The questions with an investment are often: Is this money well spent? What is the likelihood that I’ll get a return? Not all investments, though, are so easily quantified. In this issue of edible, we consider investments in a more holistic sense. Whether exploring investments in ecological health or in labor, what seems to surface again and again is slowness. Good things take time, and time takes memory.
The questions with an investment are often: Is this money well spent? What is the likelihood that I’ll get a return? Not all investments, though, are so easily quantified. In this issue of edible, we consider investments in a more holistic sense. Whether exploring investments in ecological health or in labor, what seems to surface again and again is slowness. Good things take time, and time takes memory.
It’s easy to forget, watching birds forage at the peak of summer, that they may be mapping months into the future. According to Jennifer Ackerman’s The Genius of Birds, a single Clark’s nutcracker might gather thirty thousand pine seeds over the course of a summer, burying them in some five thousand different caches located across many square miles. Squirrels are also scatter hoarders, caching acorns and other treats across many acres near their dens.
At its most elemental, an investment is an act trained on survival. Some of the stories in these pages, like Anna Marija Helt’s tips on drying wild mushrooms and an in-depth feature on the state of New Mexico’s meat market, key into humans’ historic practices for preserving food for the winter and in times of scarcity. Others, like Christie Green’s meditative report on the genius of seed, explore investments in the health of the ecosystems to which humans belong and on whom our long-term future as a species depends. The local heroes featured in this issue also take the long view, whether by investing in local farmers’ capacity to cultivate heritage grains, investing in youth, or investing in the social fabric of their communities.
In life, as in bread, the perfect conditions may never exist. But, these stories suggest, if we invest wisely, not only in infrastructure but in land and in people, we might cultivate communal health without them. Whether it’s the resilience of the Las Vegas restaurant scene and the communities impacted by a disastrous fire season; the resilience of seeds, pollinators, and soils; the resilience of Albuquerque’s Nob Hill; or the resilience of locally rooted supply chains, the ability to recover and adapt results from enduring care.
Kelly J. Torres
Kelly J. Torres is the 2022 Local Hero for Chef, Greater New Mexico. With her husband, Patrick, Torres helms Black Bird Saloon in Los Cerillos, where their menu of exotic yet simply prepared fare draws diners from near and far.
Stir-Fry Sauces
We offer four sauce recipes that you can pair with your stir-frys, use as marinade for your proteins, and continue to riff on as you become more comfortable with the technique. Thai Lime Basil Stir-Fry Sauce This sauce complements proteins like beef and chicken, and...
Veggies and Rice Noodles Stir Fry
Make-It-Your-Own Stir-Fry: Veggies and Rice Noodles—a quick, easy way to utilize the abundant fall produce on hand and get all your nutrients in one meal.
Wild Leaven Bakery
Helmed by husband-and-wife team Andre and Jessica Kempton, Wild Leaven is known for their sourdough bread made with locally grown and milled heirloom grains.
State of the Meat Market
Briana Olson explores the state of New Mexico’s meat market after the pandemic made the shortage of small-scale processors even more painful for producers.
Second Street Brewery
President and brewmaster Rod Tweet reflects on Second Street’s journey from a start-up in New Mexico’s fledgling brewery scene to an expansive operation supplying retailers throughout the state.
Grab and Glow: Made with Love at Mata G
Our fall issue shines the spotlight on Mata G Vegetarian Kitchen, a grab-and-go restaurant in Albuquerque’s Nob Hill that serves freshly made, globally inspired meatless meals and snacks.
Youthworks Social Justice Kitchen
YouthWorks staff share how this Santa Fe–based organization has expanded to include a youth culinary training program that not only provides mentorship and opportunity to young people but also serves the local community.
Something Special in Las Vegas
In “Something Special,” Jason Conde visits with Sara Jo Mathews and Ryan Snyder, owners of the Prairie Hill Café in Las Vegas, a homegrown restaurant serving Southwestern comfort food like Biscuits Rancheros and the Hatch Cowboy Burger.
Like Water for Bread
In our Fall issue, Ungelbah Dávila-Shivers discovers the zen approach to baking that guides Yuko Kawashimo and Nobu Mizushima, owners of Ihatov Bread and Coffee in Albuquerque’s Nob Hill.
Technique: Stir-Fry
In this edition of Cooking Fresh, we dive into stir-frying, a quick, easy way to utilize the abundant fall produce on hand and get all your nutrients in one meal, using almost any combination of ingredients you have in your fridge.
Stir Fry: Skirt Steak and Udon
This Skirt Steak and Udon Stir-Fry features carrots, cabbage, mushrooms, and snowpeas (although you can swap in your favorite seasonal veggies as you please) seasoned with aromatic garlic and ginger and a Chinese stir-fry sauce.
Foraging: Acorn Abundance
In this edition of Foraging, Ellen Zachos celebrates the abundance and versatility of acorns.
Making Connections Through the Rio Grande
Los Poblanos and Zapata Ranch Are Stirring Up Culinary Education Words and Photos by Stephanie CameronLong lunch table in the pastures next to Medano Creek. Opposite page: The lodge at Zapata Ranch.Just beyond New Mexico’s northern border, the headwaters of the Rio...
Seed Story: The Genius of Local
“Seed Story” by Christie Green explores the “genius of the seed” and why robust native plant species are so important to New Mexico’s ecosystems.
Drying Wild Mushrooms
Words and Photos by Anna Marija Helt Boletus rubriceps at different stages. The joy of finding wild mushrooms can be prolonged by making a cooked mushroom powder for year-round use in the kitchen. The powder doesn’t need reconstitution in water before use and adds...
