a James Beard Foundation award in 2014. He combines his Berkeley, California, and international cooking experience with his Rio Grande Valley roots to showcase local field-to-table ingredients he selects to be prepared daily. As the farm has grown, it has been at the forefront of the “back-to-the-land movement,” inspiring local small growers to take on the spirit of the many small independent farming communities that thrived in the North Valley prior to World War II.

Beautiful breakfasts at Los Poblanos.

Los Poblanos Pound Cake French Toast

MAKES 2 LOAVES; 4 TO 6 SERVINGS OF FRENCH TOAST PER LOAF

The pound cake in this recipe is also good unsautéed, as cake. Serve warm or at room temperature. It is delicious with vanilla ice cream topped with chocolate sauce.

For the cake:

7 1/2 ounces salted butter, at room temperature, plus more for pans

5 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for pans

1 tablespoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

2 cups cane sugar

6 large eggs plus 3 large egg yolks

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 1/4 cups low-fat buttermilk

For the French toast:

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

4 large eggs, beaten

Sufficient melted unsalted butter to keep the pan well buttered during cooking

Pure maple syrup, for serving

Confectioners’ sugar, for serving

Sliced fresh fruit, for serving

Prepare the cake: Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Butter and flour two 9 x 5-inch loaf pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar on low speed until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Beat in the egg yolks, followed by the olive oil. On low speed, beat in the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with additions of the buttermilk.

Pour the batter into the prepared pans. Bake until the cakes are browned on top and spring back when pressed lightly with your finger, 50 to 60 minutes.

Remove from the oven. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of the pans. Peel off the paper. Let the cakes cool completely upright on a wire rack.

Prepare the French toast: Slice the cooled cake (good the next day) into 3/4-inch slices. Soak in mixture of the cream and beaten eggs. Sauté in melted butter until both sides are golden brown. Serve immediately with maple syrup, powdered sugar, and sliced fresh fruit.

Los Poblanos Pound Cake French Toast

DIXON COOPERATIVE MARKET

Dixon, New Mexico, a tiny village located an hour north of Santa Fe in the Embudo River Valley, famous for its annual Artist Studio Tour held the first weekend in December, had for generations been served by small, locally owned general stores. Over time, these small stores fell by the wayside, necessitating an hour’s drive for groceries. Out of the local farmers’ market, the idea for a cooperative food store began to gain traction, and in 2005, the Dixon Cooperative Market opened its doors.

The market’s goals include buying and distributing as much local produce as possible, giving the growers a fair price, and keeping money in the community. In addition to purchasing from local farmers, during harvest season, the market purchases from small family gardeners. Eggs from local chickens are also a priority, as are locally produced arts and crafts. Locally obtained produce is used in the soups, pies and sandwiches sold at the co-op’s Dixon Deli.

Chard, Roasted Baby Beet and Caramelized Onion Tart

MAKES 1 (14 X 4-INCH) RECTANGULAR TART

Try baking this “garden in a pie” that raises humble vegetables to favorite dish status.

For the dough:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1 cup (2 sticks, 8 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cubed

1/4 to 1/2 cup cold water

For the vegetable tart:

Olive oil, vegetable oil, or cooking spray, for pan

1 large bunch baby beets, greens removed, peeled

1/4 cup olive oil

Salt and pepper

1 bunch Swiss chard, coarsely chopped

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 medium-size red onions, sliced

1 large egg whisked together with 1 tablespoon of water for an egg wash

4 to 6 ounces shredded cheese (any good melting cheese will work)

Prepare the dough: Combine the flour, salt and sugar in a large bowl. Add the butter and mash with a pastry blender or back of a fork until well blended to a coarse and crumbly consistency. The butter should be in pea-size balls. Add cold water a little at a time, mixing after each addition. Add only enough water to make the dough come together without being too sticky. Divide the dough into two balls and flatten each into a disk. Wrap the disks in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour. You will only need one of the disks for this tart, so the other disk can be frozen for later use.

Fresh beets.

Prepare the tart: While the dough is chilling, preheat the oven to 400°F. Grease a 14 x 4-inch rectangular tart pan (preferably with a removable bottom). However, any pie or cake pan may be used.

Line a square baking dish with foil and place the peeled beets in the dish. Toss with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and salt and pepper and roast for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the beets are tender. Turn off the oven. Set the beets aside and allow them to cool. Once the beets are cooled, cut them into circular slices.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium-low heat and sauté the Swiss chard for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the chard from the skillet and add the butter to the pan. Add the red onion slices and stir. Continue to consistently stir the onions, cooking until caramelized, 15 to 25 minutes. Allow both the chard and onions to cool completely.

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Roll out one disk of dough to a rectangular shape that will fit the bottom of the prepared tart pan. Place the dough in the pan, removing any excess that may come up the sides of the pan. You want the dough to only cover the bottom of the pan. Chill for another 30 minutes. Once chilled, prick the dough with a fork, brush it with egg wash, and bake for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before topping. Top with the shredded cheese first, then the caramelized onions, the Swiss chard, and finally the beet slices. Return the pan to the oven and bake for another 15 minutes. Allow to cool completely before serving.

BEAR MOUNTAIN LODGE

On the edge of the Gila National Forest, Bear Mountain Lodge dates to approximately 1910, when the 128-acre property was homesteaded by the Dye family. Initially, it was the Rocky Mountain Ranch School for special-needs children. Following the Crash, it was reopened as a country club and hotel in 1932. The Sunday chicken dinners were a weekly Silver City highlight. In 1936, under new ownership, it became a full-fledged dude ranch. The modern era began in 1959, when Myra McCormick and her husband, Fred, took over as proprietors of the Bear Mountain Guest Ranch. Myra, a lover of birds, donated the property to the Nature Conservancy in 1999, which remodeled the historic building and operated it until 2009. Shortly afterward, it was acquired by the present owners.

I first visited the Lodge during Myra’s stewardship, when it was famous as a getaway for birders. The serenity of the grounds, the jaw-dropping mountain views that surround it, and the lovingly preserved hand-hewn beams, enormous stone fireplace, and spacious portals create a rustic escape of luxurious comfort. The Blue Dome Gallery showcases the fine sculpture, photography, and painting of Silver City artists. Café Oso Azul (Blue Bear) is open to the public for dinner and weekend brunch. The owners are fond of poodles, and the lodge is, fortunately, quite pet-friendly.

Bear Mountain Lodge Fresh Corn or Blueberry Ricotta Pancakes

MAKES 12 TO 16 PANCAKES; SERVES 4

In summer the lodge uses corn from the farmers’ market, and in winter it uses frozen blueberries.

These pancakes are the second-most-requested recipe at the lodge.

Dry ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup medium-grind polenta

2 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (fresh is preferable but dried is fine)

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Wet ingredients:

2 large eggs, beaten

1 cup (8 ounces) ricotta cheese

Kernels from 3 ears of fresh corn, or 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups milk

1/4 cup fresh orange juice

Zest of 2 oranges

To cook and serve:

Butter, for griddle or pan

Pure maple syrup

Combine the wet and dry ingredients.

Heat a griddle or cast-iron pan. Add some butter . . . and make some pancakes! Ladle into the hot pan enough batter to make a 4- to 6-inch-diameter pancake. Flip the pancakes when bubbles form around the edges. Lightly brown them on each side. Remove from the pan and keep the cooked pancakes warm while you make the rest.

Serve with pure maple syrup.

Bear Mountain Lodge Granola

MAKES 12 TO 14 CUPS GRANOLA

This substantial toasty morning waker-upper is the recipe most often requested by guests.

9 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1 1/2 cups pure maple syrup

3/4 cup light brown sugar

1 cup olive or canola oil

3 cups chopped dried apricots

4 cups dried, sweetened cranberries

Preheat the oven to 300°F and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Mix all the ingredients together and spread on the prepared pan.

Bake for 1 hour, turning every 15 minutes (set a timer to avoid burning the granola), until lightly golden. Store for up to 1 month in a tightly closed glass jar.

Toasted Piñon–Dusted Blue Corn Pancakes

MAKES 8 TO 10 PANCAKES; SERVES 4

This is a Sunday morning brunch treat that my family serves with bacon and chokecherry syrup that we make from chokecherries we forage in Cimarron Canyon each August. This recipe is good with honey butter.

1 1/2 cups finely ground atole (toasted blue cornmeal), preferably horno roasted

1/4 cup all-purpose or whole wheat flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup toasted ground piñon nuts, divided

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 1/2 cups buttermilk or a combination of whole milk, yogurt, or unsweetened soy or coconut milk

1/4 cup vegetable oil (not olive oil)

Honey butter, for serving (optional)

Chokeberry syrup, local honey, or pure maple syrup, for serving

Heat a griddle, preferably cast iron.

Place the dry ingredients in large bowl, including 1/4 cup of the piñons. In another bowl, combine the eggs, buttermilk, and oil. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Stir quickly, just enough to mix. Spoon the pancakes onto the hot griddle, using 2 large tablespoons of batter per pancake. When the edges start to bubble, flip once with a spatula. Serve hot with honey butter, if desired, and chokecherry syrup, local honey, or real maple syrup, sprinkled with the reserved 1/4 cup of toasted piñons.

CAFÉ LUSH

Café Lush, a name that must be short for “luscious,” is a gleaming urban makeover of a tiny downtown lunch counter that looked like a scene from an Edward Hopper painting. Owners Sandy and Tom Docherty said they were “too poor to retire and too old to get a job” when they opened the café four years ago. Tom loved to cook, so they jumped in. The combination of great coffee, excellent fresh ingredients creatively combined, irresistible baked goods, and gluten-free fare has made the café a must-stop gathering spot for Downtown Growers Market customers, cyclists, walkers, and downtown working folk.

Café Lush is the perfect place to meet for brunch.

SHARON NIEDERMAN

Café Lush Custardy French Toast with Lush Dust

SERVES 2

Comfort food of the highest order.

1/2 cup (1 stick, 4 ounces) butter

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1/2 cup Kahlúa

4 slices cinnamon raisin bread

2 tablespoons cored and diced golden apple

6 large eggs

3 ounces (1/2 cup minus 1 teaspoon) granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 (13.5- to 14-ounce) can coconut milk

3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Vegetable oil, for frying

Fresh blueberries or sliced strawberries, for garnish

Lush Dust (here)

In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the butter with the brown sugar, stirring constantly. Simmer for just a few minutes. Remove from the heat. Add the Kahlúa. Return to a simmer and cook a few minutes to cook the alcohol out. Cut the bread into small pieces, and add the diced apple. In a medium-size bowl, mix the eggs, granulated sugar, vanilla, coconut milk, and cream very well. Toss the bread mixture in this batter and coat well. Heat the oil in large nonstick skillet, and have another skillet ready and oiled. Add the bread and slowly shake the pan as it cooks to keep it from sticking. Add a little more oil as necessary. When the bread is browned on one side, invert the pan onto the other pan. When this side is lightly browned, turn onto a platter and begin another pan until the mixture is all is cooked. Pour the Kahlúa syrup over all and top with fresh berries. Sprinkle with Lush Dust (below).

Café Lush BLT with Red Chile Bacon Aioli

MAKES 1 SANDWICH

A treat for the bacon lover.

For the Lush Dust:

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar

2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

Pinch of ground cardamom

For the aioli (makes 1 generous cup):

3 rashers nitrate- and nitrite-free bacon, cooked very crisp

2 large egg yolks

Juice of 1/2 lemon

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons red chile powder

Salt and pepper

8 ounces olive oil

For assembly:

5 rashers nitrate- and nitrite-free bacon

Pinch of Lush Dust

1 focaccia bread

Oil, for pan

1 tablespoon red chile bacon aioli

1 slice Asiago cheese

2 tablespoons shredded lettuce

3 slices tomato

Prepare the Lush Dust: Pour all the ingredients into a shaker. Cover tightly and shake well.

Prepare the aioli: Roughly chop the cooked bacon. Place in a food processor with the egg yolks, lemon juice, mustard, chile powder, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. With the processor on slow speed, add the oil, stopping occasionally to scrape sides. When the mixture is smooth, taste and adjust the seasonings. May be stored in a tightly closed glass jar for a few days.

Assemble the sandwich: Cook the bacon in a medium-size pan. When the bacon is almost done, dust lightly with Lush Dust. Slice the bread into sandwich size and cut in half. Oil a pan and toast the bread in the pan. Remove the bread from the pan and spread with the aioli. Place the cheese on the bread, then layer with the bacon, lettuce, and tomato. Serve warm.

BLACK RANGE LODGE

During the 1890s, Kingston, New Mexico, was one of the richest silver mining towns in the West, with fourteen banks, twenty-two saloons, and thriving business for “ladies of the night,” headed up by legendary madam Sadie Orchard. The original brick construction of this lodge dates back to the 1880s, when it housed miners and cavalry. Its massive stone walls and log-beamed ceilings were built during the 1930s.

Today, Kingston is a destination for travelers and recreationists headed over Emory Pass on the way to Silver City and through the Gila Wilderness. It is the home of a gallery and a small herd of javalina that wander Percha Creek and the Black Range Lodge. Dredged in history, the three-story hotel caught the eye and heart of Catherine Wanek while she was on a road trip from Los Angeles about thirty years ago.

On impulse, she did what many dream of and changed her life from filmmaking to inn keeping. In the ghost town of Kingston she has made her life, and now the world comes to experience her straw bale constructions, taste the homemade preserves she crafts from the fruit of her orchards, and delight in the off-the-beaten-path Old West getaway she has created. Her New Year’s Eve parties are justly famous, as are the accommodations she provides for weddings, family reunions, and other celebrations. Breakfast includes organic eggs from Catherine’s chickens and heart-healthy, fresh-baked muffins.

The happy chickens at Black Range Lodge keep guests provided with organic eggs for breakfast.

New Mexico plums.

Black Range Lodge Fruit Crisp

SERVES 4 TO 6

Catherine says, “We use whatever fruit is in season—apricots, peaches, plums, pluots, cherries, pears, and apples, or any combination.”

For the filling:

4 cups fruit (see headnote), stoned and sliced or cubed

Brown sugar or honey (optional)

Ground cinnamon

Butter, for pan

For the crust:

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

1/2 cup brown sugar or honey

1/2 cup walnuts, pecans, sliced almonds, and/or sunflower seeds

1/4 cup all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour blend

1/4 cup (1/2 stick, 2 ounces) butter

1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Prepare the filling: Sauté the fruit in a large, ungreased skillet over medium-low heat to evaporate the excess liquid. Add the brown sugar, if needed, and lightly spice with cinnamon. Pour into a buttered 8-inch square glass or metal baking pan.

Prepare the crust: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Mix all the ingredients well and spread over the fruit.

Bake about for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Black Range Lodge Decadent Breakfast Bread Pudding

SERVES 6

The lodge bakes organic bread daily. This recipe allows the cook to make use of leftover bread and adds a sweet offering at breakfast. Chopped fruit and nuts may be added to taste.

For the bread pudding:

Nonstick spray

4 cups warm milk

5 cups cubed day-old bread

1 cup raisins

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 large eggs, well beaten

1/2 cup brown sugar or honey

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the topping:

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup granulated sugar

Pinch of salt

1 1/2 cups milk

6 large eggs, separated

1 teaspoon vanilla, almond, maple, or lemon extract, or to taste

1 cup heavy whipping cream

Prepare the bread pudding: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with nonstick spray.

Place the bread, raisins, and salt in the warm milk and allow to soak for about 10 minutes.

Add the eggs, brown sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon and mix well. Stir in the fruit and nuts, if using.

Pour into the prepared pan. Bake for about 45 minutes, until golden brown.

Prepare the topping: Combine the flour, sugar, salt, and milk in a medium-size saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly until thick.

Lightly beat the six egg yolks in a bowl, then pour 1/2 cup of the hot milk mixture into the egg yolks and stir. Pour the egg yolk mixture back into the pan and cook until the milk mixture thickens.

Let cool, then add whatever flavored extract you like.

After the mixture has cooled, beat the cream and fold in. Pour on top of the baked bread pudding and serve.

Diane’s Bakery Fresh Bread, Silver City.

SKARSGARD FARMS

Skarsgard Farms cultivates 40 acres along the beautiful Rio Grande River Valley. In addition to the wide variety of crops grown, the farm also works within a network of sustainable farmers and ranchers from the region to help distribute their products. This ensures customers will receive the widest selection of fruits and vegetables while gaining access to local meats, eggs, dairy, and other tasty staples year-round. All produce found on the farm’s website is grown without chemicals, antibiotics, or hormones and tastes the way Nature intended food to taste. Visit Skarsgard at www.skarsgardfarms.com.

Farmer Monte’s Sautéed Chard with Farm-Fresh Eggs

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Skarsgard Farms is a pioneer year-round CSA in the Albuquerque area.

1 bunch chard (spinach or kale works, too)

Olive oil

Garlic (optional)

6 large eggs

Cheese crumbles of choice

Salt and pepper

Buttered toast, for serving

Jam, for serving

Salsa or hot sauce, for serving

Roll the chard into a big burrito shape. Slice crosswise through it so the chard comes off in a ribbon fashion. Sauté those greens with a little olive oil (and garlic, if you like) in a large skillet over medium heat (not too high or it will scorch the chard). Wilt down until the greens are quite limp, about 5 minutes. Smooth down as the “bed” for the eggs. In a separate skillet, in a little additional olive oil fry the eggs sunny-side up and place on top of the sautéed chard. Top with cheese crumbles. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with buttered toast and jam, and pass the salsa or hot sauce.

Grape vines overlook the Rio Grande from Black Mesa Winery.

BLACK MESA WINERY

Wine has been manufactured along the Rio Grande for more than four centuries, and the past thirty years have seen a strong revival of New Mexico’s wine country.

Perhaps best known for its Black Beauty chocolate dessert wine, Black Mesa Winery, located in Alcalde, midway between Santa Fe and Taos, also produces some of the most complex and interesting red wines in all of New Mexico. All twenty-five of its wines are produced from New Mexico grapes, many of them from arbors that surround the winery’s delightful tasting room facing the Rio Grande. The Taos wine bar features a busy calendar of live music performances, wine appreciation classes, and other events. Back at the Alcalde facility, owners Lynda and Jerry Burd plan barrel tastings, their annual grape Crush, and so much more that makes Black Mesa a magnet for those who seek to make wine an enjoyable, lighthearted part of life. Black Mesa is one of the most consciously green wine producers around, in terms of how it treats its grapes and its land, how it gets its energy, and how it recycles.

The winery also produces a luscious Black Beauty sauce to serve over ice cream.

Black Mesa Winery Blue Corn Polenta

SERVES 6

This polenta can be sliced and reheated in a microwave or pan fried. It goes well with fried eggs and salsa, grilled Italian sausage, or fried ham.

Olive oil, vegetable oil, or cooking spray, for pan

1/2 cup (1 stick, 4 ounces) butter

3 spring onions, whites finely diced, greens reserved, or 2 leeks, white part only, cleaned and diced

6 to 7 cups chicken or light mushroom stock

2 cups blue cornmeal (coarser grind preferred)

3/4 cup half-and-half

3/4 cup goat’s or cow’s milk ricotta or feta cheese, washed to remove salt

1/2 cup shredded smoked Gouda cheese

Salt

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease an 8 x 11-inch baking dish well with olive oil, vegetable oil or cooking spray

In a heavy skillet over medium heat, sauté the spring onion whites (or all of the leeks) in the butter until translucent and soft, almost to caramelization, 8 to 12 minutes. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Slowly stir in the cornmeal and cook, stirring frequently, until quite thick. Add the half-and-half and cheese. Pour into the prepared baking dish, leaving some room for expansion. Bake until the top is slightly browned. For a firmer consistency, allow to cool before serving.

Lorena at La Fonda serves up Sopa de Tortilla.

LA FONDA—LA PLAZUELA

La Plazuela, the airy atrium restaurant at the historic La Fonda Hotel, is one of the loveliest places at which to enjoy a meal in Santa Fe.

Once an open courtyard, this three-story high space was enclosed around 1922, and artist Ernest Martinez created the hand-painted folk art glass windows. La Fonda may be the oldest hotel site in the United States, as there is record of a fonda (inn) on this spot since Santa Fe’s founding in 1607. In 1925, the hotel was leased to the Fred Harvey Company and became a renowned Harvey House, decorated by Mary Elizabeth Jane Colter. Western architect Isaac Hamilton Rapp, father of Santa Fe style, gave it the characteristic Pueblo Revival style that marks it as a classic to this day. The bar is still a popular meeting place, with live dance music most nights, and the hotel is adorned with New Mexican art, with original pieces in every room.

During the days of the Santa Fe Trail, La Fonda, the inn, stood beside the big wooden gates that marked the end of the trail, welcoming traders, merchants, military, health seekers, and artists and offering sought-after hospitality. La Plazuela offers diners contemporary interpretations of American standards. Chef Lane Warner updates northern New Mexico classics with locally sourced organic meats and produce. Guacamole made tableside, tortilla soup, roasted corn poblano chowder . . . the entire menu is imbued with the flavors of the Southwest. In the old days, no man was allowed to wear a tie here, and it remains a place for relaxed fine dining.

La Fonda Sopa de Tortilla

MAKES ABOUT 1 GALLON BROTH; ABOUT 16 SERVINGS

A soup to warm you up on a chilly day. It’s light enough to be the perfect starter to a substantial dinner of enchiladas and beans, and it’s a great opening act to stimulate the taste buds.

For the broth:

1 (2- to 3-pound) stewing chicken

8 ounces carrots, peeled and sliced

8 ounces celery, sliced

1 pound Spanish onions, sliced

5 guajillo chile, seeded

4 medium-size tomatoes, roasted and peeled

Water, to cover by 2 inches

Kosher salt and white pepper

To serve:

1 avocado, pitted, peeled, and diced

1 cup queso fresco

2 dozen strips of fried corn tortillas

Prepare the broth: Place all the ingredients, except the salt and pepper, in a stockpot and bring to a boil over high heat. Simmer for 2 to 3 hours. When the flavor is to your liking, remove from the heat. Strain the solid ingredients though cheesecloth, reserving the chicken. Pull the chicken meat from the bones and shred. Season the broth to taste with salt and pepper, Garnish each bowl with shredded chicken, diced avocado, queso fresco, and fried corn tortilla strips.

The famous courtyard restaurant in historic La Fonda, Santa Fe.

SUGAR NYMPHS BISTRO

In addition to the local produce and other quality natural ingredients assembled in the tiny kitchen of Sugar Nymphs Bistro by the hands of chef Kai Harper Leah and pastry chef Ki Holste, there is a seemingly magical ingredient that flavors every dish—it is called deliciousness.

Northern New Mexico dining changed for the better when these two kitchen mavens brought their San Francisco-honed skills and love of southwestern-spiced creative comfort food up the High Road and set up shop adjacent to the old Penasco Theater. Their hand-tossed pizza was a staple locals could love, but it wasn’t long before Gourmet magazine discovered their house-made chocolate and carrot cakes, their signature chocolate maple pecan pie, complimentary scones served at weekend brunch, best-ever green chile cheeseburgers, Zuni stew, meat loaf, knockout salads, and stunning soups.

Kai learned to cook at the San Francisco Zen Center Restaurant Greens, and her food sense is impeccable. Here in the shadow of dramatic Jicarita Peak she unleashes her creative powers to produce an almost daily-changing menu based on the best of ingredients offered by the season. In the fall, when the aspens along the High Road are shining gold, expect dishes based on locally harvested apples, squash, pumpkin, and chile.

Of course, any time of year is the time to take the short drive from Taos, for just the right bowl of soup to take the chill off a winter night, or in spring, for the crispy salad of fresh greens your body craves. Just look for the brightly colored mural on the front of the café. You can’t miss it.

Sugar Nymphs delights in concocting special feasts and holiday specials, such as their Spaghetti Western Dinner; Regional Foods from New Mexico, Oaxaca and Spain; and Transylvanian Fix Special Hungarian. Of course, reservations are essential.

Sugar Nymphs Zuni Stew

SERVES 10

The stew is good served with polenta, rice, or mashed potatoes. Sugar Nymphs often serves it with grilled chicken sausage and good bread.

Olive oil, for pan

1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed

5 summer squash, cubed

5 zucchini, cubed

1 (8-ounce) package frozen corn, or fresh kernels cut off 2 ears

1 yellow onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 stick cinnamon

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

1 (32-ounce) can fire-roasted tomatoes

1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed, or 2 cups cooked

2 rehydrated ancho chiles

Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet over low heat. Sauté the squash, zucchini, corn, onion, garlic, cilantro, cumin, cinnamon stick, and paprika until the onion is transparent.

Add the tomatoes, beans and ancho chiles and let simmer for 45 minutes.

The exterior of Sugar Nymphs Café features a corn mural.

Flower girls honor the animals during the Blessing of the Fields ceremony at New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum.

Sugar Nymphs Corn Chowder

SERVES 8

You can easily whip up this satisfying signature soup to feed a crowd. Just add muffins and a salad.

1/4 cup (1/2 stick, 2 ounces) butter

1 1/2 yellow onions, diced

1 bell pepper (any color), chopped

2 pounds potatoes, cubed

2 (16-ounce) packages frozen white corn

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 gallon milk

12 ounces half-and-half

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

1 tablespoon salt

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

In a heavy kettle over medium-low heat, sauté the onions, bell pepper, potatoes, and corn in the butter until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes.

Add the flour and stir into the veggies until incorporated. Slowly add the milk and half-and-half.

Cook the soup over low heat until it is hot and has thickened, stirring frequently so that it doesn’t scorch.

Stir in the cumin, paprika, salt, and cilantro and serve.

BOXCAR FARM

This is the story of Boxcar Farm, as told by Kristen Davenport Katz:

“Our farm sits up in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of Taos County, where we moved in 2006 to get closer to the source of our state’s water—the acequias and springs here carry fresh snowmelt straight off the 12,000-foot peaks in our backyard. It was a good move. We now have 7 acres in production—garlic, potatoes, onions, winter squash, root crops, greens, peas, beans, herbs. Avrum quit his day job. We are entirely reliant on this land for our food and livelihood—a situation that is simultaneously profoundly satisfying and profoundly scary, if you allow yourself to start thinking about drought, hailstorms, and early frosts.

“We did make some sacrifices to be here—we traded out a nice house for nice land. Even after years at our new farm, our house is barely livable. My kids are growing up third-world style in a first-world nation that is obsessed with material goods and antibacterial soap—a fact that is at times awkward for them, but I’m sure they will thank us later. My kids have grown up in the dirt, walking barefoot through the goat pens, running wild over the hayfields, and picking wild plums when they get hungry. They have grown up getting stuck in the mud instead of traffic jams, respecting the paths past the beehives instead of highways.

“It’s a good life, and, we eat well. I’ve stopped trying to send the kids homemade sauerkraut in their school lunches—the humiliation was simply too much for them—but one reason we chose this life is because we believe, as Hippocrates said, that our medicine should be our food. But it’s not just the food. It’s the fresh air, the cold clear water, the ponderosa forest around us—breathing its vanilla scent on a hot afternoon, and good clean dirt. Most especially the dirt.”

Ella and Kristen Davenport in the pea patch.

Avrum Katz with the morning’s garlic harvest.

Boxcar Farm Katz Family Italian Potato Soup

SERVES 5

Says Kristen, “Avrum’s family spent some time in Italy a half-century ago—where his mother, Pat Katz, learned some secrets of Italian cooking. On our farm, we grow about an acre of organic potatoes—blue ones, red ones, yellow ones, long ones, skinny ones, fat ones, ugly ones. So we’re always looking for a way to use up our store of potatoes. This recipe comes from Pat Katz’s out-of-print (but easily located) cookbook, The Craft of the Country Cook, and it’s one of our favorites.

“Any nice hard, aged Italian cheese is good on top of the soup—our very favorite is a Sardinian pecorino a world-traveling market customer brings us for Christmas.”

1 1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cubed (3 cups)

1 cup water

2 cups milk, divided

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 to 2 tablespoons oil or butter

1 medium-size onion, finely chopped

1 medium-size carrot, finely chopped

1 celery stalk, finely chopped

2 to 15 garlic cloves, minced

Bunch of parsley, minced

1 to 2 slices bacon or prosciutto ham (optional)

Parmesan cheese

Croutons

Cook the potatoes until soft in a heavy kettle over medium heat in the water and 1 cup of the milk, about 12 minutes. When soft, remove from the heat and mash or beat in the pot until smooth. Mix the remaining cup of milk with the egg and stir into the mashed potatoes. Reheat over low heat, stirring often, without boiling.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over low heat and sauté the onion, carrot, celery, garlic to taste, parsley, and ham, if using, until the veggies are soft, about 12 minutes. Stir into the soup. Transfer to individual bowls and sprinkle Parmesan and croutons on top.

FARM & TABLE

The deep love and respect for land, water, food, and community led to Cherie Austin’s creation of Farm & Table. Cherie, along with her family, brings to us the labor of love that is Farm & Table.

Drawing from the produce of over fifty local food artisans, and including produce and meat grown on the North Valley acres adjacent to the restaurant, the culinary team at Farm & Table works collaboratively to create a seasonal menu (changing several times a year). In addition to full entrées, the restaurant offers small plates, and flights of wine, beer, and cheese. Adds Cherie, “All of our dishes are created from scratch with fresh (and often organic) ingredients. Our culinary team also creates house-made pastries, breads, desserts, ice cream and hand-ground chocolate creations.”

Behind the restaurant are 2 acres of produce and 7 acres of grass and alfalfa, watered by the acequias of the Rio Grande, with farm stands of freshly harvested vegetables sold several times weekly throughout the growing season. Special events, wine dinners, art exhibits, music at the restaurant’s sister store, La Posada, and craft and gardening workshops are all events that inspire community. Their weekend brunches are well-attended special events.

Albuqerque’s Farm & Table’s daily picks.

Farm & Table Loaded Baked Potato Soup

SERVES 4

A word needs to be coined for Cherie Austin, the force behind Farm & Table, the North Valley restaurant that puts the local sustainability ethos on a plate. Perhaps the word is culinpreneur.

4 large russet potatoes, unpeeled

2 tablespoons butter

5 rashers uncooked bacon, cut into fine dice

1 yellow onion, minced

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1/2 cup crème fraîche

2 cups chicken stock

1/2 cup half-and-half

Salt and pepper

Bacon crumbles, for garnish

Grated Cheddar, for garnish

Minced chives, for garnish

Start by baking your potatoes in a preheated 400°F oven until tender, about 45 minutes, depending on size. Place the butter in a hot 6- to 8-quart heavy-bottomed pot, at medium heat. As soon as the butter begins to foam, add the bacon, onion, and garlic and sauté until the bacon is rendered. When the potatoes are finished cooking, peel them and add them to the pot. Add the crème fraîche, chicken stock, half-and-half, and bring to a simmer. Cook for 1 hour.

Working in small batches in a standing blender, puree the soup on high speed for 4 to 5 minutes, or until perfectly smooth. Pass the soup through a sieve to be sure no chunks remain. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with bacon crumbles, grated cheddar, and chives.

Potato blossoms.

THE PORCH

The Porch, a little café on a side street in Cimarron, New Mexico, once the wildest of the Wild West, is exactly that—you can drop in just as you are and enjoy the breezy big front porch along with chef-owner Sharon Smith’s fresh home cooking. Everybody here seems to be in a good mood—and why not? Local cowboys and quilters drop in, as do folks from the Forest Service and the nearby Philmont Boy Scout Ranch. Friends stay to socialize over coffee and fresh baked goods. The menu is simple, but you can count on daily homemade soup and bread right out of the oven. In a past life, Sharon, along with her brother Roger, who runs Cold Beer New Mexico 11 miles east on Highway 64, operated the historic St. James Hotel, where she earned her chef’s chops cooking for the dining room of the old hotel begun by Henry Lambert, chef of Ulysses Grant, and reputedly, of Abraham Lincoln. Sharon also offers fresh produce for sale. The bulletin board at the door will update you on all the town’s goings-on.

Cimarron’s St. James Hotel.

The Porch Creamy Asparagus Soup

SERVES 4 TO 6

Visiting The Porch is like dropping in on a friend; you don’t even have to call ahead.

1 pound asparagus spears

9 ounces chicken stock

1 tablespoon chopped onion

2 cups light cream or half-and-half

Salt and pepper

Freshly grated nutmeg

Trim the asparagus spears: snap off the tough ends and peel as necessary. Cut into pieces about 1 inch in length, reserving some tender tips. Combine the rest of the asparagus, the stock, and the onion in a large pot. Simmer until very tender, about 1 hour. Let cool slightly, then puree in batches in a food processor or blender. Be careful about splashing hot liquid. Return the soup to the pot. Add the cream and reserved asparagus tips. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Reheat gently over low heat. Do not boil. Serve with an additional sprinkle of nutmeg.

Los Poblanos Zucchini Gazpacho

SERVES 4

This recipe offers something refreshing to do with an abundance of summer zucchini.

1 large zucchini, cut into large dice

2 yellow tomatoes, cut into large dice

1 green bell pepper, cut into large dice

1 small sweet onion, cut into small dice

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup blanched almonds

1 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving

Tabasco sauce

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley

Juice of 1 orange

Salt and pepper

Place all the ingredients in a large, nonreactive mixing bowl and let marinate for up to 1 hour, then remove and reserve one-third of the mixture.

Place the remaining two-thirds of the mixture in a blender and blend until smooth. Add the reserved one-third of the mixture. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper and serve with a good drizzle of EVOO.

Chef Jonathan Perno at Los Poblanos.

CAFÉ PASQUAL’S

Named in honor of the saint of the kitchen, Santa Fe’s Café Pasqual’s is known for a few significant things, notably, the line of waiting people stretching around the corner; the community table that brings strangers together; appearing on “Ten Best” dining lists; and its founder and guiding light, Katharine Kagel, who for thirty-plus years has been serving “emphatically flavored cuisine inspired by the culinary traditions of New Mexico, Old Mexico, the Mediterranean, and Asia.” This tiny café, located in an aging corner adobe, decorated with Mexican cut-paper flags and colorful hand-painted murals, began serving a local, organic, regionally inspired menu long before it was fashionable. It presaged the culinary movement. The menu has not changed much, but diners the world over return here for a favorite dish they remember and dream of.

The motto at Café Pasqual’s is “Panza llena, corazon contento!” that translates to “Full stomach, happy heart!” Says Katharine, “Our festive dining room is lined with hand-painted Mexican tiles and murals by the renowned Mexican painter Leovigildo Martinez, depicting the Moon reveling at her fiesta. We are devoted to food quality, and currently offer organic and naturally raised beef, pork, eggs, dairy, produce, sugars, flours, maple syrup, flavorings, and spices!”

In addition to establishing a trademark kind of eating, one where flavors connect the diner to place and tradition, and connecting flavor to the deep nourishment of body and soul, Katharine has been instrumental in the founding of the Food Depot, dedicated to eradicating hunger in northern New Mexico, and the collection by volunteers of unused restaurant food for redistribution to the hungry.

Café Pasqual’s is a warm, colorful haven in winter.

Café Pasqual’s Green Chile Stew

SERVES 12

Thoughts from Katharine Kagel: “This is the classic green chile stew of northern New Mexico, perfect for wintertime or anytime enjoyment. Warming, not ‘hot’ in flavor. We also use chicken (on the bone), or lamb shoulder. If you do use pork shoulder, search for naturally raised heritage pork for best results. This is about a four-hour kitchen commitment but will be well worth the nutritious and delicious reward. The quantity given is large enough to feed a crowd or for creating leftovers. It freezes well and may be kept frozen up to two months.”

1/4 cup organic olive oil

2 large yellow onions, peeled and diced

6 carrots, peeled and cut on the diagonal into 1-inch pieces

4 celery stalks, diced

4 garlic cloves, peeled and pressed

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon ground cumin

2 pounds pork shoulder

5 quarts chicken stock (you can use low-sodium, organic), divided

1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels

3 pounds russet potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces; no need to peel

16 to 20 fresh New Mexican or Anaheim green chiles, fire-roasted, stemmed, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch squares (about 2 3/4 cups), or 3 ounces dried green chiles (see note), rehydrated and chopped

6 red tomatoes, fire-roasted until charred, cooled, peeled, seeded, and quartered

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley, finely minced, for garnish

12 white corn or whole wheat tortillas, warmed, for serving

In a lidded, 8-quart heavy pot over medium heat, heat the oil for a few moments, then add the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, and oregano. Sauté the vegetables, uncovered, until the onions become translucent.

Roast the cumin in a small, dry sauté pan over medium heat until fragrant, stirring all the while, and then add it to the stew pot.

Cut the pork shoulder in half and add it to the pot, followed by 3 quarts of the stock. Cover the pot, bring to a boil, uncover, skim off any foam, and then turn down the heat to medium-low and simmer until the meat is tender, 2 1/2 to 3 hours. (You may need to add a quart of the remaining stock if too much evaporation has occurred.)

Transfer the pork to a bowl, leaving the vegetables and stock in the pot. Skim off and discard any oil that rises to the surface of the stew. When the pork is cool enough to handle, shred the meat, then coarsely chop it with a cleaver so the shreds are no more than 2 inches long. Return the meat to the stew pot and add the corn, potatoes, chiles, and tomatoes, and the remaining quart of stock. Cook over medium heat, uncovered, until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 30 minutes. Stir frequently to assure that the solids do not stick to the bottom of the stew pot. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with parsley. Always serve this stew with a side of warmed tortillas of your choice.

Note: Dried green chiles, with a recipe for our green chile sauce included, are available at www.pasquals.com.

SHEPHERD’S LAMB

High in the San Juan Mountains near the Colorado state line, a lineage of four generations of family ranchers produces some of the finest grass-fed organic lamb to be found anywhere. These lambs, fed on grasses of high mountain pastures, live in the open air, shepherded from forage to forage, the flocks guided by a traditional shepherd and sheepdogs. This part of the country has long been known for sheep raising, and is near the Spanish Trail, where sheep were herded from Abiquiu, New Mexico, overland to market in California during the 1800s.

Shepherd’s Lamb provides quality roasts, racks, shanks, and chops to high-end local restaurants—and to home cooks—where customers expect the best. It also sells hand-dyed, organic yarns and wool for knitting, crochet, and rug and blanket weaving. In addition, the ranch raises a rare heritage breed, Navajo-Churro sheep, descendants of the original Churra sheep brought by the Spanish to New Mexico in the sixteenth century. This four-horned breed almost disappeared, but was preserved and brought back through careful management. Its wool is prized for spinning.

It is possible to purchase either lamb or wool online by contacting Shepherd’s Lamb directly.

Shepherd’s Lamb Green Chile Stew

SERVES 6

The green chile in this stew adds just the right amount of heat to warm your insides on a cold winter evening.

1 pound lamb stew meat

1 teaspoon oil

2 teaspoons all-purpose flour

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped carrots

4 medium-size potatoes, cubed

4 garlic cloves, sliced

1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped green chiles

5 cups chicken stock

1 tomato, chopped (optional)

Salt and pepper

Tortillas, warmed, for serving

Heat the oil in a heavy stewpot over medium heat and lightly brown the lamb stew meat in the hot oil. Add the flour and stir to coat the meat. Add all the other ingredients, except the salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and skim off any fat. Lower the heat and simmer for 2 to 3 hours, until very tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with warmed tortillas.

A perfect green chile.

EPAZOTE

Epazote, located just out of town on the Old Las Vegas Highway from Santa Fe, serves elegant food in a rustic, gardenlike setting. Situated in a former plant nursery, under a greenhouse that filters the light almost to that streaming in from the forest, Epazote is an oasis from the city. On a supersized mural, celebratory primary colors evoke the abundant fruits of a Mexican market. However, the subjects are the produce of New Mexico, as in the food chef Fernando Olea prepares and serves, where he combines his Mexican sensibilities with the flavors and colors of New Mexico. He is fearless in defying food clichés. The result is his signature sophisticated “New World Cuisine.”

Mural at Epazote depicting the ingredients of New Mexico Mole, including garlic, pecans, apricots, white chocolate, pepper, chile, anise and more.

Duck Soup Epazote Style

SERVES 4

A rich, luxurious, and elegant soup. Serve in small bowls at a special dinner party.

2 duck breasts

1/4 cup (1/2 stick, 2 ounces) butter

5 tablespoons diced garlic scapes

20 cremini mushrooms

2 cups heavy whipping cream

2 cups milk

1 cup beet juice

1/2 Fresno chile (red jalapeño pepper)

Salt and pepper

Fried bean sprouts, for garnish

Microgreens, for garnish

Baby velvet mushrooms, for garnish

Trumpet mushrooms, for garnish

In a heavy skillet over low heat, sauté the duck breasts fat side down for about 10 minutes, until medium rare. Remove from the heat and wrap in foil. Heat the butter in a medium-size saucepan over low heat and add the garlic scapes and cremini mushrooms. Gradually add the cream, milk, beet juice, and chile. Simmer for 15 for 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from the heat. Working in batches, transfer to a standing blender and blend until velvety. Garnish with small slices of duck. Arrange the other garnishes on each serving.

Epazote Duck Soup.

SCHWEBACH FARM

Schwebach Farm, in Moriarty, only 30 miles east of Albuquerque on I-40 in Estancia Valley (once known as “The Pinto Bean Capital of the World”), sets the standard. No GMO worries here. And the arrival of the farm’s sweet corn is a summer highlight. Those who shop the local farmers’ markets in Albuquerque set their clocks by asking the question, “Is the sweet corn in yet?” There’s always a crowd, selecting just-picked ears from the back of the pickup. And locals can’t wait for the crop of new beans to appear in the fall.

The current generation of Schwebachs is the sixth to farm. In addition to serving the farmers’ markets, they operate an old-fashioned farm stand loaded with seasonal produce from mid-July to October or frost. They stock other local producers as well, offering cider, goat cheese, salsa, meats, nuts, honey, and baked goods. Pinto beans, an essential of New Mexico cooking, are sold by the sack, and they also raise the harder-to-find, old-fashioned creamy-colored bolita beans, the original, somewhat faster-cooking bean brought by the Spanish to New Mexico. Warm, comforting, sustaining, and good for you, these beans cook up plump and tasty to go into stews, burritos, chile, and even pie. Everyone swears by their own method of cooking, but best is to wash them well, soak them overnight, then cook them all day gently in a slow cooker with a clove or two of garlic and a good dash of olive oil—but no salt. With some grated cheese and chopped onion on a fresh tortilla, they can’t be beat. It’s New Mexico’s breakfast (and lunch) of champions.

Adelaida and Ellysia Schwebach are ready to plant rows on Schwebach Farm in Moriarty.

Schwebach Farm Ive’s Bean Soup

SERVES 4

Quick, filling, delicious, and warming.

1 pound ground beef

1 medium-size onion, chopped

1 quart canned tomatoes

1/2 cup diced green bell pepper

1/2 cup diced red bell pepper

3 cups cooked pinto or bolita beans (not drained)

1 cup white sweet corn (optional)

Water

Salt and pepper

Dried oregano

Ground cumin

1 cup shredded Cheddar or Colby Jack cheese

Brown the meat in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until browned. Transfer the meat and onions to a stockpot, add the tomatoes, peppers, beans, corn, if using, and 1 quart of water and simmer for 20 minutes, seasoning to taste with salt, pepper, oregano, and cumin. Serve topped with the cheese.

BEAN-COOKING HINTS

• Before cooking, soak your beans for 4 to 8 hours, using 3 to 4 cups of water to each cup of beans.

• For a quick soak, add the beans to water in a saucepan, and bring to a boil for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, cover, and let stand for 1 to 2 hours.

• Discard the soaking water, rinse, and replace with fresh water for the bean recipes. When adding more water during cooking, add only boiling hot water or else the beans will be tough.

• Use distilled water in hard-water areas to shorten the cooking time.

• Add salt only during the last hour of cooking, or the beans may toughen.

• Add acidic ingredients, such as tomatoes, lemon juice, wine, or vinegar, only when the beans are almost tender. Acids delay softening.

• Cook the beans slowly to prevent splitting the skin.

Salsa at La Nueva Casita.

Black Range Lodge Salsa

SERVES 4 TO 8

This is a mouthwatering simple salsa that pleases lodge guests and is one that you just can’t stop eating. You can make it in the winter when fresh farm tomatoes are not generally available. The fresh garlic helps protect from winter cold germs, and the vitamin C from the chiles provides the perfect antioxidant.

10 Rio Grande Valley green chiles, hot or mild, frozen or rehydrated, peeled and seeded

8 garlic cloves, or fewer, to taste

1/2 bunch fresh cilantro

25 ounces to 1 quart tomato juice or canned tomatoes

1 tablespoon red miso paste

Blue and yellow corn chips, for serving

Combine all the ingredients, except the chips, in a blender and puree for about 45 seconds. Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving. Serve with blue and yellow corn chips.

Salsa ingredients

COONRIDGE DAIRY

When Nancy Coonridge was a young woman living in California, she felt as though a goat was calling her name, but she had no idea why.

“I just knew I needed to get a goat,” she says.

She followed that impulse, got her goat, and has spent the next thirty-plus years learning about and living with those creatures. Today she runs an organic goat dairy that produces some of the most delicious and intriguing chèvre around. The dry, high, mountain terrain of central New Mexico turns out to be the perfect environment for raising goats, as low humidity eliminates many typical goat ailments.

As Nancy tells it: “We live with our goats in the ‘wilds of New Mexico.’ We love making our luscious cheese with the certified organic milk of our own free-ranging goats. This unique gourmet cheese was first made at our dairy in 1981 and has been certified organic since 1998. We make our cheese using traditional long set methods. Our soft spreading cheese comes in a glass jar and is covered with certified organic sunflower seed oil and certified organic herbs. Covering our cheese with oil and herbs seals it from the air and allows the flavors to mingle.” She also uses local New Mexico-grown garlic and herbs to produce her special cheeses.

“At Coonridge, we are in business for reasons that go beyond providing excellent cheese. We are proving that wonderful taste and nutritional superiority doesn’t have to come at the expense of the environment. Besides promoting sustainable, nonchemical, non-factory-farmed animal husbandry and cheese making, we strive to always live in harmony with the natural world that supports us all.”

Interns from all over the world who wish to learn goat keeping and cheese making now spend time at Coonridge.

“Everything used at Coonridge is certified organic (hormone free, antibiotic free, additive free, pesticide free, and GMO free). Our land has never been commercially farmed. Our goats eat only organic and wild food. The herb (and garlic) blends for our cheeses are certified organic creations developed and perfected right here at Coonridge. We use certified organic high-oleic sunflower seed oil (which is a monosaturated oil) that we source in the USA. Most cheeses made in the USA are produced using a genetically engineered cheese enzyme that replaces rennet. Our cheeses are also made with nonrennet enzymes, but these enzymes are not GMO.”

A goat can call your name—just ask Nancy Coonridge.

Coonridge Goat Cheese Quesadilla

SERVES 1; CAN BE SLICED INTO QUARTERS FOR APPETIZERS

If Coonridge cheese is not available, substitute chèvre that has been marinated in olive oil, fresh garlic, and herbs overnight.

1 fresh flour tortilla

1/2 (7.5-ounce) jar Herbs and Garlic Coonridge Goat Cheese, drained

Heat a dry cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Place the tortilla in the hot skillet. Place the cheese on the tortilla. Cover the pan and cook for 3 to 5 minutes. When the cheese has melted, fold the tortilla in two. Serve immediately.

Three-Pepper Chile con Queso

SERVES 2 TO 4

This never-fail party dip comes from my northern New Mexico garden. It’s just spicy enough, but if you like it hotter, don’t remove the seeds from the jalapeño peppers. It’s one of those dishes that is so rewarding for the cook, as it is quick and easy to prepare, yet so delicious everyone begs for the recipe.

Oil, for pan

3 to 4 chopped fresh green chiles, including seeds

1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped

1 bell pepper, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 pound cheese, cubed (Velveeta is best)

Fresh crudités, for serving

Chips, for serving

In a skillet over medium heat lightly sauté all the ingredients, except the cheese, crudités, and chips, in just enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Just as the vegetables are becoming soft, 5 to 7 minutes, lower the heat to low and add the cheese a little at a time as it melts. Keep this mixture warm in a small slow cooker or fondue dish. Serve with an assortment of fresh crudités and chips.

Notes: You can vary this dish by preparing it with grated Cheddar or Jack cheese. If it needs a bit of thinning, or if you are reheating it, add a little evaporated milk or half-and-half. This is also wonderful on toast as it makes a tasty grilled cheese sandwich. Add sliced tomato, avocado, or crispy bacon for extra goodness.

—SN

Cheesemonger’s of Santa Fe, in case of a Velveeta shortage.

SNAKE RANCH FARM

Snake Ranch Farm is a multigenerational family farm located in southeast New Mexico.

There the tradition of making everything at home, from scratch, still holds. Families make an annual pilgrimage to Snake Ranch to pick up their chiles and roast them. The ranch’s farm stand carries a wealth of local products. Its family, the Sichlers, has the reputation of producing especially meaty and flavorful chiles, watered by the acequia that runs from the nearby Rio Grande.

Cured bacon weighed by Real Butcher’s Tom Delehanty, in Santa Fe.

Snake Ranch Jalapeño Hot Poppers

MAKES 6 SERVINGS (4 POPPERS EACH)

Some like it hot. This appetizer is for them.

Nonstick spray

12 jalapeño peppers

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese

2 yellow hot peppers, chopped or roasted and chopped (omit if you desire a milder popper)

Garlic salt

6 slices uncooked bacon

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Spray a cookie sheet with nonstick spray.

Wash the jalapeño peppers, stem, cut in half lengthwise, and remove the core (seeds and vein). In a bowl, mix together the cream cheese, yellow hot peppers, and garlic salt. Spread each of the halved jalapeños with a tablespoon of the cheese mixture and wrap each half with 1/2 slice of bacon. Bake on the prepared cookie sheet until the bacon is done to your liking, about 25 minutes.

SANTA FE BREWING COMPANY

Founded in 1988, Santa Fe Brewing Company is New Mexico’s oldest microbrewery, distributing only naturally conditioned beers in its home state of New Mexico. It is another one of those delights available only to those who live in or visit New Mexico. Its sunshine yellow bottle caps, embellished with the symbol of New Mexico, the Zia sun sign, are classics found in recycled jewelry, such as earrings.

Aside from the many restaurants and bars that offer their beers, the Santa Fe Brewing Company has two tasting rooms of its own in Santa Fe. Its main tasting room is at the brew house off Highway 14, where the beer is made. The Eldorado Taphouse is the brewery’s tasting room in the suburb of El Dorado, a 15-minute drive from downtown Santa Fe. Both locations are tasting rooms only, with no food service, but welcome customers to bring in their own food.

The Santa Fe Brewing Company offers free tours every Saturday at noon. Reservations are recommended but not required. A special tasting of beers is offered following the tour for those aged twenty-one and over. Saturdays are especially exciting because they also host Small Batch Saturday, featuring experimental and unique beers brewed in 5-gallon batches.

Santa Fe Brewing Company Spicy Ancho Salsa

MAKES 2 CUPS SALSA

Ancho chile salsa, whose ingredients include Santa Fe Brewing Company’s Freestyle Pilsner, may be served on its own or with carne asada (see recipe, here). This fruity, spicy salsa was developed specially for the brewery by the Shed’s chef, Josh Carswell. It’s the perfect salsa for your happy hour at home. Serve with chips, a brew, and enjoy.

1/4 cup chopped garlic

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup chopped scallions

1/4 cup ancho chile powder

1 tablespoon ground black pepper

2 jalapeño peppers, chopped

1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped

3/4 cup Freestyle Pilsner or light ale

Juice and zest of 1 orange

Juice and zest of 2 limes

1/2 kiwifruit

1/4 cup mirin

Pinch of salt

Pinch of sugar

Combine all the ingredients and chill for at least an hour.

Santa Fe Brewing company bottling their classic Pale Ale.

BIKE IN COFFEE AT OLD TOWN FARM

Linda Thorne and Lanny Tonning have been farming and training horses in a secluded area of the North Valley for almost 40 years. In the shade of grandmother cottonwoods, where the Duranes acequia, the oldest man-made waterway in the United States, flows through fertile river bottom soil, they raised so many vegetables they started sharing their abundance with friends and neighbors. Eventually, they began a little weekend market, as they experimented with new crops. Linda specialized in Asian greens and heirloom tomatoes. As the farm is located along the city’s bike trail, they began serving coffee to cyclists, who filled panniers with vegetables and home-baked goods. This enterprise grew into a relaxed weekend “Bike In Coffee” stop, and from their commercial kitchen located in an old truck, Linda and Lanny started serving homemade soup, snacks, sweets, and savories. At two Wi-Fi patios, the shady one for summer and the sunnier one in winter, cyclists and visitors relax, read, check their messages, and hang out, making Old Town Farm the newest happening place in town.

Linda and Lanny make everything (but the coffee) from their organic vegetables, herbs, fruit, and of course, chile.

Old Town Farm Bike In Coffee. Gardener and cook Linda Thorne delights in serving her savory baby quiche.

SHARON NIEDERMAN

Bike In Quiche Babies

MAKES 24 MINI QUICHES

Linda says her Quiche Babies are the market’s most popular snack.

Nonstick spray (Baker’s Joy works best-the flour keeps the pastry crisp)

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

1/2 cup light cream

1/2 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

Grated Parmesan cheese

Goat cheese

1 (16-ounce) package refrigerated puff pastry, thawed for 1 hour or overnight

All-purpose flour, for rolling

Filling—choose one or mix and match: green chile, spinach, caramelized onion, or roasted red peppers—whatever you like, in any combination

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Using nonstick spray, spray the cups of a 24-count mini muffin tin.

In a large bowl, while whisking the cornstarch, add the egg, egg yolk, and cream, whisking until mixed completely. Whisk in the milk, salt, and nutmeg. Add the cheeses and mix. Refrigerate until ready to use, then rewhisk.

Prepare the puff pastry by rolling out with floured rolling pin and cutting into 2-inch squares.

Line each of the prepared muffin cups with a pastry square. Put 1 tablespoon of your filling in each muffin hole. Fill to the top with the cream mixture.

Bake for 18 to 23 minutes. Watch closely so they do not overcook! Serve hot or warm. May be made in advance and frozen for the short term.

Watson, the very intelligent goat from Madrid, New Mexico.

Schwebach Farm Fiesta Bean Pot

SERVES 6

Please your family with a hearty pot of New Mexico’s famous frijoles. Great for Sunday afternoon football parties.

2 cups dried pinto or bolita beans (see sidebar, here, for how to soak)

6 cups water

1/4 cup olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

4 rashers uncooked bacon, chopped

2 cloves chopped garlic

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon chile powder

1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce

In a large pot, bring the beans to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat to a simmer. Over low heat, cook the beans until tender, at least an hour and a half. Remove from the heat and set aside.

In a large skillet over low heat, sauté the onion and bacon in the olive oil until browned. Add the remaining ingredients and 1 cup of cooking water from the beans and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the bacon mixture to the beans and cook, covered, for 2 hours over low heat, or transfer to a slow cooker and cook for 4 to 6 hours on high. If you like your beans “soupy” or very soft, cook overnight.

Schwebach Farm Corn Sauté

SERVES 4 AS A SIDE DISH

Sweet, spicy, and smoky flavors meld in this vegetable side dish that pretty much goes with anything.

1/2 (12-ounce) package thick-sliced bacon

6 to 8 medium-size Yukon Gold or red potatoes, cubed

2 green zucchini, diced

2 gold zucchini (yellow straight or crookneck squash can be substituted), diced

2 cups fresh white sweet corn kernels, cut from cob

1/2 cup chopped green chile (optional)

Salt and pepper

Slice the bacon into 1-inch pieces and cook in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Drain away any excess bacon grease, remove and set bacon aside, and add the potatoes to the skillet. When the potatoes are almost soft, add the zucchini, corn, and green chile. Sauté until the zucchini is soft, about 15 minutes. Return the bacon to the skillet. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve hot.

The happy Schwebach family of Moriarty, New Mexico.

ENJOY YOUR CORN!

To cook on the stovetop: Remove the corn husks and silks and wash the corn. Bring water to roaring boil in a large pot. Immerse the sweet corn and turn off the heat. Leave the corn in the pot to cook for 2 to 4 minutes, rotating the cobs for even cooking.

To grill: Leave the corn in the husk. Remove the flags (the leaves that hang off of the corn ear). Immerse the corn in water for a few minutes only if you have stored it in your refrigerator for a few days. If you just purchased your corn from the market, it should have plenty of moisture to be able to place on the grill without soaking. Place on a heated grill and cook for a total of 15 to 20 minutes depending on the heat of the grill, rotating as needed to cook all sides, until the husk is blackened.

Fresh garlic.

Café Pasqual’s Granny Smith Apple and Fennel Salad.

Café Pasqual’s Granny Smith Apple and Fennel Salad with Lemon Zest Vinaigrette

SERVES 4

This salad is made just before serving, as the apples and fennel will discolor and turn brown if exposed to air.

Leaves from 16 sprigs of flat-leaf parsley

2 fennel bulbs, cored and thinly sliced, tops discarded (reserve fronds for garnish)

4 Granny Smith apples, cored and very thinly sliced

Zest and juice of 1 organic lemon

2 tablespoons organic extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Working quickly, mince the parsley, then the fennel and apples, and toss all together in a large serving bowl with the lemon zest, lemon juice, and olive oil. Season to taste with the salt and pepper. Toss again. Garnish with the reserved fennel fronds by coarsely chopping them and scattering over the salad.

Farm & Table Rustic Quinoa Salad

MAKES 6 SERVINGS

This delicious and healthy salad can be made using local ingredients almost all year round in New Mexico. It’s layered with hot and cold ingredients, topped with a golden-fried pankoencrusted goat cheese croquette.

For the roasted root vegetables:

3 cups (total) root vegetables of your choice, such as beet, carrot, turnip, onion, parsnip, and/or sunchoke, diced into medium-size pieces

Salt and pepper

1/3 cup olive oil, for roasting

For the quinoa:

1/2 cup uncooked rainbow quinoa

1 cup vegetable stock

Oil, for frying

3 carrots, diced into small pieces

1/2 onion, diced into small pieces

8 ounces mushrooms, diced into small pieces

For the goat cheese croquettes:

4 ounces local goat chèvre

1 ounce fresh rosemary and/or thyme, finely minced

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 large eggs, beaten

1/2 cup panko

Olive oil, for frying

For assembly:

About 12 ounces mixed salad greens

Your favorite vinaigrette, aged balsamic preferred

Roast the vegetables: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Toss the root vegetables with salt, pepper, and oil and roast in a 9 x 13-inch pan for 30 minutes.

Prepare the quinoa: Lightly toast the quinoa in a dry skillet over low heat.

In a heavy kettle over medium heat, bring the vegetable stock to a simmer. Lower heat to keep an even simmer.

Add the quinoa, bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 15 minutes, then cover, let rest for 5 minutes, and fluff with a fork.

In an oiled large skillet over medium-low heat, sauté the quinoa with the carrots, onion, and mushrooms until al dente, about 8 minutes.

Prepare the croquettes: Incorporate minced rosemary into the chèvre. Divide into six equal parts and form into balls. Place the flour, egg, and panko in three separate bowls. Gently roll the cheese balls in the flour, then dip into the egg, then dredge in the panko.

Sauté the croquettes gently in olive oil until lightly browned, about 4 minutes per side. Drain before serving.

Assemble the salad: In a large bowl, toss the salad greens with the vinaigrette. Divide among individual salad plates or bowls. Add a layer of the quinoa mixture, then a layer of roasted root vegetables to each serving. Top each serving with a croquette.

GREEN TRACTOR FARM

New Mexico has a variety of CSAs (community-supported agriculture) that sell cheese, fruit, as well as local produce. The concept is expanding. There are at least two dozen CSAs serving New Mexico right now. Some offer “pay as you go” plans instead of requiring the upfront investment. Every week offers a different challenge to the kitchen chef. There is a compulsion to get creative with a box of fresh vegetables sitting at the door.

Green Tractor Farm is a CSA farm located south of Santa Fe in the sleepy village of La Cienega. At the beginning of the season, individuals purchase “shares,” making a payment for the entire growing season of twenty weeks. This payment guarantees a weekly delivery of a box brimming with fresh produce in season. Rather than their box being delivered to their door, participants generally pick up their produce at the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market on Tuesday or Saturday. This arrangement also guarantees the farmer a market for his produce—a win-win situation.

Green Tractor has a couple of deliveries to make each week. People hear about it through word of mouth or by meeting the farmers at the farmers’ market. The farm also sells its organic produce to local restaurants, such as Joe’s Diner.

Green Tractor’s Josie Caruso with the world’s biggest celery.

Elsa in the Green Tractor washroom window.

Green Tractor Farm is an organic farm in the La Cienega Valley that is irrigated by spring-fed acequias that are over 300 years old. Travis Gibson weeds a field of organic produce.

Wednesdays at Green Tractor include lunch sourced completely from the farm.

Green Tractor radishes.

Green Tractor Farm Chopped Salad with Chickpeas

SERVES 4

An excellent way to savor just-picked vegetables, their crispy snap highlighted by the soft melting texture of chickpeas.

For the salad:

2 cups cooked chickpeas, or 1 (14- to 16-ounce) can, drained and rinsed

1 medium-size cucumber, diced small

1 large carrot, diced small

1 sweet red pepper, diced small

1 small fennel bulb, diced small

2 to 3 radishes, diced

2 celery stalks, diced

For the dressing:

1 tablespoon dried parsley, or 2 tablespoons fresh

1 teaspoon dried mint, or

2 teaspoons fresh

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Prepare the salad: Combine the chickpeas and raw vegetables in a large bowl. Refrigerate for at least an hour.

Prepare the dressing: In a small bowl or cup, whisk together all the dressing ingredients. Pour the dressing over the salad and mix well. Adjust the seasonings to taste.

Green Tractor hakurei turnips.

Green Tractor Farm Turnips with Greens

SERVES 4

A simple way to appreciate dark greens’ complex flavors.

1 tablespoon canola oil

5 to 6 collard leaves, spines removed, cut in 1/4-inch ribbons

2 large turnips, greens cut into 1/4-inch ribbons, roots cut into a 1/4-inch dice

Splash of water, plus 1/2 cup, divided

Salt

Place the oil, collards, and turnip greens and roots into a large skillet. Cook over medium heat, adding a splash of water as needed to keep them from burning. After 10 minutes, add the 1/2 cup of water, cover, and cook until the greens are tender. Add a little salt at the end. Serve warm.

Farmers’ Market Balsamic Grilled Vegetables

SERVES 4 AS A LIGHT MEAL

The exact proportions of this salad depend on what vegetables are in season at your local farmers’ market. After you fill your market basket, come home and feast on this salad.

Garnishes that work well for me are black olives, tomatoes cut into eighths, feta cheese crumbles, capers, and cubed tofu. The salad is a welcome addition to an antipasto plate of sliced meats and cheeses, or a slab of a mild creamy cheese, such as Havarti, or deviled eggs, olives, artichoke hearts, marinated hot peppers, and anchovies, or may simply be served on its own with good bread and butter for a light but substantial meal.

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Salt

1 eggplant, sliced (no need to peel if fresh)

3 zucchini, yellow crookneck squash, or pattypan squash, thinly sliced

3 bell peppers (green, gold, or red, or a combination)

2 ears fresh corn

Nonstick spray

Juice of 1/2 lemon

2 tablespoons any combination fresh herbs, such as basil, dill, oregano, parsley, or tarragon, minced

Fresh lettuce leaves, for serving

In a large, nonreactive bowl, make a marinade of the vinegar and oil with a pinch of salt, and marinate the vegetables for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Either grill the corn in soaked husks (no need to soak if it is very fresh) or let it sit in just-boiled water for a few minutes on the stove (see directions on here). Slice the corn kernels off the cob.

Heat the grill or a cast-iron grill pan and spray with nonstick spray. Grill the marinated vegetables, turning once to make clear grill markings. Toss in any reserved marinade. Add the corn kernels. Top with the lemon juice and minced herbs.

Arrange the vegetables on a platter lined with lettuce leaves and your choice of garnishes or accompaniments.

—SN

SALMAN’S RASPBERRY RANCH

Located on the La Cueva Historic Site near Mora, New Mexico, Salman’s Raspberry Ranch thrives on land that was part of an early 1800s grant bestowed on Vicente Silva by the governor of New Mexico. The 1850s grist mill, church, hacienda, and mercantile, now the Ranch Store, bring visitors into the heart of New Mexico history. As popular as the seasonal U Pick It Raspberry Field is with families and jam makers, the Salman Ranch Gardens, planted within the flagstone and tumbled adobe walls that once housed tack and farrier shops, are among the state’s most picturesque.

Visitors may stroll through three large gardens, leading from one uniquely enclosed space to another. Nestled around the adobe and flagstone walls and hugging the flagstone walks are flower beds filled with vibrant annuals and perennials; hollyhocks, sunflowers, lavender, Russian sage, roses, columbines, daisies, peonies, petunias, and many other colorful plants act as backdrops to picture taking and quiet conversations. Aspen trees, and one of the largest blue spruces you are likely to encounter, grow amid the grass and floral beds.

The Salman Ranch Store, open most of the year, offers Salman’s famous raspberry vinegar, raspberry jam, and raspberry fruit toppings. Its raspberry fudge bars and raspberry chocolate cremes are special treats made in limited quantities. In season, the café serves raspberry lemonade and raspberry sundaes that kids of all ages crave. Perennials, lavender bundles, fresh raspberries, and much more are also available seasonally.

Pick your own basketful of raspberries at Salman’s Raspberry Ranch near Mora.

Everything is, however, weather-dependent, so it’s best to call ahead. The raspberry field has been open as early as late July and closed as late as Halloween; however, it is generally open after Labor Day through the month of September, barring an early freeze.

Raspberries ripening at Salman’s Raspberry Ranch near Mora, New Mexico.

Salman’s Raspberry Ranch Fruit Salad

SERVES 6 TO 8

There’s nothing quite like Salman’s Raspberry Vinegar to enliven your salads.

1 large egg yolk, at room temperature (can be omitted, but adds to the flavor)

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1/4 cup Salman Ranch Raspberry Vinegar (or another brand)

3/4 cup good-quality olive oil

Ripe Bartlett pears or apple slices

1 head of romaine or other crisp green lettuce, separated into leaves and torn

1 cup toasted pecan halves

1/2 pound blue cheese crumbles

In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolk, salt, pepper, mustard, and vinegar. Drizzle in the olive oil, mixing as you add. Toss the fruit in the dressing, then add the lettuce. Garnish individual servings with the toasted pecan halves and cheese crumbles, added right before serving. Be sure to refrigerate any unused salad promptly; keeps for 3 to 4 days.

Note: As this recipe contains raw egg, use eggs from a reliable source to ensure safety.

TERRA FOUR SEASONS RESORT RANCHO ENCANTADO SANTA FE

Four Seasons. Mac and cheese upgraded by Culinary Institute of America–accredited Chef Andrew Cooper to ooeygooey wonderment. Majestic views of the red rolling hills north of Santa Fe. Serene elegance. What’s not to love?

Chef Cooper comes from two great strengths in the kitchen: He is a devotee of local ingredients he seeks out himself at the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market, and he has an impressive résumé acquired at Four Seasons resorts around the world. He interprets Southwest dishes through the prism of his international experience.

Terra Gratin of Smoked Bacon, Green Chile, Macaroni and Cheeses

MAKES 1 MAIN-DISH SERVING

This swoon-worthy mac and cheese works well as a side dish or a main course with a fresh green salad and some steamed broccoli. The green chile sets it off as a New Mexico favorite.

5 ounces twisty pasta

1 strip uncooked bacon

1 tablespoon chopped green chiles

1 to 2 ounces heavy whipping cream

2 ounces smoked Gouda cheese, grated

Salt and pepper

1 teaspoon chopped fresh herbs

1 teaspoon panko

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Cook the pasta in a large pot of water at a rolling boil until al dente.

Cook the bacon on a sheet pan in the oven, reserving the fat.

In a large pot over medium heat, combine the bacon fat and chiles and sauté until the chiles lose their crispness. Add the cream and slowly whisk in the cheese. When combined, season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside.

In a colander, rinse the pasta in cold water and drain well. Place the pasta in an oven-safe casserole, add the sauce and herbs, and mix well. Adjust the seasonings, sprinkle with the panko, and finish by browning for 15 to 20 minutes in the hot oven.

Snake Ranch Farm Calabacitas

MAKES 8 SERVINGS

Make this a satisfying one-dish meal by adding 1 to 1 1/2 pounds of cubed round steak after sautéing the onion and garlic.

1/2 onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cups fresh corn kernels plus 1/2 cup water, or 1 (15-ounce) can whole kernel corn with juices

2 cups chopped green chile

4 medium-size zucchini squash, coarsely diced

Salt and pepper

In a large skillet, sauté the onion and garlic in the olive oil. Add the remaining ingredients and cook over medium heat until the squash is tender, seasoning to taste, about 20 minutes.

Boxcar Farm Farm-Fresh Peas

SERVES 4

From the recipe box of Kristin Davenport Katz of Boxcar Farm: “It certainly happens, at our farm, that there’s not much food in the house except whatever we hauled in from the field that day. This simple dish calls for one of our biggest crops, fresh peas. You can add green beans and zucchini as well.”

3 tablespoons coconut oil

1 pound sugar snap or snow peas fresh from the farmers’ market

1 to 2 tablespoons grated fresh turmeric root, or ground dried turmeric

1 to 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger

Salt

Melt the coconut oil in a large pan over medium-low heat. Toss in the peas. Add the turmeric and ginger on top. Sauté until the peas are soft and cooked, about 10 minutes. Add salt to taste and serve.

MOUNTAIN VIEW MARKET, FARM & EATERIES

One of friendliest, best-stocked, and best-run grocery co-ops ever, Mountain View Market in Las Cruces is always a pleasure to shop at, whether to pick up essential items or get inspiration for a special dinner.

A high level of food consciousness has evolved in the Mesilla Valley, where centuries of growing and tending crops in the fertile earth watered by the Rio Grande kept the heritage of traditional values and respect for agriculture alive. In addition, the state’s agriculture college, New Mexico State University, is located here, and the area benefits from the knowledge generated and practiced there.

Mountain View now operates two eateries, one in the co-op and one in the downtown area. The café features breakfast and lunch and baked goods, serving top-notch vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free dishes. Made-from-scratch soups, organic juices, and smoothies are always available. Everything is made-to-order fresh, and that sometimes takes a bit of time. Most ingredients are labeled as to their source of origin. The Kitchen on Idaho St. in the co-op offers a menu of 50 rotating items, including sandwiches, wraps, and salads, with many of the fixin’s coming from Mountain View’s own farm, 2.5 acres in the Mesilla Valley, where innovative farming techniques are practiced. Kids’ and community events are part of the fun and the learning.

Nicole Fuchs in the Mountain View Farm’s aquaculture room.

Mountain View Farm Swiss Chard with Lentils

SERVES 4

Serve over rice or your favorite grain for a satisfying lunch or light supper. Goes well with a grated carrot or sliced tomato salad, and some chutney.

1 1/2 cups dried French lentils

1 onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves

1 teaspoon curry powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon yellow or black mustard seeds

2 tablespoons olive or coconut oil

3 1/2 cups vegetable stock, plus more if needed

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon red chile powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 pound Swiss chard

1/2 cup coconut milk

Rinse the lentils and soak in water for 1 hour, then drain.

In a large saucepan, sauté onion, garlic, curry powder, cumin, and mustard seeds in the olive oil over low heat, stirring often, until the onion is transparent.

Bring the vegetable stock to a boil, and stir in the lentils, turmeric, chile powder, and salt. Cover and return to a boil, then lower the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes.

Stir in the Swiss chard and cook for 5 minutes, or until the lentils are soft. Add more vegetable stock, if needed. Stir in the coconut milk and cook until heated thoroughly.

Amaranth.

Mountain View Farm Stir-Fried Amaranth Greens

SERVES 2

This dish was developed by Mountain View Farm manager Nicole Fuchs to handle the abundance of amaranth she grows.

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 very fresh garlic cloves, crushed

2 tablespoons water

1 large bunch amaranth greens (6 to 8 ounces), roughly chopped

Salt and pepper

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, then add the oil. Add the garlic and fry until golden. Add 2 tablespoons of water to the pan. Add the amaranth greens, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and steam for 2 to 4 minutes. Turn off the heat, stir, and allow to sit for 1 minute before serving so the leaves can wilt.

ROMERO FARM

“Don’t dis the kohlrabi,” says the man cutting juicy, golden slices of the knobby root and handing them out to patrons at the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market. “Go ahead, take a bite.” He watches reactions with such intense interest, there’s not a chance of surreptitiously disposing of the unfamiliar raw vegetable in a nearby trash bin.

Chef turned farmer Matt Romero enthusiastically promotes his kohlrabi, just as he cheers on his half-dozen varieties of blue potatoes and bins of heirloom vegetables. His frequent cooking demonstrations at the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market acquaint people with new taste experiences, new vegetables, and new recipes. He grows legendary chiles on his family farm in Alcalde, near the New Mexico State University Agricultural Experiment station. Working with NMSU, he has developed a variety called Alcalde Improved, from seeds native to the area. If you are fortunate enough to visit him at the market, he can suggest which dried chiles will work best in particular dishes. He works closely with Santa Fe chefs, and may be seen around town delivering produce to the doors of such restaurants as Il Piatto on Saturday afternoon.

Matt and Emily Romero’s Eggplant Sandwich

MAKES 1 SANDWICH

This “sandwich” makes a beautiful presentation and serves as a conversation piece as well. A large platter would do well on a buffet, or they could be quartered and served as appetizers.

2 (1/2-inch-thick) slices large Italian eggplant (the size of a slice of bread), peeled (Barbarella is Matt’s favorite.)

All-purpose flour seasoned with grated black pepper, paprika, and oregano

1 large egg beaten with 1/2 cup milk

Panko

Olive oil, for frying

1 ounce local goat cheese spread

2 thin slices heirloom tomatoes (Cherokee purple is Matt’s favorite.)

1 large poblano chile, roasted, peeled, and seeded

4 fresh basil leaves

6 to 8 fresh spinach or arugula leaves

2 slices red onion

Coarse salt

Toss the eggplant in seasoned flour until well dusted, place in the egg mixture, then dredge in the panko crumbs until well coated. Heat the olive oil in a large, nonstick skillet over medium heat. Fry the eggplant on both sides until crispy and golden brown, 7 to 8 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels. This will be the “bread” for the sandwich.

Next, spread the goat cheese on the eggplant and then assemble the sandwich by adding the tomato, poblano, basil, spinach, red onion, and salt to one eggplant slice and then topping with the other slice. Use two toothpicks to hold everything in place. Cut on the diagonal to expose the beautiful layers of the sandwich.

Matt Romero roasts chiles for Marissa Oakeley at Santa Fe Farmers’ Market.

CURIOUS KUMQUAT

After running a local health food shop, physical therapist Rob Connelly started his own restaurant in Silver City, New Mexico. The home of Western New Mexico University, Silver City preserves its nineteenth-century downtown and western mining history. No longer primarily a mining town, it is in the process of reinventing itself as a community for creatives, artists, and retirees. While running a beer garden well stocked with craft brews by day, by night Connelly produces all-out molecular gastronomy. He is as much an alchemist as a chef, serving smoky essences from bottles and foraged dishes he invents. He forages in the Gila Wilderness, bringing wild and delicious edibles home to the restaurant kitchen. Silver City is enough of a foodie town, with an abundance of fine dining and cafés and a healthy tourist population, to support a fine dining establishment that is yet within the budget of a college student of limited means for a treat. The Curious Kumquat is located in a vintage cottage, minimally decorated, on the edge of downtown. It was just considered an ordinary good restaurant, until it was “discovered” by visitors who happened to notice it was ranked thirty-ninth on a recent list of Saveur magazine’s hundred best restaurants. Connelly prepares everything himself in the tiny kitchen. He also purchases and serves locally-raised 4-H beef, lamb, chicken, rabbit, and goat. In 2014 he earned a James Beard Award nomination.

Curious Kumquat Salt-Baked Beets

SERVES 4

Chef Connelly especially enjoys amping up the flavors of often overlooked vegetables. This version yields a succulent treasure under the salty coating.

4 medium-size beets

4 to 6 cups fine salt

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Trim the top and bottom of the beets, leaving as much beet as you can. Spread enough salt on the bottom of a loaf pan to create a 1/2-inch surface of salt. Place the beets stem side down on the salt, leaving 1/2 inch between each beet. Pour the remaining salt over the beets to cover. Don’t let any beet show through, but you only need enough salt to cover and bury. Bake for 1 hour, or until tender—test with a toothpick. Once tender, let cool for 30 minutes in the salt, then bust the beets free from their salt shells and peel off the skin with a towel, nudging the skin away with the back of a paring knife, as needed.

Salt-encrusted beets with fennel garnish.

LOS VALLECITOS RANCH

Carla Gomez is of the breed of women who make the world go ’round—those earth mothers whose strong arms have planted, harvested, fed, and nourished humanity forever. She is the kind of woman who thinks nothing of waking up in the morning and milking a herd of goats and gathering eggs from her hundred chickens before she fixes breakfast. Before she took up the farming and ranching life, she was a weaver who founded Los Tapetes, a northern New Mexico weaving cooperative. For the past decade, she and her partner, Richard, have raised organic, grass-fed cattle, sheep, and goats on their land high up a four-wheel-drive, one-lane road outside Mora, New Mexico. The beauty of this high mountain rancho is breathtaking, the skies are perfect deep blue, and the air is crisp and pure.

Carla provides her high-quality beef, lamb, and goat meat to the public out of a commercial freezer at her daughter Teresa’s Traveler’s Café, on the plaza in Las Vegas, New Mexico. There she also sells her fresh eggs and natural produce, in season. “I like to keep my prices low so local people can afford them,” she says. She is definitely of the back-to-the-land generation. “I lived off the grid up in the mountains for ten years,” Carla says. “That’s when I learned to be self-sufficient. I figured it out. I could get in my car, and go to the store, and buy factory-made tortillas wrapped in plastic, or I could stay home and take a half-hour and make my own fresh tortillas.”

During the growing season, Traveler’s Café hosts a joyous indoor weekend farmers’ market of crafts and local herbs and vegetables.

Carla and Richard release the goats to pasture on their Vallecitos ranch.

Beef Fajitas Los Vallecitos Style

SERVES 4

The cooking time for this is quick, so don’t start putting the garnishes together until you are ready to cook. Serve with rice and beans.

1/2 cup olive oil

1/3 cup fresh lime juice

3 garlic cloves, finely minced

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon red chile powder

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon sugar

1 whole beef flank steak, or 1 (2-pound) sirloin (grass-fed)

2 medium-size onions, halved and then sliced

1 red bell pepper, cored and sliced thinly

1 orange bell pepper, cored and sliced thinly

1 green bell pepper, cored and sliced thinly

1 yellow bell pepper, cored and sliced thinly

Oil, for sautéing

Flour or corn tortillas, for serving

For garnish:

Grated cheddar or Jack cheese or crumbled queso fresco

Salsa

Sour cream

Cilantro leaves

Guacamole or freshly sliced avocado

In a glass baking dish, mix together the olive oil, lime juice, garlic, cumin, chile powder, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, and sugar. Stir well, then remove and reserve one-third of the mixture in a nonreactive bowl.

Place the meat in the remaining marinade and make sure it is well coated on both sides. Cover your dish and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours. If you leave it overnight, the lime juice will have more time to do its work and tenderize your meat.

Meanwhile, place the vegetables in reserved marinade. Toss, cover, and refrigerate.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and sauté the vegetables in a little oil for a few minutes. Do not overcook; leave them a little crisp. Set aside. You can use the same pan for the meat, or grill the meat. Cook it to your liking. Carla prefers hers medium rare. Thinly slice your meat, heat your tortillas, and you are ready to eat.

Carla Gomez with an injured heifer on their ranch. They sell only grass-fed beef.

Los Vallecitos Lamb Roast

SERVES 6

Bringing an aromatic lamb roast to the table always connotes a special occasion, whether the event is a Sunday family dinner or a weeknight home-cooked meal served with a glass of complex red wine.

1 (4-pound) lamb shoulder or leg roast

Olive oil

3 to 4 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons dried rosemary

Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

With your hands, rub the roast all over with olive oil. Pat the garlic and rosemary evenly all over the surface of the meat. Season the meat with salt and pepper and place the lamb in a heavy roasting pan. Roast for 30 minutes, then lower the oven temperature to 350°F and continue to cook for about 1 hour longer for medium-rare, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the center of the roast registers 145° to 150°F (be careful that the thermometer does not touch the bone). Remove the lamb from the pan and allow it to set for 10 to 15 minutes before carving.

Carla Gomez, with her herding dogs Lila and Smoky, search the range near Mora for their herd of sheep.

Black Mesa Winery Moroccan-Style Glazed Lamb BBQ

SERVES 4

Serve over warmed slices of Blue Corn Polenta (here), garnished with fresh mint or basil. The glaze keeps well refrigerated or frozen. This is an elegant meal for a special occasion.

For the glaze:

1 cup ketchup

1 cup rice wine vinegar

1 cup water

1 1/4 cups honey

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 1/2 teaspoons toasted coriander seeds

3/4 teaspoon toasted cumin seeds

3/4 teaspoon whole cloves

1 to 2 ounces sliced fresh ginger

2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom

1 1/2 teaspoons green peppercorns

1 1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg

1 1/2 teaspoon culinary lavender

3 pieces star anise

1 cinnamon stick

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1 serrano or jalapeño pepper, split, if desired

1/2 bunch fresh cilantro

For the lamb:

1 rack of lamb

Salt and pepper

Prepare the glaze: Combine all the ingredients in a stainless-steel stockpot or braiser.

Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower the heat to simmer. Cook down to a thick and syrupy consistency, about an hour, stirring frequently. Allow to cool covered, then refrigerate.

Prepare the lamb: Season the lamb with salt and pepper. Sear on a hot grill or pan, preferably cast iron. Brush with the glaze and roast or grill until medium rare to medium. Slice off chops, then drizzle with a little more glaze.

Black Mesa winemaker Karl Johnsen gives a glass of Velarde Syrah a swirl.

CAFFE GRECO

If, on a nippy November Santa Fe afternoon, you need a good red chile fix to warm you up after a morning visiting the galleries, you would be fortunate to step into the Caffe Greco. Within its thick adobe walls, you will be welcomed with a piñon fire in the kiva fireplace and homemade red chile with just enough heat to take the chill off. The bright colors and vintage décor of cozy Caffe Greco will warm your soul and enhance your day. The café is attached to a meandering complex that includes dress and jewelry shops, so you can explore to your heart’s content while your order is prepared. The breakfast burrito is large enough to be shared three ways.

Caffe Greco Frito Pie

SERVES 6

Frito Pie is a vernacular New Mexico delicacy usually found at church fund-raisers and high school basketball games. For years, it was the staple at Woolworth’s lunch counter on the Plaza. It’s rare to find one of these authentic creations as you wander around Santa Fe. None is more authentic tasting than Caffe Greco’s. There’s just something very special about that combination of crunchy corn chips, red chile, and beans that provides New Mexicans with a taste of home. Enjoy!

2 quarts red chile pods, stemmed and seeded

3 fresh garlic cloves, minced

Salt

3 pounds grass-fed ground beef

3 cups cooked beans (see here)

1 pound Fritos corn chips

1 1/2 cups mild Cheddar cheese, grated

4 cups organic spring mixed greens

2 cups diced organic tomatoes

1/2 purple onion, finely diced

Wash the chiles well. Place the chiles in a blender with enough hot water to cover and blend until pureed. Add the garlic and salt to taste. Transfer to a large saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer for 30 minutes, uncovered, to bring out all the complex flavor.

Place the beef in a large, heavy skillet. Using a fork, crumble the beef and sauté over medium heat until the pinkness is gone. Add the beans and the chile mixture, stir, and simmer for 40 minutes.

To assemble, fill the bottom of a serving bowl with Fritos. Add half of the grated cheese. Add a layer of the meat mixture. Add the remaining cheese. Garnish with the greens, tomatoes, and onion.

LOVE APPLE

While it’s not precisely true that Love Apple could happen only in Taos, the truth is that this romantic bistro embodies the essence of Taos. Expect to dine as flickering candlelight plays shadows on rustic whitewashed walls and whimsical wire sculpture chandeliers cast intriguing shadows. It’s more than just that dining in an old church makes eating here a semireligious experience. Love Apple is a sixteenth-century name for “tomato,” then believed to be an aphrodisiac.

The bistro may offer a smallish menu, but it’s all tempting. Everything is made from scratch, and all meats—beef, lamb, bison—come from the hands of longtime ranchers. Cheeses are organic and locally grown and harvested.

To sum up: The Love Apple menu is studded with simple basics raised to saintly goodness. The corn bread, for example, is a candidate for best you’ve ever tasted. The Baked Tamales with Oaxacan Mole, the tacos, chicken confit, or braised grass-finished beef are, like the atmosphere, simple, elegant, one-of-a-kind, thanks to visionary proprietor Jennifer Hart and chef de cuisine Andrea Meyer, for their impeccable taste and high standards. The menu changes seasonally and nightly, depending on availability.

All products are organic in nature, regional in source, and prepared from scratch with intention.

As Jennifer says, “We believe that it’s the right thing to do. We support independent agriculture and food artisans because we believe that they provide the best quality and that it’s important to maintain these food traditions. And, we believe that we need to support a viable choice beyond the industrial food system. We like making and sharing a quality food experience, because really, we just want to feel good too.”

Love Apple Baked Tamales with Oaxacan Mole

SERVES 4

Is it fair to say I have a favorite restaurant in New Mexico? Perhaps. Perhaps not. At any rate, if I had to proclaim one, it might be Love Apple. It’s where I love to go to celebrate birthdays and special occasions. This favorite Love Apple dish is a bit complex, but so worth it, especially to enjoy the aromatic preparation on a Saturday afternoon for a weekend dinner party. Even if you’re not in Taos at that moment, you can light candles and, tasting this, imagine you are there.

For the masa base:

1/2 cup ghee

1 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 cup masa

2 teaspoons salt

1 cup chicken or vegetable stock

For the filling:

2 tablespoons butter

1 cup chopped onions

1 cup fresh corn kernels

1 tablespoon garlic

2 or 3 bay leaves

1 teaspoon cinnamon-sugar (equal parts sugar and cinnamon)

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 cups chopped kale, chard, or beet greens

Salt and Pepper

For assembly:

4 corn husks, soaked in water (see here)

1/2 cup grated asadero cheese

Prepare the masa base: Place the ghee and baking powder in a food processor and process until combined. Add the masa, salt, and stock and mix until combined and fluffy (like cake batter), scraping the ghee off the bowl to incorporate it into the batter.

Prepare the filling: In a large, heavy skillet, sauté the filling ingredients in the butter until soft.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Assemble the tamales: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Have ready four comals (4- to 5-inch baking dishes or small cast-iron skillets).

Line each comal with a corn husk, then fill each with 1/3 cup of the masa base, 1/3 cup of the filling, and 2 tablespoons of the asadero cheese. Top each with an additional 1/4 cup of the masa mixture. Bake until just beginning to turn golden, about 30 minutes.

Sage thrives on beautiful Taos Mesa.

Oaxacan Red Chile Mole

SERVES 4

This may be made up to two days ahead. Serve with crème fraîche and avocado or a fried egg.

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 cups halved and sliced onion

1 tablespoon garlic

2 corn tortillas, or 1 piece ciabatta or sourdough bread soaked in water until soft

1/4 cup ground piñon nuts

1/4 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

1/4 cup currants or raisins

1/4 cup sesame seeds, toasted

16 ounces fresh or canned tomatoes with juice

2 ounces Mexican Ibarra chocolate, chopped

1 quart mild red ancho chile puree

1 tablespoon fresh oregano

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

Baked tamales, for serving

Crème fraîche, for serving

Sliced avocado, for serving

In a large saucepan over medium heat, sauté the onions and garlic in the oil. Once lightly browned, add the tortillas or bread, piñon nuts, pepitas, currants, sesame seeds, tomatoes, and chocolate. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes. Allow to cool, then puree the mixture in a food processor.

In a large bowl, combine the chile puree, oregano, spices, vinegar and salt. Whisk in the pureed mixture.

To serve, ladle over baked tamales with your accompaniments of choice.

Shepherd’s Lamb Slow-Roasted Lamb Shanks

SERVES 2

Shanks are perfect for a slow cooker.

2 lamb shanks

2 tablespoons cooking oil

1 medium-size onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon all-purpose flour

2 chicken bouillon cubes

1/4 cup boiling water

2 tomatoes, diced

1/2 cup celery, chopped

1/2 cup carrots, chopped

1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram

1/4 teaspoon salt

In a large cast-iron or other heavy skillet, brown the lamb in the oil over medium heat. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add the onion and garlic. Sauté until tender. Stir in the flour; cook, stirring, for a minute. Add the bouillon cubes and water. Stir to dissolve. Return the lamb to the pan. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil over medium heat. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 1 1/2 hours, or until the meat is tender. Alternatively, follow your slow cooker instructions to cook on high for 6 hours, or until the meat is fall-off-the-bone tender.

IL PIATTO

In 1996, Chef Matt Yohalem opened Il Piatto, a cozy white-linen eating place destined to become a landmark of the Santa Fe culinary scene. Refining its style along the way into a Tuscany-in-Santa Fe version of an Italian farmhouse, Il Piatto continues to offer homemade pastas, exquisite sauces, traditional northern Italian plates, and a phenomenal wine list, reasonably priced, with remarkable off-hours specials, happy hours, and prix-fixe menus that make it one of my favorite places in Santa Fe. Chef Matt, who is a graduate of Johnson & Wales University Culinary Academy and has stellar international cooking credentials, was an early proponent of selecting his ingredients from the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market and supporting local farmers, dairies, and ranches. Il Piatto is as close to perfect as a restaurant can be. Chef Matt generously offered to share recipes for two of my very favorite dishes. If you can’t make it to Santa Fe to enjoy his cooking, you can, by following his instructions, approximate it at home.

Matt Yohalem from Il Piatto with his morning 3 espresso shots.

Il Piatto Paillard of Chicken

SERVES 4 TO 6

A flattering preparation for the humble chicken breast. Goes well with buttered pasta dusted with fresh Parmesan and a sliced tomato salad enhanced with a bit of good balsamic vinegar.

For the chicken:

4 ounces free-range chicken per serving

1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Zest and juice of 2 lemons

1 teaspoon chopped garlic

Salt and pepper

For the sauce:

2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon chopped garlic

1 onion, chopped

1 yellow tomato, chopped roughly

1 yellow bell pepper, chopped roughly

1 cup white wine

1 teaspoon fresh basil

1 tablespoon fresh parsley

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For assembly:

1 heirloom tomato, cut into wedges

2 handfuls arugula

1 red onion, sliced

1 bell pepper, char grilled and diced

2 tablespoons shredded fresh basil

1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano

2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

Prepare the chicken: On a solid surface, place the chicken breast on plastic wrap and cover with another piece of plastic wrap. Gently pound the breasts into flat, even “paillards.”

Place the paillards in a casserole dish, add the olive oil, lemon zest and juice, garlic, and salt and pepper.

Turn the chicken breast to coat on both sides and set aside for at least 1 hour (no more than three).

Meanwhile, prepare the sauce: In a medium-size saucepan over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until aromatic but not browned. Add the onion, and cook for 2 minutes.

Add the tomato and pepper and cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Add the wine, basil, and parsley, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 6 to 8 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Place the mixture in a blender, and blend on high speed until smooth. Be careful—start the blender with a pulse setting and increase the speed as it purees.

When smooth, reserve in a warm space or bain-marie.

Cook the chicken on very hot grill, making grill marks on both sides, two per side, drizzling any remaining marinade on the chicken as it cooks (discard any uncooked marinade).

Remove the chicken from the grill, cover with vegetables and herbs, and drizzle the sauce on top.

Il Piatto Paillard of Chicken.

Il Piatto Pumpkin Ravioli with Brown Sage Butter, Pine Nuts and Parmesan

SERVES 4 TO 6

Imagine your guests biting into plump, fresh ravioli, made right in your own kitchen with your own two hands. DIY dining at its finest.

For the basic pasta dough:

1 pound all-purpose flour, divided

4 large eggs

Pinch of salt

1/2 tablespoon olive oil

Water, as needed

For the filling:

5 pounds organic winter squash, seeded but unpeeled, or pumpkin, seeded and peeled

1/3 pound European-style butter

1 tablespoon salt

1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided

Freshly ground black pepper

Pinch of ground nutmeg

Pinch of ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon chopped garlic, divided

12 ounces white wine

1 cup grated high-quality Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon chopped shallots

1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage

2 tablespoons toasted whole pine nuts

1 large egg whisked together with 1 tablespoon of water for an egg wash

For the sage sauce and serving:

1/2 pound butter

2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage

Salt and pepper

1/4 cup high-quality grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish

Prepare the pasta dough: On a clean work surface, place most of the flour (about nine-tenths of it). Make a well like a volcano in the center. Separately (so as to avoid shells) crack the eggs into a bowl. Add them to the well in the flour. Sprinkle with salt and the oil. Knead the dough until it becomes dense and round, adding water as needed and sprinkling with flour if it sticks.

Allow the dough to rest for 1 hour, refrigerated and covered with a damp cloth.

Prepare the filling: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the squash in a baking pan with the butter, salt, 1/4 cup of the oil, pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon, 1 tablespoon of the garlic, and the wine, and cover. Roast for 45 minutes, or until tender.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Peel the squash and place in a bowl with 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid. Add the Parmesan, the remaining teaspoon of garlic, the shallots, the sage, the pine nuts, and the remaining tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil. Fork mash the mixture until smooth.

Prepare the ravioli: Cut the dough into 6 x 2 x 1-inch slices (roughly) and, starting at highest number, roll through a pasta maker, rerolling at a lower number one by one until it reaches its second-thinnest setting. You may need to continually add flour to keep it from sticking.

Flour a large baking sheet and set out a well-floured ravioli plaque. Place half of the pasta sheet on the plaque. Paint with egg wash. Place 1 tablespoon of the squash mixture in the center of each square. Keeping excess air out, carefully place a half-sheet of pasta on top. Press down evenly. Roll with a rolling pin. Invert the plaque over the prepared baking sheet and repeat. Make sure the ravioli are separated. The freshly made pan of ravioli is freezable.

Cook the ravioli and prepare the sage sauce: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat the butter over medium heat until it foams. Seconds count. Add the sage and salt and pepper. Set aside.

Boil the pasta in the salted water for 3 to 5 minutes, until the ravioli float. Remove, using a slotted spoon, and place on a platter. Top with the sage sauce. Garnish with the Parmesan cheese, and serve immediately.

Green Tractor shallots, as used in Il Piatto’s Pumpkin Ravioli.

JOHNNY VEE

Chef John “Johnny Vee” Vollertsen is director and creator of the Las Cosas Cooking School in Santa Fe, New Mexico, now celebrating its fifteenth year under his direction. John’s career in the hospitality industry has taken him from New York, through Sydney, Australia, and finally to Santa Fe. He has taught cooking for over fifteen years and enjoys a second career in food writing as a regular columnist for Local Flavor magazine and as food and dining editor for Santa Fean magazine and regular contributor to Su Casa magazine. John has hosted a Food Radio talk show called Bits and Bites with Johnny Vee on 1260 AM-KTRC. He regularly participates in food events around the country, including a recent stint at the Palm Springs Modernism Week, where he presented a seminar called “Those Fabulous Foods of the ’50s and ’60s.” His first cookbook, Cooking with Johnny Vee, was published by Gibbs Smith in 2008.

Chef Johnny Vee.

Johnny Vee’s Buffalo Adovado Empanadas

SERVES 6; ABOUT 24 TURNOVERS

Chef Johnny Vee’s creativity is boundless. Here he puts a remarkable red chile spin on a humble traditional pastry that works well as an outstanding first course or as a stunning buffet item.

For the dough:

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick, 4 ounces) very cold butter or lard

2 large eggs

1/4 cup chilled white wine

For the filling:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 pound ground buffalo (ground lamb may be substituted)

2 tablespoons crushed caribe chile

1 tablespoon ground mild New Mexico red chile

1 tablespoon ground hot New Mexico red chile

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 1/2 teaspoons toasted ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon fresh Mexican oregano, or 1/2 teaspoon dried

1/2 teaspoon salt

Juice of 1 lime

1 cup water

Chef Johnny Vee’s Buffalo Empanadas.

Prepare the dough: Sift together the flour, salt, and sugar into a large mixing bowl. Using a pastry blender or two forks, blend in the cold butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs and wine. Make a well in the flour mixture and pour in the liquid. Incorporate the liquid into the flour and knead to form a smooth dough. Wrap the dough and chill for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the filling: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Heat the oil in an ovenproof casserole or clay pot and when very hot, add the buffalo, breaking it up with a large spoon. Sauté until it starts to brown, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Place the chiles, garlic, cumin, oregano, salt, lime juice, and water in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour the chile mixture over the meat, stir, and allow to marinate for 10 minutes. Cover the dish and bake for 30 minutes, until the sauce has thickened. Allow to cool before filling the empanadas.

Assemble the empanadas: Preheat the oven to 400°F. On a lightly floured pastry board, roll out the chilled dough to 1/8 inch thick, and cut it into circles 3 inches in diameter. Moisten the edge of each circle of dough with a little water and place 1 tablespoon of the filling in the center; fold it in half and crimp the edges to seal the empanada. Repeat until you have used up all of the dough. The dough may be rerolled. (Leftover filling may be used for tacos.)

Place the empanadas on a cookie sheet and bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Serve hot with Creamy Tomatillo Salsa.

Tomatillo.

Creamy Tomatillo Salsa

MAKES 2

1/2 CUPS SALSA

1/2 pound fresh tomatillos

1/3 cup chopped white onion

1 teaspoon fresh lime juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced

1 cup sour cream

2 teaspoons fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

Habanero hot sauce

Shuck the tomatillos under cold running water. Quarter them and poach, covered, in boiling water until tender, about 5 minutes.

In a blender or food processor, process the tomatillos until coarsely chopped.

Add the onion, lime juice, salt, and jalapeño and blend quickly to combine. Stir in the sour cream until smooth.

Pour the salsa into a serving bowl and stir in the cilantro and habanero sauce, to taste.

Chill and stir before serving.

Café Pasqual’s Vertical-Roasted Chicken or Turkey

CHICKEN SERVES 4; TURKEY, FIGURE 1/2 POUND PER PERSON

Horno (outdoor fire-heated mud oven) cooking is one of the most satisfying cooking methods. The results are luscious and flavorful every time. The process of heating the oven, outdoors, with wood, waiting for the fire to burn down, and then sweeping out the embers and cooking in the declining heat is romantic and fascinating in its elemental simplicity. If roasting a turkey, multiply the other ingredients by four and add 2 tablespoons of Bell’s Poultry Seasoning and 1/2 cup (1 stick, 4 ounces) of butter. This dish is made using a vertical roaster (see note) in a traditional horno, but may also be prepared in a conventional oven by roasting the chicken or turkey at 325°F at 20 minutes per pound.

1 (3- to 4-pound) whole chicken fryer, or 1 (20- to 22-pound) turkey

1 1/2 cups olive oil

Juice of 2 lemons

4 sprigs of thyme

6 garlic cloves, peeled and slightly crushed

2 teaspoons kosher salt

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

6 cups chicken stock or water

1/2 seeded acorn squash per diner (optional; see note)

To prepare a chicken, remove the wrapped innards that may be in the cavity of the bird and reserve for another use. Wash the bird well inside and out. Pat dry with a paper towel. In a large, nonreactive bowl, combine the oil, lemon juice, thyme, garlic, salt, and pepper. Marinate the chicken for at least 4 hours, refrigerated, turning the bird every half-hour to coat, for even marinating.

A traditional horno heats up at Jemez Pueblo

To prepare a turkey, cut off the neck, remove the giblets package, wash the turkey inside and out, and pat the bird dry. Rub the outside of the bird with 2 tablespoons of Bell’s Poultry Seasoning. Divide a stick of butter into numerous small bits and insert under the skin of the turkey, distributing the butter throughout the surfaces.

Prepare the horno by building a fire on the horno floor with an armful of wood and kindling.

Once the fire is lit, put in the vertical roaster. Close the horno door. If the door is made of wood and has no metal sheathing, use a wet burlap bag on the backside of the door to create a seal and that will also hopefully create a barrier for heat loss while protecting the door from charring or burning. Let the oven preheat for about 30 to 40 minutes.

Being very careful to cover all your exposed body hair—wearing a hat to cover the hair as well as a scarf to cover your eyebrows and wearing a long-sleeved shirt—test the temperature by opening the door and checking with a flashlight to observe whether all the white ash from the fire has fallen from the ceiling of the horno to its floor. Another test that is often used is to hold a piece of pure wool yarn with long tongs, and reach into the horno and put the wool in the center, and if the wool burns up immediately, the horno is preheated and ready for use. The temperature would be around 600°F at this point. Clean all the embers and ash from the horno and transfer to a covered metal can, for safety’s sake.

Working quickly, place the now preheated vertical roaster in a small pan that is just large enough to hold all. Pour the chicken stock into the pan to cover the bottom and go up the sides of the pan by about 2 inches. Place the chicken or turkey over the vertical roaster. Close the door and with some wet mud seal the door and the smoke hole of the horno, completely sealing in the heat.

Cook the chicken for about 20 to 25 minutes for a 3- to 4-pound bird. Check to see whether the chicken is fully cooked by moving a drumstick back and forth, and if the juices run clear, the bird is done. Alternatively, cook the turkey, unstuffed, for 2 1/2 hours, or when the juices run clear when you wiggle a drumstick.

Carve and serve immediately with plenty of napkins if eating out of hand; be sure to roll up your sleeves, as this is the juiciest bird in the world.

Note: You may put in 1/2 seeded acorn squash for each diner, filling each with some butter and brown sugar and a splash of water—they go in with the chicken, and by the time dinner is over retrieve the squash—it makes for a perfect dessert.

Note: Vertical roasters, which are wire Eiffel tower–shaped structures, are preheated and fitted into the cavity of the bird in order to cook it from the inside as well as the outside. They are made of chrome or nonstick material and may be purchased from cooking shops, and can also be found on the Internet. You can make a homemade vertical roaster by fashioning a point with a hatchet on one end of a brick. Remember to preheat any sort of vertical roaster inside the horno during the preheating process.

Los Poblanos Seared Rib Eye with Béarnaise Sauce

SERVES 4

A luxurious, if not decadent, preparation fit for a major celebration: anniversary, birthday, or house sale. Just add candles, flowers, wine, and your best silver and china.

4 (8-ounce) rib eye steaks

Salt and pepper

Olive oil for pan

2 large ripe tomatoes

1/2 cup (1 stick, 4 ounces) butter

2 cups corn kernels

For the béarnaise sauce:

2 cups (4 sticks, 1 pound) butter

6 large egg yolks

Tarragon and sherry vinegar reduction (1 cup vinegar, 4 sprigs of tarragon, bruised, 1 tablespoon peppercorns, all reduced by half and liquid strained off)

3 to 4 dashes of Tabasco sauce

Pinch of salt

Leaves from 4 sprigs of tarragon, chopped

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Season the meat with salt and pepper. Heat a large overproof skillet with a touch of olive oil. Over high heat, sear the meat on both sides, then finish to the desired temperature in the oven. Allow the meat to rest before serving.

Heat another skillet over low heat with a touch of olive oil. Core and slice the tomatoes in half through the midsection and season the cut side with salt and pepper. Place cut side down in the hot pan and cook for 2 to 4 minutes, until the surface has charred a little. Flip the tomatoes and cook for 30 seconds. Remove from the heat. In the same pan, heat the butter. Once melted, add the corn and salt and pepper. Cook until the corn is tender, 2 or 3 minutes.

Los Poblanos chef Jonathan Perno heads to the kitchens after a sunrise harvest of the gardens.

Prepare the sauce: Melt the butter and keep it warm. In a food processor, combine the egg yolks, vinegar reduction, Tabasco, and salt. Turn on the food processor, then slowly add the melted butter. After all the butter is added, pour the sauce into a bowl and fold in the chopped tarragon and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

To serve, place the buttered corn as the base on a platter, then arrange the tomatoes around the edges of the corn. Place the rib eyes on top of the corn and pour the béarnaise sauce on top.

Los Poblanos Pork with Modern Soubise

SERVES 2

Pork chops get the best upgrade they’ve ever had with this recipe. Great results with a simple preparation. We all love that!

2 tablespoons butter

1 pound onions, peeled and sliced

2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 tablespoon canola oil

2 pork chops

Salt and pepper

1 cup red wine

Melt the butter in a large pot over a medium heat. Add the onion slices. Cook until they have turned translucent and all the liquid has evaporated, 10 to 15 minutes, stirring constantly to keep them from browning. Pour in the cream and add the tomato paste. Stir until incorporated. Transfer to a blender and process until smooth. Strain through a metal sieve. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 500°F. Pour the oil into a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the chops with salt and pepper. Add to the skillet, and cook for 3 minutes per side. Check their temperature. If still below 160°F, transfer to the oven and cook for 4 to 6 minutes more, flipping halfway through. When their temperature hits 160°F, remove the chops and set aside.

Pour off all the fat from the skillet. Let the skillet cool for a minute, then set it over medium heat. Pour in the wine; raise the heat to medium-high. Scrape the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon, dislodging all those browned bits. When the wine has reduced by about one-fourth, whisk in about 1 ounce of the onion mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Serve the pork chops with the sauce drizzled on top.

Pork served at Los Poblanos is raised on the farm.

RZ’S BEES

Ricardo Sanchez’s local raw honey is a mix of clover, alfalfa, and wildflower, produced by the satisfied bees that flock to his farm on Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo north of Santa Fe, and there is none finer. Ohkay Owingeh was the site of the first permanent settlement of the Spanish in 1598. RZ also brings his fine beeswax products to local farmers’ markets in and around Española. His wife, Deborah, is an excellent cook who excels at incorporating their family’s healthful, delicious honey into recipes from her kitchen. This honey is an excellent addition to main dishes as well as baked goods.

RZ’s Bees Honey Oven-Baked BBQ Chicken

MAKES 4 TO 5 SERVINGS

A reliable weeknight dish that gets a delicious home-cooked dinner on the table with an easy preparation. This is a good one to serve when unexpected company arrives, using ingredients you have around the house.

1 (3-pound) broiler or fryer, cut up

1/2 cup prepared French dressing

1/4 cup hot catsup or Cholula hot sauce

2 tablespoons honey

1/4 cup (1/2 stick, 2 ounces) melted butter

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon paprika

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Combine all the ingredients in a baking pan. Arrange the chicken in a single layer. Turn once to coat. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, or until done, basting every 15 minutes.

LA POSTA

Located on the Mesilla Plaza, La Posta is that rare tourist attraction restaurant locals also adore. And what a place to sip a specialty margarita. The foot-thick adobe walls and vigas (heavy ceiling beams) evoke the beginnings of this area—this was a stop on the Butterfield Stage line in the 1800s. Stepping inside is like entering a Mexican courtyard, with colorful parrots and tropical greenery nearly overwhelming the lobby. Wait staff dress in turquoise and hot pink fiesta shirts and blouses. The restaurant sprawls for what seems like a dozen rooms. Century-old recipes, handed down through the generations, still appear on the menu. One of the most famous dishes, the Tostada Compuesta, originated at La Posta in 1939. This dish consists of a toasted corn tortilla cup filled with frijoles and red chile con carne, topped with chopped lettuce, diced tomatoes, and grated Cheddar cheese. If you prefer green chile, the locals’ favorite is reportedly the sour cream enchilada. This dish consists of corn tortillas smothered with green chile sauce, topped with grated Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese and sour cream, and includes refritos, rice, and Mexican cabbage slaw.

Another favorite is the chile relleno, a succulent large green chile filled with cheese, dipped in light egg batter, and grilled, allowing all the flavors to remain distinct and piquant.

The pomegranate margarita is not to be missed.

The legend of La Posta’s ghost has been debunked—the spirit’s antics were actually pranks played by young town boys decades ago.

La Posta’s colorful interiors make you think you’re in Mexico, which isn’t far away.

La Posta de Mesilla Chiles Rellenos

MAKES 8 CHILES

Chiles rellenos should be served hot and can be topped with a variety of specialty sauces, such as tomato salsa, green chile sauce, or chile con queso. Chiles rellenos are very good served with frijoles and La Posta’s famous Mexican coleslaw. Leftover chiles rellenos can be refrigerated, then reheated and served or wrapped in a warm tortilla for a hearty chiles rellenos burrito (a distinctive southern New Mexico treat).

8 green chile peppers, roasted, peeled, and seeded (see note)

8 long strips of Monterey Jack cheese (finger width and a little less than the length of each chile)

3 large eggs, separated

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup all-purpose flour, for coating chiles

Careful preparation is the secret to making good chiles rellenos. If using fresh green chile peppers, they must be roasted directly over a gas or electric burner until the outer skin is slightly charred and easily peeled.

Slit open the roasted, peeled chiles lengthwise. Remove the seeds and chile veins from each chile, making sure to leave the stem intact. Then stuff each chile with the long cheese strips. Close each chile slit by pulling the sides together, lapping one side over the other.

Beat the egg whites in a large bowl until fluffy. Place the flour in a shallow bowl, add the egg yolks and salt, and beat for another minute, until well mixed and fluffy. Holding each stuffed chile by the stem, roll the chile in the flour mixture to coat the chile, then dip into the egg whites.

Heat a griddle over medium heat until it’s smoking hot. Place the breaded chiles on the hot griddle and cook until the egg coating is golden brown, about 5 minutes. Flip the chiles over and cook on the other side so that both sides are cooked to golden brown perfection.

Note: La Posta de Mesilla uses Mesilla Valley and Hatch Big Jim medium-heat green chiles for its chiles rellenos. The Big Jim variety produces a meaty, flavorful, and good-size chile for rellenos.

La Posta Mesilla Valley Cucumber Jalapeño Margarita

SERVES 1

An adventurous blend of Sauza Blue 100 percent agave Silver Tequila, muddled cucumber slices, fresh-squeezed lime juice, agave nectar, and local, fresh, spicy jalapeños gives this a southwestern kick! Serve in a Mexican hand-blown margarita glass rimmed deliciously with local honey, crushed pecans, and green chile salt.

Local honey

Chopped pecans, for rim of glass

Green chile salt, for rim of glass

4 cucumber wheels, sliced 1/4 inch thick

1 ounce fresh lime juice

1 1/4 ounces agave nectar

1 1/2 ounces Sauza Blue 100 percent agave Silver Tequila

1 or 2 jalapeño wheels, for garnish (depending on heat preference)

Prepare the edge of a Mexican hand-blown stemmed margarita glass by rimming the glass with local honey. Blend the chopped pecans and green chile salt together and pour evenly onto a small saucer larger than the rim of the glass. Gently dip the honey-rimmed edge of the glass around the plate to evenly coat.

In a Boston shaker, muddle two of the cucumber wheels, lime juice, and agave nectar. Add the tequila and ice. Shake vigorously (shake it to wake it!). Fill the prepared margarita glass with fresh ice and strain the shaker contents into your prepared margarita glass. Garnish with the remaining 2 cucumber wheels and a jalapeño wheel dropped into the glass. Be sure to taste this margarita straight off the rim to savor the explosion of combined flavors.

La Posta La Pinta Pomegranate Margarita

SERVES 1

An exquisite blend of La Pinta Pomegranate Infused Tequila, St. Germain elderflower liqueur, agave nectar, and fresh-squeezed lime juice. Awesome, crisp flavors—served at the Adobe Cantina & Tequileria in the historic La Posta de Mesilla.

1 ounce Pomegranate-Infused Tequila

1 ounce St. Germain liqueur

1/4 ounce agave nectar

1 ounce fresh lime juice

Salt

Lime wheel, for garnish

In a Boston shaker, combine the tequila, liqueur, agave nectar, and lime juice. Add ice and shake vigorously. Strain into a martini glass rimmed with salt. Garnish with the lime wheel. Salud!

Fresh Grilled Lemon-Mustard Trout

SERVES 4

Whether streamside or at home on the grill, this simply grilled trout—my personal recipe—allows the fresh, full flavor of the fish to star.

3 to 4 fresh-caught trout

Salt and pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

3 tablespoons butter or margarine

3 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard

2 teaspoons lemon juice

Nonstick cooking spray

Wash the trout well. Liberally salt the entire fish, then sprinkle the fish with black pepper and garlic powder. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and add the mustard and lemon juice. Heat, stirring, for 5 to 7 minutes, to create a sauce.

Meanwhile, heat the grill to 400° to 450°F. Spray the grill well with nonstick cooking spray just before grilling the trout. Place each seasoned trout directly on the grill. Baste the trout well with the butter sauce. Cook the trout well, 10 minutes, then use two forks to turn gently, as the skin should not break. After turning the trout, baste again with the butter sauce and cook until done, about 10 minutes longer. The skin should be nicely charred and will bubble when the fish is done. Turn the fish again and baste with the remaining sauce.

—SN

New Mexico German Brown trout.

Vallecitos River, northern New Mexico, a magic trout haven.

1zero6

San Francisco food artist Jake Politte took a slightly off-the-beaten-path nineteenth-century house in Silver City and created a one-of-a-kind eatery that is part New Orleans, part Oaxaca, and part Chiang Mai. It’s festive—Mardi Gras and Day of the Dead all at once. Vintage Chinese movie posters side by side with Mexican Catholic saints and shrines to the Buddha embellish the interior, while paper dragons poised in flight drape the ceiling, all glowing in flickering candlelight. Jake’s experience in the fashion and film industry catering business, and his travels, school him in global flavors he synthesizes in his orderly, gleaming steel kitchen, a contrast to his wildly imaginative dining room. If you are good, that is, truly appreciative of what you are served by the one and only waiter, whose day job is as a Zen meditation instructor in Las Cruces, you may be invited out to the matchbox-size garden out back after dinner for a chat with Jake, who does all the resourcing, shopping, and cooking himself and detests the word chef. He is as prolific a storyteller as any sea captain. He may not be wearing a toque, but he is as exacting a chef as may be found in the pages of Michelin. “This is not your mother’s cooking and it never will be,” he exclaims. He believes in cooking fresh. If it all sounds magical and unforgettable, it is. The dozen tables are booked way in advance, with folks from Seattle, Montana, Maryland, and any- and everyplace in between. Open three nights a week, on weekends only.

In Silver City, 1zero6 restaurant’s colorful exterior.

1zero6 Salmon Frontera

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Serve with yellow basmati rice and asparagus poached al dente, served as a salad vegetable with your favorite vinaigrette.

For the salmon:

1/4 cup fresh Key lime juice

1/4 cup blue agave tequila

1 1/2 teaspoons ground New Mexico red chile (medium to hot)

1 teaspoon dried oregano, rubbed and crumbled

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 medium-size yellow onion grated

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

4 salmon fillets, skinned (preferably wild caught, better flavor and texture)

Olive oil, for frying

For the tomato-serrano salsa:

3 Roma tomatoes, seeded and roughly chopped

1 serrano chile, minced

1/2 white onion, chopped

1 tablespoon Key lime juice

Chopped fresh cilantro

Pinch of sea salt

Prepare the salmon: Mix together all the ingredients, except the salmon and olive oil, and rub on the fillets; marinate for 1 to 3 hours.

While the salmon marinates, prepare the salsa: Combine all the ingredients and let sit for at least an hour to blend the flavors.

Pan fry the salmon in olive oil over medium heat until lightly browned, then flip and cook for an additional 3 to 4 minutes. Top with the salsa and serve.

Jake Politte’s immaculate kitchen at 1zero6 inspired by Mexico, New Mexico, and Asia.

1zero6 Pollo Rojo

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Serve with tomato-onion salad and roasted sweet potatoes with butter and mace for a satisfying dinner that puts a new spin on the standard chicken breast.

5 dried New Mexico red chiles, toasted, seeded, and soaked in warm water to soften

1 yellow onion, finely grated

1 teaspoon toasted ground cumin seeds

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons dried oregano, rubbed

1 teaspoon sea salt

Fresh orange juice

4 chicken breasts, butterflied

1 sprig of oregano, for garnish

Place all the ingredients, except the chicken and oregano sprig, in a food processor and pulse. Do not puree. Use enough orange juice to keep the mixture moving and loose. Slather the mixture on the chicken breasts and marinate for at least 1 day (two is better). Sauté slowly in any size nonstick pan, although the chef prefers cast iron (oil with good-quality vegetable or canola oil if using cast iron) over medium heat until cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes. Do not try to rush the sautéing process, as the chiles will burn and go dark, giving a bitter taste. Slow cooking gives that rich red color. Top with the fresh oregano.

1zero6 restaurant’s colorful interior.

Santa Fe Brewing Company Beer-Marinated Carne Asada with Ancho Chile Salsa

SERVES 4

This fresh, spiky marinade lifts an ordinary steak into a higher realm of flavor—an excellent choice for the grill.

For the citrus marinade:

3 garlic cloves, peeled

1/3 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

Grated zest of 1 lime

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons chile powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon ancho chile powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup Freestyle Pilsner

For the steak:

1 flank steak (about 2 pounds)

Canola oil, for oiling grill

For the chile salsa:

1/4 cup chopped garlic

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup chopped scallions

1/4 cup ancho chile powder

1 tablespoon ground black pepper

2 jalapeño peppers, chopped

1/2 bunch fresh cilantro

3/4 cup Freestyle Pilsner

Juice and zest of 1 orange

Juice and zest of 2 limes

1/2 kiwifruit

1/4 cup mirin

Pinch of salt

Pinch of sugar

Prepare the marinade: Combine all the ingredients, except the pilsner, in a food processor. Pulse a few times until combined. Add the pilsner and pulse until just combined.

Prepare the steak: Pour the marinade over the flank steak and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours, turning the meat occasionally.

While the meat marinates, prepare the salsa: Combine all the ingredients in a medium-size bowl and set aside.

Pull the steak out of its marinade about 30 minutes before grilling to bring the meat to room temperature, while you preheat and oil the grill. Grill the steak over high heat for about 4 minutes per side. The internal temperature of the steak should reach about 140°F. Let the meat rest for a few minutes before slicing. Serve with the salsa.

Beer from the Santa Fe Brewing Company.

Linda’s Summertime Bear Mountain Lodge Poached Chicken in Coconut Milk

SERVES 6

This recipe is a summer take on New Mexico posole, a wonderful stew with lots of great garnishes. Says proprietor Linda, “We serve this with either roasted local veggies or melon.”

2 cups chopped celery

2 cups chopped onion

2 cups chopped carrot

1 whole chicken

2 cups white wine

1/2 cup fresh orange juice

2 tablespoons butter or olive oil

6 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon ground cumin, plus more to taste

3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

2 (11.3-ounce) cans tamarind nectar

1 (13-ounce) can coconut milk

Salt and pepper

For serving:

3 cups cooked white or brown rice, or posole

3 avocados, peeled, pitted, and sliced

3 mangoes, peeled, pitted, and sliced

Fresh basil

Roasted and sliced green chiles

Sliced cherry tomatoes

Pistachios

3 limes, quartered

Sauté the celery, onion, and carrot in oil. Put them in a large pot, along with the chicken, wine, orange juice, butter, garlic, black pepper, and cumin. Add enough water to cover the chicken and poach at a simmer until the chicken temperature is 170°F. Let cool until the chicken is easy to handle.

Debone and skin the chicken, reserving the breast meat. Skim and discard the fat from the broth.

Add to the broth the sweet potatoes, tamarind nectar, and coconut milk, as well as all the deboned and skinned chicken, except for the reserved breast meat. Cook over low heat until the sweet potatoes are done, about 20 minutes. Don’t overcook them or they will become mushy; fork-tender is best. Salt and pepper to taste.

To serve: Place 1/2 cup of the rice in each of six soup bowls. Ladle the broth mixture into the bowl (just enough to leave an inch of space until the rim), then add large pieces of the reserved breast meat. Garnish with avocado, mango, basil, green chile, tomatoes, and lastly pistachios. Serve with quartered limes on the side.

New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum cattle.

Curious Kumquat Braised Oxtails

SERVES 4

Serve the oxtails with fresh greens and beets, all drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with a fresh crack of pepper.

Olive oil

4 to 6 oxtails

1 (1-liter) bottle red wine (ideally Rioja, Tempranillo, or other medium-bodied red)

1 medium-size onion, chopped

1 head of garlic, peeled, cloves left whole

2 tomatoes, chopped

1 bay leaf

1 sprig of thyme

1 tablespoon salt

4 dried New Mexico red peppers

Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Heat a braising pan or roaster on the stovetop over high heat with a generous splash of olive oil. As it just begins to smoke, add the oxtails to the pan to give them a good searing. Cook until a nice brown crust forms, then flip them and repeat on the other side, 6 to 8 minutes per side. Once both sides have browned, pour on enough wine to cover the oxtails, leaving a glass for yourself. Add all the remaining ingredients, bring to a simmer, then cover and braise in the oven for 1 hour. Lower the oven temperature to 225ºF and braise for 3 to 6 hours more, until the meat is fall-off-the-bone tender, adjusting the seasoning as you go.

BUCKHORN TAVERN

For more years than anyone remembers, Manny’s Buckhorn Tavern in San Antonio, New Mexico, was just the place across the road from the Owl Café, known for its super green chile cheeseburgers, served all the way back to the nuclear engineers working at the Trinity Site, where the atom bomb was first tested in the New Mexico desert. Then Chef Bobby Olguin came along. Soon locals’ cars were parked outside the Buckhorn at lunchtime; before long, Olguin became the local hero who’d taken on Bobby Flay and won the big burger throw down. Now burger pilgrims travel from all over the world for what may be the best green chile cheeseburger on the planet, served alongside homemade fries. If you sit at the bar, you can avoid the crowd waiting at the door, and you’ll also have the best chance of capturing the attention of Chef Olguin for a chat. And you can watch the burgers being grilled in the tiny kitchen area adjacent to the bar. Local green chile is the kicker component in this most excellent of classic American road food treats. And yes, it is worth the wait and worth the drive. For a change of pace, try the excellent Frito Pie, a concoction of Fritos, beans, and beefy red chile topped with chopped onion, lettuce, and tomato.

Bobby Olguin, king of the Buckhorn in San Antonio.

Bobby Olguin’s Green Chile Cheeseburger Secrets

Follow Bobby’s instructions from the master to create “immaculate flavor”:

• Use 70/30 or 80/20 ground beef. We use ground chuck, but you can use ground round or ground sirloin. A little bit of fat makes the burger more flavorful.

• Our burgers are close to 1 pound each.

• Cook the ground beef to medium done. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Sauté on the grill diced green chile with granulated garlic or diced garlic. We use chile from Hatch or Snake Ranch Farm.

• While the meat is cooking, and you have flipped the burger twice, on the third flip put diced raw onion directly on the meat and place cheese on top of the onions. Important: The cheese must melt after the third flip. Smash the burger down just a little.

• Toast buns lightly on the grill. On the bottom bun, place sliced pickles, lettuce, and tomatoes to form a “bed” to receive the burger. Add condiments to taste.

“It’s how you treat the burger that counts,” says Bobby. “The real secret is always to cook with love.”

Exterior of the Buckhorn, San Antonio, New Mexico.

Bobby Olguin’s green chile cheeseburger.

NEW MEXICO COWBELLES

A statewide organization of rural women who ranch and support ranchers, the New Mexico CowBelles are known for their resourcefulness, sense of humor, and steadfast loyalty to one another and their way of life. Many live in very small towns or far from town on isolated ranches, so they cherish each other’s company at their monthly potlucks, and they understand the value of friendship. Often needing to put supper on the table after being out all day riding a hundred miles to care for the stock, they are ingenious at putting together tasty, hearty meals that pretty much cook themselves. They know how to cook in quantity, because they frequently attend church potlucks and cook for their crews. Those crews are often those who “neighbor up,” moving from ranch to ranch to help one another with branding and weaning. The ranch wife will load the truck with beans, rolls, cobblers, chile, and pot roasts to bring to them when need be. Some even still cook out in cast-iron Dutch ovens over a cedar wood fire—though, with fire restrictions, due to drought, this time-honored activity becomes less frequent.

Whether it’s tending to a friend recovering from surgery, celebrating a grandchild’s graduation, or the return of a son from the military, CowBelles can be counted on for their warmth, optimism, generous spirit, and delicious casseroles. They live according to old-fashioned notions—of womanly grace, hard work, respect for the land and its creatures—which are not complicated but are most welcome in today’s world.

Cowgirl Riley Jo Clavel.

SHARON NIEDERMAN

New Mexico CowBelles Arroz con Pollo

SERVES 4

This is one of those satisfying one-pot meals you can stretch to feed a crowd when you’re not sure how many will show up, although it is presented here as serving four (serve with pinto beans). Arroz con pollo can be cooked over the fire or on the kitchen stove. This recipe was given to me by a ranch woman who cooked for the cowboys over a wood fire when everyone “neighbored up” to help with branding. She served it with beans and salad and she cooked in large, well-seasoned cast-iron Dutch ovens passed down to her by her father, who’d been the cook of the previous generation.

2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil, for pan

1 onion, chopped

2 large garlic cloves, chopped

1 chicken, cut into parts

2 cups uncooked rice

1 (46-ounce) can V8 juice

1 cup chopped green chile

1 (8-ounce) can chopped black olives (optional)

1 (8-ounce) can green peas

Dried oregano

Ground cumin

Salt and pepper

1 teaspoon red chile powder

In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté the onion with the garlic in the oil.

Add the chicken parts. Brown on both sides.

Add the rice and V8 juice. Refill the can with water, add the water to the pot, and continue to cook, stirring. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer.

Add the green chile, the black olives, if using, and the peas. Season with oregano, cumin, salt, and pepper to taste. Add the red chile. Simmer for an hour, or until the rice is tender.

New Mexico CowBelles Coca-Cola Brisket

SERVES 8 TO 10

When out riding the range all day, branding, weaning, mending fences, and pulling windmills, a woman likes to come home to a tasty dinner waiting in the oven. This slow-cooked brisket is the answer that keeps her family of cowpokes well fed and happy. It can be made the night before. Slice against the grain and serve with mashed potatoes. No one will believe how simple this hearty and delicious dish is to prepare. The Coke makes a delicious gravy.

All-purpose flour, for dredging

Salt and pepper

Garlic powder

Paprika

1 (5-pound) beef brisket

Olive oil, for pan

1 (1-liter) bottle Coca-Cola

Before going to bed, preheat the oven to its lowest setting, usually 225° or 250°F. Season the flour with salt, pepper, garlic, and paprika. Spread the flour mixture on both sides of the brisket. Over medium heat, brown the meat slowly in a hot skillet with a little olive oil. Transfer the brisket to a heavy Dutch oven or roasting pan. Pour the entire liter of Coca-Cola over the meat, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and let braise for 8 to 10 hours, until very tender.

Blessing of the Animals by Reverend Vince Peterson, Diocese of Las Cruces, at the New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum on the day of San Ysidro, patron saint of farmers. Dave Harkness provided the bread for the day, see here.

Dave Harkness’s Dutch Oven Beef Stew with Wheat Berries

FEEDS 4 HUNGRY BOYS

Dave Harkness cooks the bread shared at the Blessing of the Fields at the Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum in Las Cruces. He is one of New Mexico’s leading Dutch oven cooks and demonstrators. Dave describes himself: “As an interpretative specialist for Fort Selden Monument and the Farm & Ranch Museum, I have been involved with period cooking methods and technologies for the past fifteen years. I have demonstrated cooking methods using campfires, open hearths, and wood-fired cookstoves, and have produced a number of horno building and cast-iron cooking workshops. Hence, I have a good collection of vintage recipes and cooking equipment, including eighteenth- and nineteenth-century hearth ware, a vintage Great Majestic wood cookstove, and a fully restored and outfitted 1890s Chuck Wagon.”

This is the kind of tasty, filling fare the Old West was built on.

2 tablespoons lard

2 to 4 pounds boneless beef ribs cubed and refrigerated for at least 4 hours

2 Spanish onions, diced

6 celery stalks, diced

1 to 2 cups carrots that have been cut to 2 inches long

1 jalapeño pepper, stemmed, seeded, and diced

2 fresh Roma tomatoes, chopped

2 (8-ounce) cans tomato sauce, or 1 (16-ounce) can Spicy V8 juice

1 cup beef stock

1/2 cup dried hard red wheat berries (see note)

4 whole medium-size potatoes, peeled

Salt and pepper

Melt the lard in a hot Dutch oven over medium heat and brown the beef.

Add the onions, celery, carrots, jalapeño, and tomatoes and sauté for a few minutes.

Add the tomato sauce and beef stock and simmer, covered, for 1 hour. Add the wheat berries, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes.

Add the potatoes, cover, and continue to simmer for another hour, adding more liquid if necessary. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Note: Wheat berries are usually ground to make flour and can also used as a cereal, or as a substitute for rice or barley in many dishes. Their nutty flavor can be enhanced even more by slight roasting in a mild oven before cooking.

Flower girls sprinkle rose petals on the water during the Blessing of the Fields ceremony at the New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum.

Margarita Cuevas, Hatch Chile Princess.

Los Poblanos Cumin and Vanilla Bean Vinaigrette

MAKES 1 CUP DRESSING

Use to dress favorite greens or a simple salad.

1 tablespoon ground cumin, toasted and crushed

1 teaspoon ground turmeric, or to taste 1 vanilla bean, scraped

1 teaspoon salt

20 grinds black pepper

3 tablespoons golden balsamic vinegar, or to taste

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, or to taste

3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Mix together all the ingredients, except the oil. Whisk while slowly adding the olive oil to emulsify. Adjust the seasoning. Let stand overnight and adjust again before using.

Green Tractor Farm Hot Pepper Vinegar

This traditional southern condiment adds a delicious tang to any dish of greens—kale, chard, mustard, or any combination. Make this at least the day before you plan to use it. Use a 1 pint bottle with a mouth just wide enough for peppers to fit through with a slotted insert in the mouth for sprinkling.

5 or 6 padrón or jalapeño peppers

Apple cider vinegar to fill your bottle three-quarters full

Trim the stems from the peppers and cut a slit in the side of each. In a small, nonreactive saucepan, simmer the vinegar and peppers over low heat for 10 minutes. Remove the peppers and stuff them into the jar. Pour the vinegar over the peppers. Let cool. Add the slotted insert and cap. Store in the refrigerator.

Jalapeños from Wagner Farms, Corrales.

REBECCA’S—THE LODGE RESORT AND SPA AT CLOUDCROFT

There is no place like the Victorian-era Lodge in the tall pines at Cloudcroft. If you need proof, climb the tower stairway and see where Clark Gable signed his name. Among the many notable visitors to the elegant lodge were Judy Garland and Pancho Villa. Constructed by the El Paso & Southern Railroad in 1899, originally for its timber cutters, it is now a retreat with massive a stone fireplace, spa, and high-altitude golf course. Eventually it became known as a cool getaway for city dwellers who took the cloud-climbing railroad into the Sacramento Mountains to get away from heat and humidity. The romantic, elegant Lodge is especially glorious at the holiday season, with lighted decorations and the blazing fire in the stone hearth evoking the charm and nostalgia of Christmas past.

The restaurant, Rebecca’s, overlooking the Tularosa Basin to the White Sands, is New Mexico’s exemplary venue of old-fashioned service and Continental cuisine. Chateaubriand for two served tableside is sure to be remembered, making this a perfect place for a special anniversary or engagement celebration. Rebecca did not fare so well. She was supposedly murdered by her jealous lumberjack boyfriend. The resident red-haired, blue-eyed ghost was a chambermaid who continues to ring certain rooms, in particular the Governor’s Suite, where every governor of the state has stayed.

The champagne brunch, served each Sunday, may be the best treat of all.

The Lodge at Cloudcroft Fresh Poblano Chile Vinaigrette

MAKES 1 1/2 CUPS DRESSING

Tim McManus, executive chef at Rebecca’s, shares his sensational recipe that will spark any salad and proves that New Mexicans will eat chile at any opportunity. Great on salads or as a marinade for poultry, seafood, or vegetables.

1 fresh poblano chile

1 fresh jalapeño pepper

3 garlic cloves

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 1/2 teaspoons white wine vinegar

1/3 cup honey

1 cup olive oil

Juice of 5 limes

1 teaspoon salt

Seed and roughly chop the poblano and jalapeño. Combine with the remaining ingredients in a blender. Process until a smooth dressing consistency is achieved. You can keep it refrigerated for up to a week.

Hotel St. Bernard Sesame-Chile Dressing

MAKES 1 CUP DRESSING

Hotel St. Bernard is the soul of Taos Ski Valley. Owned and operated for decades by ski pioneer Jean Meyer, this place is famous for its weeklong ski school, its bar, and the superlative table Jean sets. Built in the style of a mountain rathskeller, the St. Bernard holds its tradition of warm hospitality proudly; satisfied guests return year after year. This dressing goes well on the salad of sliced avocado and sweet red onion served in the St. Bernard dining room.

1 teaspoon sesame oil

2/3 cup extra-virgin cold-pressed olive oil

1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

Pinch of red chile, preferably Chimayo

1 to 2 teaspoons soy sauce

Juice and finely grated zest of 1 unwaxed lemon

1 garlic clove, minced

Leaves from a few sprigs of fresh mint, basil, or rosemary

Combine all the ingredients and blend. Store any leftover dressing in thte refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. Shake before using.

Jean Mayer, owner of the world renowned Hotel St. Bernard.

Epazote New Mexican Mole

MAKES 12 SERVINGS

This recipe was created by Chef Fernando Olea in commemoration of Santa Fe’s four hundredth anniversary. This synthesis of Mexican and New Mexican flavors resulted in a recipe that was originally published in the Chicago Tribune in May 2011. Chef Olea recommends it be served with rack of lamb, though it is good on any meat dish. He serves it over lamb at his Santa Fe restaurant, Epazote, which features inspired New World cooking.

3 ounces pecans

3 ounces piñon nuts

1 stick Mexican cinnamon

4 whole cloves

2 ounces sesame seeds

1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds or ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground anise

1/2 cup (1 stick, 4 ounces) butter

1/2 onion, chopped

6 garlic cloves

4 red Chimayo or other quajillo chile

1/2 cup apricots, pitted

3 ounces white chocolate

1/2 cup chicken stock

1/2 teaspoon white peppercorns or ground pepper

Salt

Heat an ungreased small skillet over medium heat for about 2 minutes. Lightly toast the pecans and piñons. Add the cinnamon, cloves, sesame seeds, cumin, and anise, stirring constantly, until lightly golden.

Melt the butter in a separate, medium-size skillet over medium-high heat. Add and sauté the onion, garlic, and chile until clear and soft, about 5 minutes.

Combine all the ingredients, including the nut mixture and except the salt, in a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth, adding water if needed, to form a thick sauce.

Pour the sauce into a large saucepan, bring to a boil over high heat, then lower the heat to low. Simmer for 1 hour, stirring often. Add salt to taste.

Dave Harkness’s Red-Eyed Speckly Gravy

MAKES 1 cup GRAVY

This delectable gravy goes well over Dutch oven master Dave Harkness’s Black Pot Sourdough Biscuits (here).

2 tablespoons bacon fat

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 pinches of salt

2 pinches of ground black pepper

1 cup brewed strong hot coffee

Heat the bacon fat in a medium-size pan over medium heat, add the flour, and stir. Continue to heat, stirring, to brown the flour, about 5 minutes. Add the salt and pepper, and slowly add the coffee while stirring, to make a smooth gravy.

Epazote New Mexico Mole.

RANCHO DE CHIMAYO

The Jaramillos of Chimayo have kept the Rancho de Chimayo ranch house in the family since the 1880s; the recipes prepared in the kitchen are even older. You will still find matriarch Frances Jaramillo welcoming guests and overseeing the kitchen and dining room. A restaurant since 1965, this rambling wood-floored, whitewashed adobe with hand-stripped vigas and lush terraced patio still feels like a home, and it truly is: home to authentic New Mexican cooking that showcases the green and red chile northern New Mexico is noted for. It’s lovely in wintertime to sip a margarita beside the blazing fire; and, in warmer weather, to enjoy the flower-filled patio terrace. A visit here is more than a tradition for so many New Mexicans. From nachos to flan, this place consistently serves everyday comfort foods of the local cuisine with flair. Chiles rellenos, enchiladas, and tacos have been taken from the kitchen into the dining room as if every day were Sunday dinner in Grandmother’s dining room. If you don’t happen to have an abuelita (grandmother) of your own, here you can at least eat as though you do. This is the place to show visiting family and friends what New Mexico is all about.

Red chiles at Rancho de Chimayo on a snowy spring day.

Rancho de Chimayo Vegetarian Green Chile Sauce

MAKES 3 CUPS SAUCE

Use to smother enchiladas, burritos, omelets, fried eggs, hash brown potatoes, or whatever your heart desires when you crave chile.

4 cups vegetable stock (preferred) or water

2 cups chopped roasted mild to medium-hot New Mexico green chile, frozen or thawed

2 medium-size tomatoes, chopped, or 1 (7.5-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

1 tablespoon minced onion

1 teaspoon garlic salt, or more to taste

2 tablespoons cornstarch, dissolved in an additional 2 tablespoons water

Combine all the ingredients, except the cornstarch mixture, in a large saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the mixture for about 15 minutes and add the cornstarch mixture. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes. The sauce should be reduced by about one-quarter, thickened but quite pourable, with no taste of raw cornstarch.

Rancho de Chimayo Classic Red Chile

MAKES 1 1/2 PINTS CHILE

The mother lode: savory, spicy, and highly addictive. Warms you in winter and cools you in summer.

1/2 pound lean ground beef, coarse grind if available

3/4 cup ground New Mexico red chile powder

2 tablespoons minced onion

1 teaspoon garlic salt, or more to taste

4 cups water

2 tablespoons cornstarch, dissolved in an additional 2 tablespoons of water

Brown the meat in a large, deep skillet over medium heat until all the pink color is gone. Add the chile powder, onion, and garlic salt and stir to combine. Slowly pour the water into the skillet while continuing to stir. Break up any lumps of chile. Bring the sauce to a boil and then lower the heat to a simmer. Cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Mix in the cornstarch mixture and continue to cook for about 5 minutes more. The completed sauce should be reduced by about one-quarter, coat a spoon thickly, and no longer taste of raw cornstarch. If it becomes too thick to spoon easily, add a bit more water.

Red Chiles hung out to dry at Wagner’s in Corrales.

Los Vallecitos Home-Style Red Chile

MAKES 2 TO 3 PINTS CHILE

Hints from Carla: “Your main ingredient is chile. You need to learn to recognize good chile in order to make the best. When shopping for red chile, look for one that is a rich, deep red. This is the chile that will have the best flavor. I prefer chile caribe, which is ground to coarse flakes, not powder. You can purchase chile flakes hot, medium, or mild. You can also make it with chile powder, but be sure it is fresh. Besides chile, you will need a good roast (a chuck roast is a good choice, but any good cut of meat will suffice).

“Red chile is great on everything. You can use it to make enchiladas, smother your fried eggs in the morning, or serve it with your beans and rice. Any way you use it you will love it.”

1 (2- to 3-pound) beef chuck or other roast

Olive or vegetable oil, for sautéing

1 onion, finely chopped

About 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

4 garlic cloves

1/3 to 1/2 cup chile caribe (coarse grind)

1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce

Salt

Cover the roast with water in a large kettle and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat to low and simmer the meat for 2 to 3 hours, until it is tender enough to come apart with a fork. Remove the meat from the broth and let both the meat and broth cool. Once the meat is cool, shred it by pulling it apart with your fingers.

In a large skillet, heat the oil and sauté the chopped onion. Then stir in the meat, allow the meat to brown a bit, then add the flour and brown slightly. Remove from the heat and set aside.

In a blender, blend 2 cups of the cooled broth with the garlic, the chile caribe, and the tomato sauce. Blend until the chile is liquefied. Slowly pour into the skillet with the meat and return the pan to a simmer. Add some more of the broth to make a nice gravy. Salt to taste.

La Posta de Mesilla Chile Colorado con Carne Stew

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

A classic New Mexico dish that satisfies like nothing else. Serve with beans and fresh tortillas for a true feast.

For the red chile sauce:

12 dried red chile pods

2 cups water

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons lard or vegetable oil

1 teaspoon all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

For the pork (carne):

2 pounds lean pork loin, cut into bite-size pieces

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon garlic powder or fresh garlic

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup water

Prepare the sauce: Wash the chile pods, removing the stems and seeds. Bring the chile pods and water to a boil, lower the heat to low and allow to simmer for 10 minutes or longer. Pour the chile mixture into a blender along with the garlic and liquefy. Strain the sauce into a bowl through a colander or sieve. Heat the lard until quite hot in a large skillet, then add the flour and stir quickly until light brown—do not let the flour mixture burn or stick. Pour into the chile sauce and stir until thickened. Add salt, and more water, if needed, for a thinner sauce. Bring to a boil and then simmer for about 5 minutes to blend the flavors.

Prepare the pork: Cook the pork in the oil in a large pot over high heat until browned and thoroughly cooked. If the meat is fatty, pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat. Add the flour, garlic, oregano, cumin, and salt, mixing well, and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the water and red chile sauce, mixing well, and bring all the ingredients to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat and continue to simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Chile con carne should be the consistency of a hearty stew.

WALATOWA VISITOR CENTER

“Walatowa” means “this is the place” in Towa, and if you are interested in Native American history and culture, and Jemez Pueblo in particular, this is the place to visit. Located on NM 4 approximately one hour northwest of Albuquerque (55 miles) and one hour and twenty minutes southwest of Santa Fe, the Visitor Center offers traditional oven bread-baking demonstrations as well as a small museum documenting the history of the Pueblo and a pottery tradition that stretches back to prehistory. The nearby contemporary Pueblo is home to 3,500 tribal members; at the time of Spanish contact in 1541, 30,000 dwelled in a string of small villages in this red rock Cañon de San Diego area.

The hornos (adobe beehive ovens), seen everywhere, are first heated with a wood fire as preparation for baking. When the oven is hot enough, the ashes are swept out, and yeasted round loaves that have risen overnight are placed inside to bake in the radiant heat emanating from the adobe walls. This heat produces a crusty, airy loaf with a slight sourdough flavor. Oven pies are another tasty oven-baked tradition. These are squares the size of a Danish that may be filled with prune, apricot, apple, or other fruit. Such rustic delicacies may be available at the Visitor Center, or at small roadside stands.

Across from the Visitor Center, on late summer and fall weekends, try fresh fry bread made to order and served either sweet or savory. It may be dusted with powdered sugar or slathered with honey, or doused with native red chile, fried meat, lettuce, tomato and onion in what is called a “Navajo Taco.”

The Jemez Pueblo is largely self-sustaining, growing its corn, chile, squash, and other crops as well as tending its cattle and sheep. The origins of this oven are Moorish, and this design was brought from Spain.

Young dancer at Walatowa Pueblo Festival.

Valerie Pecos’s Oven Bread for the Kitchen Oven

MAKES 5 GENEROUS ROUND LOAVES

The aroma of wood smoke may be lacking, but you can emulate Native American oven bread in your own oven at home.

10 pounds all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon salt, divided

1 pound lard, or 1 cup canola oil

2 teaspoons active dry yeast

4 cups warm water, plus more if needed

Vegetable oil or shortening, for pans

In a 5-gallon bowl or clean bucket, sprinkle the flour with 1 1/2 teaspoons of the salt and mix with the lard. Place the warm water in a bowl and sprinkle the yeast and the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt on top. Mix in the yeast until dissolved. Wait a few minutes until it bubbles. Pour the yeast mixture over the flour mixture. Mix the dough by hand until smooth, adding a little water, if necessary. Cover the dough with a clean towel. Let rise for at least 5 hours.

Preheat the oven to 325° to 350°F (depending on your altitude) and grease large cookie sheets well. Shape the risen dough into five balls. Place on the prepared pans and bake for 45 minutes until the tops of the loaves are golden brown and a tester inserted into the center of a loaf comes out clean. Remove from the pans with a wide spatula and allow to cool on wire racks.

When the horno is hot enough Valerie Pecos, in pink, with her mother and sister, quickly fill it with bread and rolls to bake.

Love Apple Corn Bread

MAKES ABOUT 18 MUFFINS

Crumbly, melt-in-your-mouth tender, with a note of sweetness, this corn bread is irresistible.

Butter, for pans

1 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups cornmeal

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/3 teaspoons baking powder

3 large eggs

3/4 cup milk

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup (1 stick, 4 ounces) melted butter

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter eighteen muffin pan cups.

Mix the dry and wet ingredients separately, then combine both in one bowl.

Fill the prepared muffin cups three-quarters full and bake for 25 minutes.

GoGo’s Nativo wheat.

Green Tractor Farm Upside-Down Corn Bread

MAKES 1 (8-INCH) CORN BREAD

Serve hot with honey butter and preserves.

3 tablespoons + 1/4 cup olive oil, divided

2 to 3 Sandia chiles, roasted, peeled, seeded, and chopped

1/3 cup chopped onion

1 cup cornmeal

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon sugar

1 large egg, beaten

1 cup unsweetened soy milk, cow’s milk, or a mixture of milk and yogurt

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Put the 3 tablespoons of oil in an 8-inch cast-iron skillet and rub the skillet walls with the oil. Heat the skillet over medium heat, and add the chiles and onion. Cook gently until they begin to brown. Lower the heat to very low and let the mixture continue to cook while you prepare the batter.

Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk together the egg and soy milk in a separate bowl, adding the remaining 1/4 cup of oil. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix quickly, just enough to combine.

Spread the chile mixture evenly over the skillet bottom. Pour the batter into the skillet and bake for about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out dry. Let cool, then run a knife around the edges of the skillet to loosen the bread. Quickly invert the skillet onto a plate or wooden cutting board to remove the corn bread.

Baking over the camp fire.

SHARON NIEDERMAN

The Porch Corn Oat Muffins

MAKES 12 MUFFINS

Hearty enough to load with butter and jam for a filling breakfast, these muffins also pair well with a steaming bowl of homemade chicken vegetable soup at lunchtime.

Nonstick spray (optional)

1 cup nonfat buttermilk

1 cup yellow cornmeal

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

1 cup egg substitute

3 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Spray twelve muffin pan cups with nonstick spray or line with muffin liners.

Combine the buttermilk, cornmeal, and oats in a bowl; let stand for 1 hour. Add the egg substitute, brown sugar, and oil; mix well.

Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl; make a well in center of the mixture. Add the buttermilk mixture to the dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened. Take care not to overmix. Spoon into the prepared muffin cups. Bake for 20 minutes.

CHEF DAVE HARKNESS—CAST IRON COOKIE

Sourdough Secrets

Says Dave, “I am often asked about sourdough, so here goes:

“Sourdough starter is a biological leavening comprised of wild yeast colonies growing in a medium of flour and water. Yeast as a plant feeds on bacteria in the starter and then produces alcohol and carbon dioxide, which in turn acts as the leavening agent to give rise to the dough.

“You can begin your own starter by mixing equal amounts of flour and water in a bowl and leaving it exposed to the air (best done in a warm in a kitchen), to capture the wild yeast spores that are floating about. Stir the starter every eight hours or so, and within a few days it should start to develop bubbles (CO_2), and you can then begin to feed it equal amounts of flour and water for two or three days. You can store it in a wooden or ceramic crock with a lid, or even a glass or plastic lidded container. Unrefrigerated, it will require feeding every week to ten days; refrigerated, it can go a month or more. The liquid you find on top after a time is alcohol. You may pour it off, or mix it back into the starter as it will simply cook off when baked and imparts no flavor.

“I have a starter that dates back to 1847 and have kept it going for the last fifteen years in my refrigerator. Carl Griffith (now deceased) provides the following history of how he acquired it:

‘All I know is that it started west in 1847 from Missouri. I would guess with the family of Dr. John Savage, as one of his daughters (my great-grandmother) was the cook. It came on west and settled near Salem, Oregon. Doc Savage’s daughter met and married my great-grandfather on the trail and they had ten children. It was passed on to me though my parents when they passed away. I am seventy-six years old, so that was some time ago. I first learned to use the starter in a Basque sheep camp when I was ten years old as we were setting up a homestead in the Steens Mountains in southeastern Oregon. A campfire has no oven, so the bread was baked in a Dutch oven in a hole in the ground in which we had built a fire, placed the oven, scraped in the coals from around the rim, and covered with dirt for several hours. I used it later making bread in a chuck wagon on several cattle drives—again in southeastern Oregon. Considering that the people at that time had no commercial starter for their bread, I do not know when it was caught from the wild or where, but I do know when it was exposed to many wild yeasts since and personally I like it.’ ”

Dave Harkness’s Black Pot Sourdough Biscuits

MAKES 8 TO 12 BISCUITS

If you have ever been curious about sourdough baking, here is a good place to begin.

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup bacon fat or leaf lard

1 cup sourdough starter

1/3 cup canned evaporated milk

Using thirty hot charcoal briquettes, preheat an ungreased lidded Dutch oven to 450°F, placing twenty coals on top and ten on the bottom; alternatively, preheat a conventional oven to 450°F.

Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl and toss to mix. Rub in the fat until it looks like coarse meal.

In a small bowl, add the evaporated milk to the sourdough starter, then add to the larger bowl and quick-mix with a fork until moist. Do not overmix.

Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured board, and then pat into a 10-inch circle.

Cut eight to twelve biscuits and place them in the bottom of the Dutch oven or on an ungreased baking sheet, if using a conventional oven. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown.

Note: Sourdough starters are very slow in rising, taking up to twenty-four hours to double a dough, so many bread and biscuit recipes also use baking soda or baking powder to improve the leavening.

Dave Harkness at the San Ysidro Blessing of the Fields.

Sourdough starters develop flavors unique to the geographic area in which they are grown due to the difference in the bacteria common to that area. San Francisco starter has a very distinct flavor, which will change completely if relocated to, say, Las Cruces, New Mexico.

Flour dough used as chinking in a log cabin over a hundred years ago was rehydrated and the yeast began to grow again. As it turns out, you can dehydrate starter and keep it almost indefinitely.

Dave Harkness’s Pan de Horno (Oven Bread)

MAKES 2 TYPICAL-SIZE BREAD LOAVES OR 8 SMALL, ROUND LOAVES

This recipe is used to produce the bread baked in an adobe horno for the Fiesta de San Ysidro Blessing of the Fields at the New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum in Las Cruces. The basic ingredients, methods, baking temperatures and times should work well in any conventional gas or electric oven, but there no is real way to substitute for the unique textures and flavors, and the special experience of baking bread in a horno.

2 teaspoons active dry yeast

Pinch of granulated sugar

1/2 cup + 1 1/2 cups warm water, divided

1/2 cup softened lard (weak of heart may substitute margarine or shortening)

1 tablespoon salt

1/2 cup brown or raw sugar

1/2 cup stone-ground whole wheat flour

1/2 cup rye flour

6 cups sifted all-purpose flour

Dissolve the yeast and granulated sugar in the 1/2 cup of warm water and set aside to proof.

In a large ceramic bowl, combine the lard, salt, brown sugar, and the proofed yeast; add the remaining 1 1/2 cups of warm water and mix well.

Bread baked by Dave, right, is offered to the community after their blessing ceremonies.

Add the whole wheat and rye flours to the wet ingredients and mix vigorously for a minute to develop gluten.

Add up to 6 cups of the all-purpose flour incrementally to develop the dough, turn out onto a floured surface, and knead in the remaining flour as required to make a smooth and soft but firm dough.

Knead the dough by hand for 8 to 10 minutes, place it in a greased bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour.

Punch down the dough, let rest for 10 minutes, then divide and shape into two large loaves or eight small ones. Place in greased 9 x 5-inch loaf pans or on greased baking sheets and cover with a damp cloth to rise for 1 hour.

To bake in a conventional oven, arrange the pans on oven racks in a cold oven, set the temperature for 400°F, and bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350°F for 30 minutes, or until the top is well browned. (Avoid constant opening of the oven to check on the bread.) When done, turn out the loaves onto a cooling rack and cover with a damp cloth until cooled.

To bake in an adobe horno, fire the horno with clean, dry wood for a minimum of 3 hours, with the door and smoke-hole left open. Remove all wood coals and ash with a shovel and clean the floor of the oven with a broom or wet mop.

Replace the smoke-hole rock and allow the oven to cool to about 450°F. Experience is more reliable than thermometers.

Using a wooden peel, arrange the bread pans on the floor of the oven, and wrap the backside of the wooden oven door with a burlap bag soaked in water and set in the oven opening.

Using the peel, check the loaves after 10 minutes and reposition, if necessary, to promote even baking. The bread should be baked in 25 minutes. Remove with the peel and allow to cool on cooling racks.

PIE-O-NEER CAFÉ

Perched alongside the high, lonesome, two-lane blacktop strung between Socorro, New Mexico, and Springerville, Arizona, is a dry, windy spot in the road officially named “Pie Town.” The place got its name about a hundred years ago when the resident homesteaders, led by Clyde Norman, learned they could make it through their tough times by selling pies to cowboys driving cattle to the railhead at Magdalena along what was then known as the “Hoof Highway.”

Although it is a fairly long drive from pretty much any direction, with not much to see but the big sky and the rolling plains of San Augustin, if you love homemade pie, you owe yourself a pilgrimage to the Pie-o-Neer Café. There, for the past couple of decades, pie maestra Kathy Knapp has held court dishing out slices of her towering coconut cream, green chile apple, and juicy berry pies.

It’s hard to know whether Kathy started out as an entertaining personality who happened to find her right place, or whether she evolved into her true self when she donned her chef’s toque. At any rate, you can expect a cheerful greeting and a memorable story when you strike up a conversation with her. She is always happy to talk pie. She claims to serve the best pie in our universe, and so far, no one has proved her wrong.

A big woodstove in the center of the authentically rustic café provides heat, and Kathy provides the tasty treats. Homemade-from-scratch breakfast and lunch are also served. Travelers taking the slow road, Highway 60, cross-country, hikers, and bikers amble in and mix with the locals. Beware: hours can be sporadic, particularly during the slow season, so call in advance. Another warning: The pies are so delicious you’ll probably want to take home a whole one, but Kathy needs 48-hour notice to prepare one to go.

As long as Kathy Knapp is in the kitchen of the Pie-O-Neer Café, pie will be served on the Continental Divide. Here she shares with us several of her favorite pie fillings.

Stop sign in front of the Pie-O-Neer Café.

Kathy Knapp, Pie Lady of Pie Town.

PIE-O-NEER CAFÉ PIE MEDLEY

Pie-O-Neer Piecrust

MAKES 5 SINGLE CRUSTS

Piecrust varies from day to day. If it seems too dry, add a little more water.

5 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks, 8 ounces) butter

3/4 cup lard

1 egg

1 teaspoon vinegar

Cold water

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Cut in the butter and lard until the mixture resembles peas. Break an egg into a liquid measuring cup. Add the vinegar to the egg, then add cold water to make 1 cup. Beat slightly with a fork. Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients, stirring lightly with a fork until just moistened. Lightly form into five equal-size balls. On a floured surface, lightly shape the balls into patties. The dough may be chilled slightly and used right away or frozen in airtight bags for later use. It is easier to work with after freezing.

Pie-O-Neer Chocolate Pecan Pie

MAKES 1 (9-INCH) PIE; SERVES 10

Go ahead and indulge your inner chocoholic with this creamy chocolate confection.

1 (9-inch) single pie crust, prebaked just before filling

3/4 cup chocolate chips (the darker the better)

1 cup light corn syrup or cane syrup

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup (1/2 stick, 4 ounces) unsalted butter, melted

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped pecans

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the warm crust. When melted, spread evenly.

Combine the syrup, brown sugar, melted butter, eggs, vanilla, and salt in a large bowl; whisk until well blended. Stir in the pecans. Pour over the chocolate. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until set, placing a pie shield or strips of aluminum foil over the edges if they start getting too brown.

Transfer the pie to a cooling rack; let cool to room temperature before serving. Or chill, then serve.

Pie-O-Neer Pecan-Oat Pie with Sweet Potatoes

MAKES 2 PIES

Kathy’s spunky personality comes out in her pie fillings. She is not afraid to combine flavors to forge her own distinct taste sensations.

For the sweet potato layer:

2 medium sweet potatoes, baked and peeled

About 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, more or less

Sprinkle of ground nutmeg

2 unbaked pie shells

For the pecan-oat mixture:

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup (2 sticks, 8 ounces) butter, at room temperature

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 cup light Karo syrup

1 cup dark Karo syrup

6 large eggs

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

2 cups pecan pieces, toasted

Prepare the sweet potato layer: Heat the oven to 425°F. Mash the sweet potatoes with the cream and nutmeg. The texture should resemble that of mashed potatoes. Spread in the bottom of the pie shell, filling the shell half-full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the potatoes start to brown.

In the meantime, prepare the pecan-oat mixture: In a large bowl, cream together the sugar and butter. Mix in the salt and spices. Add the syrups and mix well. Gently blend in eggs, one at a time. Do not whip. Stir in the oats.

When the sweet potato layer is baked, cover the potato layer with the pecan pieces, reserving a sprinkle for the top.

Lower the oven temperature to 350°F. Pour the pecan-oat mixture evenly on top of the pecans in the pie shells, sprinkle with the reserved pecans, and finish baking for 30 to 35 minutes, covering the pie shell edges with aluminum foil or a piecrust shield if they start to get too dark. It can be a little jiggly in the center, but should be golden brown.

Remember, the most important ingredient is L.O.V.E.

Kathy Knapp and all of her pies at Pie Town.

New Mexico Peach Pie with Chiles

MAKES 1 PIE

An inspired way to combine late summer’s chile and peach harvests.

6 to 7 (about 5 cups) large ripe peaches, blanched, peeled, pitted, and sliced

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup brown sugar, or less if peaches are sweet

2 tablespoons tapioca starch (all-purpose flour or cornstarch are fine, instead)

2 tablespoons chopped lemon or orange zest (optional)

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (optional)

Pastry for 1 double-crust pie (here)

1 cup chopped roasted green or red chiles, drained (Autumn Roast is perfect for mixing of colors)

2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces

1 large egg whisked together with 1 tablespoon of water for an egg wash

Sprinkle of decorative or regular sugar

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Place the peach slices in a colander or strainer over larger bowl. Sprinkle with the lemon juice and brown sugar. Mix lightly and let macerate. After a few minutes, set the peaches aside; to the liquid in the bowl, add the tapioca and mix well to ensure it dissolves thoroughly. Gently mix the peaches back into thickened liquid and add the zest and nutmeg, if using.

Roll out the pastry and cut two crusts. Fit the bottom crust into your pie pan. Gently mix the chiles into the peaches and spoon into the bottom crust. Dot with butter. Make a lattice top crust or place the top crust over the peaches and make a small ornamental opening in the crust with a cookie cutter. (Or you can use top crust as is, cutting steam vents with a knife, but this filling begs to be seen!) Using a pastry brush, use the egg wash to seal the top crust to the bottom; seal and flute the edges. Brush the top crust with egg wash and sprinkle with decorative sugar.

Bake for 20 minutes, then lower the oven temperature to 350°F, rotate the pie 180 degrees, and continue to bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the juices are bubbling.

New Mexico Apple Pie with Green Chiles and Pine Nuts

MAKES 1 PIE

The pie lady of Pie Town’s most requested creation.

6 to 7 medium-size apples (We use a mixture of Granny Smith and Fuji/Gala or Braeburn, but any apple, except Red Delicious, will do.)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons ground cinnamon (or more to taste)

2 tablespoons tapioca starch (all-purpose flour or cornstarch are fine, instead)

1 tablespoon chopped lemon zest (optional)

1 cup chopped roasted green chiles, drained (these provide medium heat)

Pastry for 1 double-crust pie (here)

3/4 cup piñon nuts, toasted

1 to 2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces

1 large egg whisked together with 1 tablespoon of water for an egg wash

Sprinkle of decorative or granulated sugar

New Mexico Apple Pie with Green Chiles and Pine Nuts from Pie Town

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Peel, core, and slice the apples. Rinse, then sprinkle with granulated sugar and lemon juice to macerate. Toss with the cinnamon, tapioca, lemon zest, and chiles.

Roll out the pastry and cut two crusts. Fit the bottom crust into your pie pan. Sprinkle half of the piñons on the bottom crust, cover with the apple mixture, and sprinkle the rest of the piñons on top of the apples. Dot with butter. Place the top crust over the apples, seal the edges with the egg wash, and flute the pastry. Cut steam vents in the top crust and brush lightly with egg wash. Sprinkle with decorative sugar, if using.

Bake the pie for 20 minutes, then turn down the oven temperature to 350°F, rotate the pie 180 degrees, and continue to bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the juices begin to bubble.

THE PINK ADOBE

Legend has it that the iconic Santa Fe restaurant, The Pink Adobe, started as a result of necessity being the mother of invention. Over sixty years ago, when Rosalea Murphy found herself divorced with a family to support, she was talking with a friend. “What can I do?” she asked. “You can bake an apple pie,” the friend answered.

Starting out serving hamburgers and apple pie, Rosalea created not only her New Orleans–Southwest fusion restaurant but her reputation as a marvelous cook, cookbook author, and hostess, eventually becoming known as the Grande Dame of Santa Fe.

The Pink Adobe continues in its location in the Analca barrio of Santa Fe, on the Santa Fe Trail, still serving Rosalea’s signature Gypsy Stew, Steak Dunigan, and the blessed French Apple Pie. The Dragon Room bar across the alley still serves fresh popcorn, and “The Pink” continues to charm locals and visitors with the warmth of its fireplaces in winter and the gaily lit patio in warmer months. Although much has come and gone in the years since its founding, “The Pink” remains reliably a place where the old Santa Fe still abides. Santa Fe just wouldn’t be Santa Fe without it.

The Pink Adobe French Apple Pie

MAKES 1 (9-INCH) PIE

This is the favorite dessert at the Pink Adobe. Author’s note: This is the most delicious apple pie I have ever made. As it bakes, it makes its own caramel sauce. When I am lucky, I use tart wild apples I forage in Cimarron Canyon. And I always get requests for the recipe, which The Pink Adobe graciously contributed to this collection from the classic The Pink Adobe Cookbook by Rosalea Murphy.

For the double crust:

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup lard

1 teaspoon salt

6 to 7 teaspoons cold water

For the filling:

1 pound fresh or 1 (16-ounce) can apples, peeled and sliced

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup seedless raisins

1 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup pecans

1/4 cup milk

For the hard sauce:

1/2 cup (1 stick, 4 ounces) butter

1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar

1 tablespoon boiling water

1 teaspoon brandy or rum

Prepare the crust: Preheat the oven to 450°F. In a bowl, work the flour, lard, and salt together with your fingers until crumbly. Add cold water until the dough holds together. Divide into two equal balls. On a floured pastry cloth, roll out one ball thinly enough to line a 9-inch pie tin. Roll out the second ball in the same manner for the top crust.

Prepare the filling: Put the apples in the lined pie tin and sprinkle with the lemon juice, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Spread the granulated sugar and raisins evenly over the apples. Mix together the brown sugar, flour, and butter in a bowl; when well blended, spread over the contents of the pie tin and sprinkle with the pecans. Add two-thirds of the milk and cover with the top crust. Prick the top with a fork and brush the rest of the milk on the pastry.

Bake for 10 minutes, then lower the oven temperature to 350°F and bake for another 30 minutes. The crust should be golden when done.

Prepare the hard sauce: In a bowl, cream the butter until light. Beat in the confectioners’ sugar and add the water. Beat in the brandy and serve on each slice of pie.

1zero6 Blackberry Mascarpone Torte

MAKES 1 (8-INCH) TORTE

Scrumptious alert. Tangy fresh berries take chocolate-coated crust and a creamy cheese layer for a sweet ride across your taste buds.

1 single pie crust (see here), rolled out thinly

8 ounces mascarpone cheese

1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup blackberry jam (optional)

1 cup melted chocolate (optional)

2 pints fresh blackberries

Grated lemon zest of 1 lemon

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a fluted torte pan (with a removable bottom) with the pie crust. weight with pie weights and wrap foil around the edges of the crust to protect it from overbrowning. Bake until light golden and dry, about 20 minutes.

In a bowl, mix together the mascarpone, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla and spread evenly in the crust. If desired, before adding the mascarpone mixture, spread the baked crust with warm blackberry jam or melted chocolate to seal the crust from the moisture that will seep into it from the mascarpone. Arrange the blackberries on top and chill. Just before serving, sprinkle with grated lemon zest. Serve immediately.

Los Poblanos Lavender-Lemon Cupcakes

MAKES 18 CUPCAKES

The subtle flavor of these cupcakes takes well to a light frosting, such as lemon, cream cheese, or buttercream. Garnish with a sprig or two of lavender.

2 cups cake flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 cups lavender sugar (Mix a proportion of 3:1 of granulated sugar with dried or fresh food-safe lavender in a food processor or by hand.)

1/2 cup (1 stick, 4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature

4 large eggs

3/4 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup grated lemon zest

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line eighteen muffin cups with paper liners.

Sift the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda into a medium-size bowl.

Using an electric mixer on medium-low speed, beat the lavender sugar and butter in a large bowl until fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Do not overbeat. Beat in the dry ingredients in three additions alternately with buttermilk in two additions. Beat in the lemon juice and zest.

Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups. Bake until a tester inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 15 to 18 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely before frosting.

Patron Saint of Honey at Mrs. Bobbs’ house in Santa Fe.

RZ Bee’s Apple Honey Cake

MAKES 1 (9 X 12-INCH) CAKE

Apples and honey were made for each other. Here, they pair in a cake that reminds you of an old-fashioned spice cake.

Nonstick cooking spray

1 1/2 cups honey

1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening

2 large eggs

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

4 cups peeled, cored, and diced apples

1 cup chopped walnuts

Whipped cream or chocolate sauce, for serving

For the honey topping:

1/4 cup solid vegetable shortening

1/2 cup honey

1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9 x 12-inch cake pan with nonstick cooking spray. In a bowl, cream together the honey, shortening and eggs. In a separate bowl, sift or mix together the flour, salt, if using, baking soda, nutmeg, and cinnamon; add to the creamed mixture. Stir in the apples and nuts. Bake in the prepared pan for 45 minutes until the cake is set and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean.

Remove the cake from the oven and poke holes in the cake with a large fork.

Prepare the topping: In a small saucepan, bring to a boil the shortening, honey, and salt. Pour the mixture over the pierced cake. Let set and serve warm with whipped cream or chocolate sauce.

MCGINN’S PISTACHIO RANCH

You will be forgiven if you find yourself irresistibly drawn to take a selfie beside the “World’s Largest Pistachio,” an old-time roadside attraction on US 54 outside Alamogordo of a three-story-high stucco nut. But you will not be forgiven if you fail to go inside to sample the scrumptious pistachios flavored with garlic, lime, or chile. A free tour of the orchards will inform you that this part of southern New Mexico, not far from the White Sands National Monument, provides ideal climate and soil for growing pistachios and pecans. In addition to delicious nuts, McGinn’s also sells a mind-boggling array of souvenirs, jams, mustards, pistachio goodies, and its own label wines.

Bikers circle the ‘World’s Largest Pistachio’ at McGinn’s Pistachio Ranch, Alamogordo.

McGinn’s Chocolate Pistachio Bark

MAKES 1 POUND BARK

When wrapped in red or green cellophane and placed in a cookie tin, this sweet-salty candy makes a homey, handmade holiday gift or party offering. Although it keeps well, it’s not likely to stay around for long.

2 cups finely chopped sweetened baking chocolate

3/4 cup chopped dried cranberries

1 cup chopped salted pistachios

1/2 cup chopped pretzel pieces

1/2 teaspoon grated sea salt

Melt the chocolate in a microwave at 30-second intervals at high power until melted, stirring after each 30-second interval until it melts. Do not overheat the chocolate.

Add the cranberries, pistachios, and pretzel pieces and stir.

Spread the chocolate mixture on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle the sea salt over the top.

Let the chocolate set. It may set faster by placing the cookie sheet in the freezer.

Once set, break into pieces and store between layers of parchment or waxed paper.

Pecan Groves in southern New Mexico require periodic flooding.

McGinn’s Pistachio-Cranberry Biscotti

MAKES 3 DOZEN BISCOTTI

Crunchy and great for dipping. A jar of these good keepers wrapped with a red ribbon makes a welcome holiday gift as well.

1/4 cup light olive oil

3/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

2 large eggs

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1 1/2 cups salted or unsalted shelled pistachios

Preheat the oven to 300°F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, mix together the oil and sugar until well blended. Mix in the vanilla and almond extracts, then beat in the eggs. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt, and baking powder. Gradually stir into the egg mixture. Mix in the cranberries and nuts by hand.

Divide the dough in half and form two 12 x 2-inch logs on the prepared cookie sheet.

Bake for 35 minutes, or until the logs are light brown. Remove from the oven, and set aside to cool for 10 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 275°F.

Cut each log on the diagonal into eighteen 3/4-inch-thick slices. Lay slices on their sides on the parchment-covered cookie sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until dry, and let cool.

El Paragua won’t give out their natillas recipe, pictured here, but Snake Ranch Farms shared theirs.

Snake Ranch Farm Natillas

MAKES 6 TO 8 SERVINGS

Heaven probably tastes like this authentic New Mexican comfort food.

4 large eggs, separated

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

3 cups + 1 cup milk, divided

3/4 cup sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

Ground nutmeg, for garnish

Ground cinnamon, for garnish

Place the egg yolks, flour, and 3 cups of the milk in a small mixing bowl; stir to make a smooth paste. Set aside. Place the remaining 1 cup of milk, sugar, and salt in a medium-size saucepan and scald over medium heat. Add the egg mixture to the scalded milk and continue to cook over medium heat until a soft custard consistency is reached. Remove the custard from the heat and let cool to room temperature. Beat the egg whites in a medium-size mixing bowl until they are stiff, but not dry. Fold the egg whites into the custard. Chill; garnish with nutmeg and cinnamon before serving.

Note: As this recipe contains raw egg whites, use eggs from a reliable source to ensure safety.

Farm & Table Lemon-Basil Ice Cream

MAKES 6 SERVINGS

Harvest the surprise herbal ingredient for this delicacy right from your garden.

4 ounces fresh basil, roughly chopped

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

1 quart half-and-half

10 egg yolks

5 ounces sugar

5 ounces honey

Combine the basil, lemon zest, and half-and-half in a medium-size saucepan over medium heat until it comes to a simmer. Let steep for 15 minutes.

Combine the egg yolks, sugar, and honey in a large bowl; using an electric mixer, whip on high speed until the mixture has doubled in size and is a pale yellow, about 2 minutes.

To prevent curdling, gently heat the egg yolks by adding a small amount of the hot half-and-half mixture to the yolks and beating well. Place the custard in the top of a double boiler over high heat and stir constantly until the custard has thickened and coats the back of a spoon, about 10 minutes.

Strain the custard into a clean bowl and place the bowl in an ice bath (a larger bowl of melting ice) until cold.

Chill overnight in the refrigerator and process in an ice-cream machine, following the manufacturer’s directions, the next day.

KAKAWA CHOCOLATE HOUSE

A chocolate lover’s dream come true, Kakawa Chocolate House in Santa Fe is the home of deeply delicious baked goods, sweets, and elixirs. If you’re accustomed to thinking of hot chocolate as a couple of spoons of sugar-sweetened mix stirred into a cup of hot water, think again. This artisanal chocolate shop of worldwide repute will reframe your notions of the depth and complexity of chocolate served in a cup.

Be prepared for surprising spicy subtleties here. The Kakawa menu spans the globe and the centuries to serve chocolate in recreated historical recipes: in its original pre-Columbian form; as it was taken ritually by Meso-American tribal royalty; to how it was drunk in the popular British chocolate houses of the 1700s, where aristocrats gathered; to colonial America as Thomas Jefferson preferred it.

These pure elixirs, flavored with herbs and flowers, are served in blue-and-white demitasse cups. Sipping on the dark, precious brew, you may begin to feel like the third Duke of Tuscany, the gluttonous tyrant Cosimo de’ Medici, who liked to take his chocolate infused with fresh jasmine flowers, amber, musk, vanilla, and ambergris. On the menu you’ll find highly perfumed royal concoctions, such as the Marie Antoinette, Italian Citrus, and French Lavender. In addition to these historical recipes, Kakawa serves its own, original drinking elixirs, including Chai, American, and Modern Mexican.

Kakawa Elixir.

The dark, rich, and chewy brownies—made of organic, alternative flours, sweetened with agave nectar, mixed with local eggs and dairy—are intended to be irresistible. Go wild and crazy with a brownie topped with a scoop of homemade chocolate ice cream.

Kakawa’s one-of-a-kind chocolates include truffles, agave caramels, and solid dark chocolates. Working in small batches, the staff ensures that each piece of chocolate looks as exquisite as it tastes. They have a startling variety of contemporary flavors (including sugar- and dairy-free confections), such as Pomegranate, Chile, Hibiscus Flower, and Mescal. Kakawa also offers classic European-style truffles, such as Rose Orange, Earl Grey, Espresso, and Matcha.

Kakawa Amazing Gluten-Free Espresso Brownies

MAKES 1 (9 X 12-INCH) PAN BROWNIES

These brownies can also be made with all-purpose flour; just eliminate the xanthan gum. At Kakawa these are finished with a glaze of powdered sugar and organic heavy whipping cream, topped with coarsely ground espresso beans. Warning: These brownies are guaranteed to induce a deep chocolate swoon and require the finest ingredients and extra-careful preparation. Worth it!

8 ounces butter (European-style recommended), plus more for pan

8 ounces 72% cacao chocolate (such as Valrhona)

3 ounces 100% cacao chocolate (Valrhona is recommended)

1 1/4 cups gluten-free flour mix (such as Bob’s Red Mill)

1/8 teaspoon xanthan gum

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 tablespoons instant espresso powder

3/4 tablespoon kosher salt

1 1/2 cups sugar (Kakawa uses organic evaporated cane juice)

1/2 cup brown sugar

5 large eggs, at room temperature

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

For the topping:

1/2 to 3/4 cup sifted confectioners’ sugar

3 to 4 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

Coarsely ground espresso beans, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9 x 12-inch baking pan, line it with parchment paper, and butter the paper as well.

Place the chocolate and butter in a medium-size bowl and either carefully melt the mixture in short bursts in the microwave on high or melt slowly over a bain-marie (water bath) in the top of a double boiler on the stovetop. Stir the mixture frequently and be very careful to not burn the chocolate. Once the chocolate and butter are completely melted and stirred together in a homogeneous mixture, remove from the heat and set aside.

Place the flour, xanthan gum, cocoa powder, espresso powder, and salt in a medium-size bowl.

Add the sugars to the chocolate mixture. Whisk to incorporate and try to ensure there are no chunks of sugar remaining. Add three of the eggs to this mixture and whisk to incorporate before whisking in the final two eggs. Stir in the vanilla.

Now add the dry ingredients to the chocolate mixture in two additions, using a large spatula to carefully fold them in. Do not overstir but make sure that the flour mixture is fully incorporated with no big chunks or streaks.

Pour this into the prepared baking pan and bake for 16 minutes, then rotate the pan and bake for 8 to 10 minutes more.

Prepare the topping: Place the confectioners’ sugar in a bowl and whisk in the cream (how much sugar and cream to use will depend on how thick you would like the glaze to be). Whisk vigorously to be sure to fully incorporate the sugar into the cream. You can easily tweak this one direction or the other by adding either more sugar or cream to get the consistency you want. Brush this on immediately with a pastry brush or spread on with an offset spatula. Sprinkle the top with the ground espresso beans and allow this to set up for a half an hour before cutting the brownies.

ROUTE 66 MALT SHOP

The Route 66 Malt Shop is a tiny café on historic Route 66—now Central Avenue in Albuquerque—run by the owner-cook-bottle washers Diane Avila and Eric Szeman. Each detail of the café, from the Wurlitzer jukebox to the maps of the Mother Road to the vintage blenders, is intended to re-create the authentic Route 66 experience. It is the essence of a true mom-and-pop café. Visitors from all over the world out cruising the route find their way here. It serves great classic road food at reasonable prices and has outstanding homemade root beer on tap. The green chile blue cheese burger is the best around and the fries are yumminess on a plate. Wash it all down with a root beer or a freshly squeezed peach limeade. The root beer is brewed on-site, and served up in frosty, ice-cold mugs. Son Andrew is the root beer meister. He concocts each serving with a special blend of distilled sarsaparilla essence, which he says has beneficial medicinal effects. This root beer regularly makes the list of top ten root beers in the United States. PS: Your server will top off your float glass with root beer upon request. It has been termed “the Guinness of root beers.” Sighs of contentment are unavoidable.

To make your own root beer floats, chill 8-ounce mugs in the freezer until frosty. Fill each mug halfway with root beer. Add one scoop of vanilla ice cream and stir. Slowly fill the mug to the brim with additional root beer, gently pouring the root beer down the side of the mug to create a foamy head. Stir again and serve. Refill as needed.

66 Diner neon on Central in Albuquerque.

CALICHE’S

As if dishing out cones of the most delicious frozen custard that’s ever cooled your tongue on a hot July day wasn’t enough of a blessing to this poor tarnished world, Caliche’s, a beloved southern New Mexico drive-in, embellishes its made-fresh-every-hour custard with the spicy flavors of the region, pairing sweet and hot. Caliche’s specialties include a green chile sundae, vanilla custard topped with green chile marmalade, cherry chipotle sundae, habanero lime shake, chipotle pineapple shake, and much, much more.

Local pistachios and pecans team well with the hot fudge and green chile topping. And don’t forget your best friend. Caliche’s serves a specially designed Poochie Cone your pup will love you for. Iced coffee treats and Nathan’s hot dogs make Caliche’s impossible to pass up. On a hot summer night, it’s like the old days, with the convertibles, tops down, parked in the neon lights of this delightful drive-in with three locations in southern New Mexico—two in Las Cruces, and one in Alamogordo.

Caliche’s Green Chile Sundae

The best way to taste this treat is to travel to Las Cruces. If you are trying to re-create it at home, dish up the creamiest vanilla ice cream you can find and top it with sweet green chile marmalade and a small handful of chopped pecans. A layer of hot fudge between the ice cream and the marmalade won’t hurt.

Hot homemade tortilla at El Paragua. Best very hot and very fresh.

Measurement Conversion Tables

The following tables provide equivalents for US and metric (international) units of measure. Values have been rounded up or down to the nearest whole number.

VOLUME

US

Metric

1 teaspoon

5 milliliters

1 tablespoon

15 milliliters

1/4 cup

59 milliliters

1/3 cup

79 milliliters

1/2 cup

118 milliliters

3/4 cup

177 milliliters

1 cup

237 milliliters

4 cups (1 quart)

.95 liter

1.06 quarts

1 liter

4 quarts (1 gallon)

3.8 liters

WEIGHT

Ounces

Grams

1/2

14

1

28

8

224

12

336

16 (1 pound)

448

COMMON BAKING INGREDIENTS

Ingredient

Ounces

Grams

1 cup all-purpose flour

5

142

1 cup cake flour

4

113

1 cup whole wheat flour

5 1/2

156

1 cup granulated (white) sugar

7

198

1 cup packed brown sugar (light or dark)

7

198

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

4

113

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 3

85

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)

4

113

COOKING TEMPERATURE/DEGREES

To convert Fahrenheit to Celsius, subtract 32 degrees from the Fahrenheit temperature, then divide the result by 1.8 to find the Celsius equivalent.

New Mexico Farm Table Cookbook Directory

B

Bear Mountain Lodge

60 Bear Mountain Ranch Rd.

Silver City, NM 88061

(575) 538-2538

www.bearmountainlodge.com

Black Mesa Winery

1502 NM 68

Velarde, NM 87582

(505) 852-2820

www.blackmesawinery.com

Black Range Lodge

119 Main St.

Kingston, NM 88042

(575) 895-5652

www.blackrangelodge.com

Boxcar Farm

PO Box 20

Llano, NM 87543

(575) 770-9868

www.boxcarfarm.com

Buckhorn Tavern

68 U.S. 380

San Antonio, NM 87832

(575) 835-4423

www.buckhornburgers.com

C

Caffe Greco

233 Canyon Rd.

Santa Fe, NM 87501

(505) 820-7996

www.caffegrecosantafe.com

Café Lush

700 Tijeras Ave. NW

Albuquerque, NM 87102

(505) 508-0164

www.cafelushabq.com

Café Pasqual

121 Don Gaspar Ave.

Santa Fe, NM 87501

(505) 983-9340

www.pasquals.com

Caliche’s

590 S. Valley Dr.

Las Cruces, NM 88005

(575) 647-5066

www.caliches.com

Coon Ridge Organic Goat Cheese Dairy

www.coonridge.com

Curious Kumquat

111 E College Ave.

Silver City, NM 88061

(575) 534-0337

www.curiouskumquat.com

D

Dave Harkness

Dutch oven and historic foodways demonstrator and teacher

(575) 522-1877

www.nmmonuments.org or call (575) 526-8911

Dixon Co-op

215 NM 75

Dixon, NM 87527

(505) 579-9625

www.dixonmarket.com

E

Epazote

86 Old Las Vegas Hwy.

Santa Fe, NM 87505

(505) 982-9944

www.epazotesantafe.com

F

Farm & Table

8917 4th St. NW

Albuquerque, NM 87114

(505) 503-7124

www.farmandtablenm.com

G

Green Tractor Farm

La Cienega, NM 87505

greentractorfarmer@gmail.com

www.greentractorfarm.com

H

Hotel St. Bernard

112 Sutton Pl.

Taos Ski Valley, NM 87525

(575) 776-2251

www.stbernardtaos.com

I

Il Piatto

95 W. Marcy St.

Santa Fe, NM 87501

(505) 984-1091

www.ilpiattosantafe.com

J

Johnny Vee (Vollertsen)

181 Paseo de Peralta

Santa Fe, NM 87501

Las Cosas Cooking Shoppe & Cooking School

505-988-3394

www.chefjohnnyvee.com

K

Kakawa Chocolate House

1050 Paseo de Peralta

Santa Fe, NM 87501

(505) 982-0388

www.kakawachocolates.com

L

La Fonda on the Plaza

La Plazuela at La Fonda

100 E. San Francisco St.

Santa Fe, NM 87501

(505) 995-2334

www.lafondasantafe.com/dining-and-entertainment

La Posta de Mesilla

2410 Calle de San Albino

Mesilla, NM 88046

(575) 524-3524

www.laposta-de-mesilla.com

Lodge at Cloudcroft

1 Corona Pl.

Cloudcroft, NM 88317

(800) 395-6343

www.thelodgeresort.com

Los Vallecitos Meats and Produce

County Road B030

Cleveland, NM 87715

(575) 387-5030

Love Apple

800 Paseo del Pueblo Norte

Taos, NM 87571

(575) 751-0050

www.theloveapple.com

M

McGinn’s Pistachio Tree Ranch

7320 U.S. 54

Alamogordo, NM 88310

(575) 437-0602

www.pistachioland.com

Mountain View Farm/Mountain View Market Co-Op

1300 El Paseo Rd.

Las Cruces, NM 88001

(575) 523-0436

www.mountainviewmarket.com

N

New Mexico CowBelles

www.newmexicocowbelles.com

O

Old Town Farm Bike-in Coffee

949 Montoya St. NW

Albuquerque, NM 87104

(505) 764-9116

www.oldtownfarm.com

1zero6

106 N. Texas St.

Silver City, NM 88061

(575) 313-4418

www.1zero6-jake.blogspot.com

P

Pie-O-Neer Café

U.S. 60

Pie Town, NM 87827

(575) 772-2711

www.pieoneer.com

The Pink Adobe

406 Old Santa Fe Trail

Santa Fe, NM 87501

(505) 983-7712

www.thepinkadobe.com

Los Poblanos Historic Inn and Organic Farm

4803 Rio Grande Blvd. NW

Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, NM 87107

(505) 344-9297

www.lospoblanos.com

The Porch

636 E. 9th St.

Cimarron, NM 87714

(575) 376-2228

www.theporch.qwestoffice.net

R

RZ’s Bees

San Juan Pueblo, NM 87566

(505) 852-4196

www.santafefarmersmarket.com/vendors/rzs-bees

Rancho de Chimayo

300 Santa Fe County Rd. 98

Chimayo, NM 87522

(505) 351-4444

www.ranchodechimayo.com

Romero Farms

300 State Highway 75

Dixon, NM 87527

Phone: (505) 579-0071

www.mattromerofarms.com

Route 66 Malt Shop

3800 Central Ave. SE

Albuquerque, NM 87108

(505) 242-7866

www.route66maltshop.com

S

Salman’s Raspberry Ranch

NM 518 Buena Vista, NM 87712

(866) 281-1515

www.salmanraspberryranch.com

Santa Fe Brewing Company

35 Fire Pl.

Santa Fe, NM 87508

(505) 424-3333

www.santafebrewing.com

Santa Fe Farmers’ Market

1607 Paseo De Peralta #1

Santa Fe, NM 87501

(505) 983-4098

www.santafefarmersmarket.com

Schwebach Farm

807 Martinez Rd.

Moriarty, NM 87035

(505) 832-6171

www.schwebachfarm.com

Shepherd’s Lamb

P.O. Box 307

Tierra Amarilla, NM 87575

(575) 588-7792

www.organiclamb.com

Snake Ranch Farm Store

San Antonio Market

88 Highway 380

San Antonio, NM 87832

(575) 835-2839

www.sichlerchile.com/SnakeRanchFarmStores

Skarsgard Farms

3435 Stanford Dr. NE

Albuquerque, NM 87107

(505) 681-4060

www.skarsgardfarms.com

Sugar Nymphs Bistro

15046 NM 75

Peñasco, NM 87553

(575) 587-0311

www.sugarnymphs.com

Go local at Albuquerque’s Route 66 Malt Shop with a homemade root beer float.

T

Terra Restaurant Santa Fe

Four Seasons Resort Rancho Encantado Santa Fe

198 State Road 592

Santa Fe, NM 87506

(505) 946-5700

www.fourseasons.com/santafe/dining/restaurants/terra

W

Walatowa Visitor Center

7413 Hwy 4

Jemez Pueblo, New Mexico 87024

(575) 834-7235

www.jemezpueblo.com

Index

Page numbers listed correspond to the print edition of this book. You can use your device’s search function to locate particular terms in the text.

Note: Page numbers in italics refer to recipe photographs.

A

Amaranth Greens, Stir-Fried, Mountain View Farm, 97

Apple(s)

Granny Smith, and Fennel Salad with Lemon Zest Vinaigrette, Café Pasqual’s, 80, 80

Honey Cake, RZ Bee’s, 181

Pie, French, The Pink Adobe, 174–76, 175

Pie with Green Chiles and Pine Nuts, New Mexico, 172–73, 173

Salman’s Raspberry Ranch Fruit Salad, 91

Asparagus Soup, Creamy, The Porch, 55

B

Bacon

Farm & Table Loaded Baked Potato Soup, 54

Red Chile Aioli, Café Lush BLT with, 36

Smoked, Green Chile, Macaroni and Cheeses, Terra Gratin of, 92, 93

Snake Ranch Jalapeño Hot Poppers, 71

Basil-Lemon Ice Cream, Farm & Table, 185

Bean(s)

Caffe Greco Frito Pie, 107

cooking tips, 65

Green Tractor Farm Chopped Salad with Chickpeas, 86

Pot, Schwebach Farm Fiesta, 76

Soup, Schwebach Farm Ive’s, 65

Sugar Nymphs Zuni Stew, 49

Beef

Caffe Greco Frito Pie, 107

Curious Kumquat Braised Oxtails, 137

Fajitas Los Vallecitos Style, 104

Los Poblanos Seared Rib Eye with Béarnaise Sauce, 121

Los Vallecitos Home-Style Red Chile, 155

New Mexico CowBelles Coca-Cola Brisket, 141

Rancho de Chimayo Classic Red Chile, 153

Santa Fe Brewing Company Beer-Marinated Carne Asada with Ancho Chile Salsa, 135

Schwebach Farm Ive’s Bean Soup, 65

Stew, Dutch Oven, with Wheat Berries, Dave Harkness’s, 144

Beet(s)

Baby, Roasted, Chard, and Caramelized Onion Tart, 30–31

Salt-Baked, Curious Kumquat, 100, 101

Biscotti, Pistachio-Cranberry, McGinn’s, 183

Biscuits, Sourdough, Dave Harkness’s Black Pot, 164

Blackberry Mascarpone Torte, 1zero6, 176, 177

Blueberry or Fresh Corn Ricotta Pancakes, Bear Mountain Lodge, 32–33

Bread Pudding, Decadent Breakfast, Black Range Lodge, 39

Breads

Café Lush Custardy French Toast with Lush Dust, 35–36

Corn, Love Apple, 160

Corn, Upside-Down, Green Tractor Farm, 161

Dave Harkness’s Black Pot Sourdough Biscuits, 164

Dave Harkness’s Pan de Horno (Oven Bread), 165, 165–66

Oven, for the Kitchen Oven, Valerie Pecos’s, 159

The Porch Corn Oat Muffins, 162

Brownies, Espresso, Kakawa Amazing Gluten-Free, 187

Buffalo Adovado Empanadas, 116–18, 117

C

Cakes

Apple Honey, RZ Bee’s, 181

Pound, French Toast, Los Poblanos, 28, 29

Chard

Roasted Baby Beet, and Caramelized Onion Tart, 30–31

Sautéed, with Farm-Fresh Eggs, Farmer Monte’s, 40

Swiss, with Lentils, Mountain View Farm, 97

Cheese

Bear Mountain Lodge Fresh Corn or Blueberry Ricotta Pancakes, 32–33

Bike In Quiche Babies, 74

Black Mesa Winery Blue Corn Polenta, 42

Caffe Greco Frito Pie, 107

Coonridge Goat, Quesadilla, 69

Farm & Table Loaded Baked Potato Soup, 54

Farm & Table Rustic Quinoa Salad, 81

Il Piatto Pumpkin Ravioli with Brown Sage Butter, Pine Nuts and Parmesan, 114–15

La Fonda Sopa de Tortilla, 46

La Posta de Mesilla Chiles Rellenos, 125, 125

Matt and Emily Romero’s Eggplant Sandwich, 98 1zero6 Blackberry Mascarpone Torte, 176, 177

Salman’s Raspberry Ranch Fruit Salad, 91

Smoked Bacon, Green Chile, and Macaroni, Terra Gratin of, 92, 93

Snake Ranch Jalapeño Hot Poppers, 71

Three-Pepper Chile con Queso, 70

Chicken

Honey Oven-Baked BBQ, RZ’s Bees, 123

La Fonda Sopa de Tortilla, 46

New Mexico CowBelles Arroz con Pollo, 141 1zero6 Pollo Rojo, 134

Paillard of, Il Piatto, 112, 113

Poached, in Coconut Milk, Linda’s Summertime Bear Mountain Lodge, 136

Vertical-Roasted, Café Pasqual’s, 119–20

Chile Colorado con Carne Stew, La Posta de Mesilla, 156

Chile(s)

Bike In Quiche Babies, 74

Black Range Lodge Salsa, 66, 67

Caffe Greco Frito Pie, 107

Epazote New Mexican Mole, 150, 151

Fresh Poblano, Vinaigrette, The Lodge at Cloudcroft, 149

Green, and Pine Nuts, New Mexico Apple Pie with, 172–73, 173

Green, Sauce, Rancho de Chimayo Vegetarian, 153

Green, Stew, Café Pasqual’s, 59

Green, Stew, Shepherd’s Lamb, 60

Green Tractor Farm Hot Pepper Vinegar, 147

Green Tractor Farm Upside-Down Corn Bread, 161

La Posta Mesilla Valley Cucumber Jalapeño Margarita, 126, 127

Matt and Emily Romero’s Eggplant Sandwich, 98

New Mexico CowBelles Arroz con Pollo, 141

New Mexico Peach Pie with, 172

1zero6 Pollo Rojo, 134

Red, Classic, Rancho de Chimayo, 153

Red, Los Vallecitos Home-Style, 155

Red, Mole, Oaxacan, 110

Red, Sauce, 156

Rellenos, La Posta de Mesilla, 125, 125

Santa Fe Brewing Company Spicy Ancho Salsa, 72

Snake Ranch Farm Calabacitas, 94

Snake Ranch Jalapeño Hot Poppers, 71

Three-Pepper Chile con Queso, 70

Tomato-Serrano Salsa, 132, 133

Chocolate

Café Lush Custardy French Toast with Lush Dust, 35–36

Epazote New Mexican Mole, 150, 151

Kakawa Amazing Gluten-Free Espresso Brownies, 187

Pecan Pie, Pie-O-Neer, 169

Pistachio Bark, McGinn’s, 182

Chowder, Corn, Sugar Nymphs, 50

Coffee

Dave Harkness’s Red-Eyed Speckly Gravy, 150

Kakawa Amazing Gluten-Free Espresso Brownies, 187

Corn

boiling, 77

Chowder, Sugar Nymphs, 50

Farmers’ Market Balsamic Grilled Vegetables, 88

Fresh, or Blueberry Ricotta Pancakes, Bear Mountain Lodge, 32–33

grilling, 77

Los Poblanos Seared Rib Eye with Béarnaise Sauce, 121

Love Apple Baked Tamales with Oaxacan Mole, 109

Sauté, Schwebach Farm, 76

Snake Ranch Farm Calabacitas, 94

Sugar Nymphs Zuni Stew, 49

Cornmeal

Black Mesa Winery Blue Corn Polenta, 42

Green Tractor Farm Upside-Down Corn Bread, 161

Love Apple Corn Bread, 160

The Porch Corn Oat Muffins, 162

Toasted Piñon–Dusted Blue Corn Pancakes, 34

Cranberry(ies)

Bear Mountain Lodge Granola, 34

McGinn’s Chocolate Pistachio Bark, 182

-Pistachio Biscotti, McGinn’s, 183

Cucumber(s)

Green Tractor Farm Chopped Salad with Chickpeas, 86

Jalapeño Margarita, La Posta Mesilla Valley, 126, 127

Cumin and Vanilla Bean Vinaigrette, Los Poblanos, 147

Cupcakes, Lavender-Lemon, Los Poblanos, 178, 179

D

Dip. See also Salsas

Three-Pepper Chile con Queso, 70

Dressings

The Lodge at Cloudcroft Fresh Poblano Chile Vinaigrette, 149

Los Poblanos Cumin and Vanilla Bean Vinaigrette, 147

Sesame-Chile, Hotel St. Bernard, 149

Drinks. See Margaritas

Duck Soup Epazote Style, 62, 63

E

Eggplant

Farmers’ Market Balsamic Grilled Vegetables, 88

Sandwich, Matt and Emily Romero’s, 98

Eggs, Farm Fresh, with Sautéed Chard, Farmer Monte’s, 40

Empanadas, Buffalo Adovado, 116–18, 117

Espresso Brownies, Kakawa Amazing Gluten-Free, 187

F

Fajitas, Beef, Los Vallecitos Style, 104

Fennel

and Granny Smith Apple Salad with Lemon Zest Vinaigrette, Café Pasqual’s, 80, 80

Green Tractor Farm Chopped Salad with Chickpeas, 86

Fish

Fresh Grilled Lemon-Mustard Trout, 128

1zero6 Salmon Frontera, 132, 133

French Toast

Custardy, Café Lush, with Lush Dust, 35–36

Los Poblanos Pound Cake, 28, 29

Frito Pie, Caffe Greco, 107

Fruit. See also specific fruits

Crisp, Black Range Lodge, 38

Salad, Salman’s Raspberry Ranch, 91

Santa Fe Brewing Company Spicy Ancho Salsa, 72

G

Grains. See also Cornmeal; Oat(s)

Dave Harkness’s Dutch Oven Beef Stew with Wheat Berries, 144

Farm & Table Rustic Quinoa Salad, 81

New Mexico CowBelles Arroz con Pollo, 141

Granola, Bear Mountain Lodge, 34

Gravy, Dave Harkness’s Red-Eyed Speckly, 150

Greens

Amaranth, Stir-Fried, Mountain View Farm, 97

Chard, Roasted Baby Beet and Caramelized Onion Tart, 30–31

Farmer Monte’s Sautéed Chard with Farm-Fresh Eggs, 40

Farm & Table Rustic Quinoa Salad, 81

Mountain View Farm Swiss Chard with Lentils, 97

Salman’s Raspberry Ranch Fruit Salad, 91

Turnips with, Green Tractor Farm, 87

H

Honey Apple Cake, RZ Bee’s, 181

I

Ice Cream, Lemon-Basil, Farm & Table, 185

L

Lamb

Moroccan-Style Glazed, BBQ, Black Mesa Winery, 106

Roast, Los Vallecitos, 105

Shanks, Slow-Roasted, Shepherd’s Lamb, 110

Shepherd’s Lamb Green Chile Stew, 60

Lavender-Lemon Cupcakes, Los Poblanos, 178, 179

Lemon

-Basil Ice Cream, Farm & Table, 185

-Lavender Cupcakes, Los Poblanos, 178, 179

-Mustard Trout, Fresh Grilled, 128

Lentils with Swiss Chard, Mountain View Farm, 97

M

Margaritas

Cucumber Jalapeño, La Posta Mesilla Valley, 126, 127

Pomegranate, La Posta La Pinta, 127, 127

Meat. See Beef; Lamb; Pork

Mole

New Mexican, Epazote, 150, 151

Oaxacan Red Chile, 110

Muffins, Corn Oat, The Porch, 162

N

Natillas, Snake Ranch Farm, 184, 185

Nuts. See specific nuts

O

Oat(s)

Bear Mountain Lodge Granola, 34

Black Range Lodge Fruit Crisp, 38

Corn Muffins, The Porch, 162

-Pecan Pie with Sweet Potatoes, Pie-O-Neer, 170

Onion(s)

Bike In Quiche Babies, 74

Caramelized, Chard, and Roasted Baby Beet Tart, 30–31

Los Poblanos Pork with Modern Soubise, 122

P

Pancakes

Blue Corn, Toasted Piñon–Dusted, 34

Fresh Corn or Blueberry Ricotta, Bear Mountain Lodge, 32–33

Pasta

Il Piatto Pumpkin Ravioli with Brown Sage Butter, Pine Nuts and Parmesan, 114–15

Terra Gratin of Smoked Bacon, Green Chile, Macaroni and Cheeses, 92, 93

Peach Pie with Chiles, New Mexico, 172

Peas

Farm-Fresh, Boxcar Farm, 95

New Mexico CowBelles Arroz con Pollo, 141

Pecan(s)

Black Range Lodge Fruit Crisp, 38

Chocolate Pie, Pie-O-Neer, 169

Epazote New Mexican Mole, 150, 151

-Oat Pie with Sweet Potatoes, Pie-O-Neer, 170

The Pink Adobe French Apple Pie, 174–76, 175

Salman’s Raspberry Ranch Fruit Salad, 91

Peppers. See also Chile(s)

Beef Fajitas Los Vallecitos Style, 104

Bike In Quiche Babies, 74

Farmers’ Market Balsamic Grilled Vegetables, 88

Green Tractor Farm Chopped Salad with Chickpeas, 86

Il Piatto Paillard of Chicken, 112, 113

Los Poblanos Zucchini Gazpacho, 56

Three- , Chile con Queso, 70

Piecrust, Pie-O-Neer, 169

Pies

Apple, French, The Pink Adobe, 174–76, 175

Apple, with Green Chiles and Pine Nuts, New Mexico, 172–73, 173

Chocolate Pecan, Pie-O-Neer, 169

Frito, Caffe Greco, 107

1zero6 Blackberry Mascarpone Torte, 176, 177

Peach, with Chiles, New Mexico, 172

Pecan-Oat, with Sweet Potatoes, Pie-O-Neer, 170

Pine Nuts

Epazote New Mexican Mole, 150, 151

and Green Chiles, New Mexico Apple Pie with, 172–73, 173

Toasted Piñon–Dusted Blue Corn Pancakes, 34

Pistachio

Chocolate Bark, McGinn’s, 182

-Cranberry Biscotti, McGinn’s, 183

Polenta, Blue Corn, Black Mesa Winery, 42

Pomegranate Margarita, La Posta La Pinta, 127, 127

Pork. See also Bacon

Café Pasqual’s Green Chile Stew, 59

La Posta de Mesilla Chile Colorado con Carne Stew, 156

Los Poblanos, with Modern Soubise, 122

Potato(es)

Café Pasqual’s Green Chile Stew, 59

Dave Harkness’s Dutch Oven Beef Stew with Wheat Berries, 144

Linda’s Summertime Bear Mountain Lodge Poached Chicken in Coconut Milk, 136

Loaded Baked, Soup, Farm & Table, 54

Schwebach Farm Corn Sauté, 76

Shepherd’s Lamb Green Chile Stew, 60

Soup, Italian, Boxcar Farm Katz Family, 52

Sugar Nymphs Corn Chowder, 50

Sweet, Pecan-Oat Pie with, Pie-O-Neer, 170

Poultry. See Chicken; Duck; Turkey

Pudding, Bread, Decadent Breakfast, Black Range Lodge, 39

Pumpkin Ravioli, Il Piatto, with Brown Sage Butter, Pine Nuts and Parmesan, 114–15

Q

Quesadilla, Coonridge Goat Cheese, 69

Quiche Babies, Bike In, 74

Quinoa Salad, Farm & Table Rustic, 81

R

Raisins

Black Range Lodge Decadent Breakfast Bread Pudding, 39

The Pink Adobe French Apple Pie, 174–76, 175

Rice

New Mexico CowBelles Arroz con Pollo, 141

S

Salads

Chopped, with Chickpeas, Green Tractor Farm, 86

Fruit, Salman’s Raspberry Ranch, 91

Granny Smith Apple and Fennel, with Lemon Zest Vinaigrette, Café Pasqual’s, 80, 80

Quinoa, Rustic, Farm & Table, 81

Salmon Frontera, 1zero6, 132, 133

Salsas

Black Range Lodge, 66, 67

Spicy Ancho, Santa Fe Brewing Company, 72

Tomatillo, Creamy, 117, 118

Tomato-Serrano, 132, 133

Sandwiches

Café Lush BLT with Red Chile Bacon Aioli, 36

Eggplant, Matt and Emily Romero’s, 98

Sauces

Béarnaise, 121

Dave Harkness’s Red-Eyed Speckly Gravy, 150

Epazote New Mexican Mole, 150, 151

Los Vallecitos Home-Style Red Chile, 155

Oaxacan Red Chile Mole, 110

Rancho de Chimayo Classic Red Chile, 153

Red Chile, 156

Vegetarian Green Chile, Rancho de Chimayo, 153

Sesame-Chile Dressing, Hotel St. Bernard, 149

Soups. See also Stews

Bean, Schwebach Farm Ive’s, 65

Creamy Asparagus, The Porch, 55

Duck, Epazote Style, 62, 63

Italian Potato, Boxcar Farm Katz Family, 52

La Fonda Sopa de Tortilla, 46

Loaded Baked Potato, Farm & Table, 54

Los Poblanos Zucchini Gazpacho, 56

Sugar Nymphs Corn Chowder, 50

Sourdough Biscuits, Dave Harkness’s Black Pot, 164

Squash. See also Zucchini

Farmers’ Market Balsamic Grilled Vegetables, 88

Il Piatto Pumpkin Ravioli with Brown Sage Butter, Pine Nuts and Parmesan, 114–15

Schwebach Farm Corn Sauté, 76

Sugar Nymphs Zuni Stew, 49

Stews

Beef, Dutch Oven, with Wheat Berries, Dave Harkness’s, 144

Chile Colorado con Carne, La Posta de Mesilla, 156

Green Chile, Café Pasqual’s, 59

Green Chile, Shepherd’s Lamb, 60

Zuni, Sugar Nymphs, 49

Sweet Potatoes

Linda’s Summertime Bear Mountain Lodge Poached Chicken in Coconut Milk, 136

Pecan-Oat Pie with, Pie-O-Neer, 170

T

Tamales, Baked, Love Apple, with Oaxacan Mole, 109

Tart, Chard, Roasted Baby Beet and Caramelized Onion, 30–31

Tequila

La Posta La Pinta Pomegranate Margarita, 127, 127

La Posta Mesilla Valley Cucumber Jalapeño Margarita, 126, 127

1zero6 Salmon Frontera, 132, 133

Tomatillo Salsa, Creamy, 117, 118

Tomato(es)

Black Range Lodge Salsa, 66, 67

Café Lush BLT with Red Chile Bacon Aioli, 36

Il Piatto Paillard of Chicken, 112, 113

Los Poblanos Seared Rib Eye with Béarnaise Sauce, 121

Los Poblanos Zucchini Gazpacho, 56

Oaxacan Red Chile Mole, 110

Schwebach Farm Ive’s Bean Soup, 65

-Serrano Salsa, 132, 133

Sugar Nymphs Zuni Stew, 49

Torte, Blackberry Mascarpone, 1zero6, 176, 177

Tortilla(s)

Coonridge Goat Cheese Quesadilla, 69

Sopa de, La Fonda, 46

Trout, Lemon-Mustard, Fresh Grilled, 128

Turkey, Vertical-Roasted, Café Pasqual’s, 119–20

Turnips with Greens, Green Tractor Farm, 87

V

Vegetables. See also specific vegetables

Balsamic Grilled, Farmers’ Market, 88

Bike In Quiche Babies, 74

Farm & Table Rustic Quinoa Salad, 81

Vinegar, Hot Pepper, Green Tractor Farm, 147

W

Walnuts

Black Range Lodge Fruit Crisp, 38

RZ Bee’s Apple Honey Cake, 181

Wheat Berries, Dutch Oven Beef Stew with, Dave Harkness’s, 144

Z

Zucchini

Farmers’ Market Balsamic Grilled Vegetables, 88

Gazpacho, Los Poblanos, 56

Schwebach Farm Corn Sauté, 76

Snake Ranch Farm Calabacitas, 94

Sugar Nymphs Zuni Stew, 49

People and Places

Note: Page numbers in bold refer to first page of contributed recipes.

A

Austin, Cherie, 53

Avila, Diane, 188

B

Bear Mountain Lodge, 32, 32, 34, 136

Bike In Coffee at Old Town Farm, 73, 74

Black Mesa Winery, 42, 42, 106

Black Range Lodge, 37, 38, 39, 67

Boxcar Farm, 51, 52, 95

Buckhorn Tavern, 138

Burd, Lynda and Jerry, 42

C

Café Lush, 35, 35, 36

Café Pasqual’s, 57, 59, 80, 119

Caffe Greco, 107, 107

Caliche’s, 189, 189

Carswell, Josh, 72, 72

Connelly, Rob, 100

Coonridge, Nancy, 68

Coonridge Dairy, 68, 69

Cooper, Andrew, 92

The Curious Kumquat, 100, 100, 137

D

Dixon Cooperative Market, 30

Docherty, Sandy and Tom, 35

E

Epazote, 62, 62, 150

F

Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum, 144, 144, 165

Farm & Table, 53, 54, 81, 185

Fuchs, Nichole, 97

G

Gomez, Carla, 103

Green Tractor Farm, 82, 86, 87, 147, 161

H

Harkness, Dave, 144, 150, 163, 164, 165

Hart, Jennifer, 108

Holste, Ki, 48

Hotel St. Bernard, 149, 149

I

Il Piatto, 111, 112, 114

J

Jaramillo, Frances, 152

K

Kagel, Katharine, 57, 59

Kakawa Chocolate House, 186, 187

Katz, Avrum, 52

Katz, Kristen Davenport, 51, 52, 95

Katz, Pat, 52, 52

Knapp, Kathy, 167

L

La Fonda Hotel –La Plazuela, 45, 46

La Posta de Mesilla, 124, 125, 127, 156

Las Cosas Cooking School, 116

Leah, Kai Harper, 48

The Lodge Resort and Spa at Cloudcroft, 148, 149

Los Poblanos Historic Inn & Organic Farm, 27, 28, 121, 122, 147, 178

Los Vallecitos Ranch, 103, 104, 105, 155

Love Apple, 108, 109, 110, 160

M

McCormick, Myra and Fred, 32

McGinn’s Pistachio Ranch, 182, 182, 183

McManus, Tim, 149, 149

Meyer, Andrea, 108

Meyer, Jean, 149, 149

Mountain View Market, Farm & Eateries, 96, 97

Murphy, Rosalea, 174

N

New Mexico CowBelles, 140, 141

O

Old Town Farm Bike-In-Coffee, 73, 74

Olea, Fernando, 62

Olguin, Bobby, 138, 138

1zero6, 130, 132, 134, 176

P

Pecos, Valerie, 159

Perno, Jonathan, 27

Pie-o-Neer Café, 167, 169, 170, 172

The Pink Adobe, 174, 174

Politte, Jake, 130

The Porch, 55, 55, 162

R

Rancho de Chimayo, 152, 153

Rebecca’s –The Lodge Resort and Spa at

Cloudcroft, 148, 149

Rembe family, 27

Romero, Matt, 98

Romero Farms, 98, 98

Route 66 Malt Shop, 188

RZ’s Bees, 123, 123, 181

S

Salman’s Raspberry Ranch, 90, 91

Sanchez, Ricardo and Deborah, 123

Santa Fe Brewing Company, 72, 72, 135

Schwebach Farm, 64, 65, 76

Shepherd’s Lamb, 60, 60

Sichler family, 71

Skarsgard Farms, 40, 40

Smith, Sharon, 55

Snake Ranch Farm, 71, 71, 94, 185

Sugar Nymphs Bistro, 48, 49, 50

Szeman, Eric, 188

T

Teresa’s Traveler’s Café, 103

Terra Four Seasons Resort Rancho

Encantado Santa Fe, 92, 92

Thorne, Linda, 73

Tonning, Lanny, 73

V

Vee, Johnny (Vollertsen), 116, 117

W

Walatowa Visitor Center, 158

Wanek, Catherine, 37

Warner, Lane, 45

Y

Yohalem, Matt, 111

Copyright © 2015 by Sharon Niederman

Photographs © 2015 by Kitty Leaken

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages.

Interior photographs by Kitty Leaken unless otherwise specified

BOOK DESIGN BY Michelle Farinella Design

COMPOSITION BY Eugenie S. Delaney

ISBN: 978-1-58157-208-7

ISBN: 978-1-58157-688-7 (e-book)

Published by The Countryman Press, P.O. Box 748, Woodstock, VT 05091

Distributed by W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., 500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110

New Mexico Farm Table Cookbook

The Countryman Press

Woodstock, Vermont

www.countrymanpress.com