Sometime in the early 1880s, some miners outside of Silver City discovered that placing a fried egg on top of red chile enchiladas added to the deliciousness of the already-famous New Mexico dish. Or so later claimed one of the state’s most influential food innovators, Dr. Fabian Garcia, who throughout the early twentieth century led breeding experiments on a wide range of agricultural crops including the iconic chile. From the chile to the enchilada, the food of New Mexico, according to Garcia, was deeply rooted and ever-changing, always subject to improvements in the kitchens, campfire pots, farm fields, and laboratories of the state. The food traditions of our state, then and now, lay testimony to a deep and rich history of innovation.

While innovation is most commonly associated with cutting-edge technology or an intellectual or methodological breakthrough, innovators often simply take an existing idea or method and apply it in a new way or location. In this issue, we look at food innovators in New Mexico who are thinking outside of the box to enrich the state’s food culture and cuisine, and address economic, environmental, and technological needs.

They say necessity is the mother of invention, and New Mexican entrepreneurs have deemed it necessary to band together in innovative ways to bolster business and revitalize landscapes.Throughout the issue, food and community come together in unexpected ways: restaurants are crowdsourced, artists promote local farms, and a plaza made out of repurposed shipping containers creates a space conducive to neighborhood interaction and eating local. From high-desert shrimp farming and high-tunnel tree fruit production to third wave coffee and mapping software that deciphers data related to local food and health issues, New Mexicans are taking advantage of the latest in research, technology, and creative thinking to transform the terrain and tackle the status quo.

We invite you to explore these transformations in our local food systems and to consider how they might shape, for better or worse, the future of food in our state. We hope the innovations in this issue inspire more critical thinking, more unexpected solutions to the difficult problems we face, and, while we’re at it, many more creative meals.

Sometime in the early 1880s, some miners outside of Silver City discovered that placing a fried egg on top of red chile enchiladas added to the deliciousness of the already-famous New Mexico dish. Or so later claimed one of the state’s most influential food innovators, Dr. Fabian Garcia, who throughout the early twentieth century led breeding experiments on a wide range of agricultural crops including the iconic chile. From the chile to the enchilada, the food of New Mexico, according to Garcia, was deeply rooted and ever-changing, always subject to improvements in the kitchens, campfire pots, farm fields, and laboratories of the state. The food traditions of our state, then and now, lay testimony to a deep and rich history of innovation.

While innovation is most commonly associated with cutting-edge technology or an intellectual or methodological breakthrough, innovators often simply take an existing idea or method and apply it in a new way or location. In this issue, we look at food innovators in New Mexico who are thinking outside of the box to enrich the state’s food culture and cuisine, and address economic, environmental, and technological needs.

They say necessity is the mother of invention, and New Mexican entrepreneurs have deemed it necessary to band together in innovative ways to bolster business and revitalize landscapes.Throughout the issue, food and community come together in unexpected ways: restaurants are crowdsourced, artists promote local farms, and a plaza made out of repurposed shipping containers creates a space conducive to neighborhood interaction and eating local. From high-desert shrimp farming and high-tunnel tree fruit production to third wave coffee and mapping software that deciphers data related to local food and health issues, New Mexicans are taking advantage of the latest in research, technology, and creative thinking to transform the terrain and tackle the status quo.

We invite you to explore these transformations in our local food systems and to consider how they might shape, for better or worse, the future of food in our state. We hope the innovations in this issue inspire more critical thinking, more unexpected solutions to the difficult problems we face, and, while we’re at it, many more creative meals.

Inspiration from the Garden

Farmer-Chef Collaboration Creates Appetizing Artistry at Arroyo Vino By Candolin Cook · Photos by Stephanie Cameron From my first plate at Santa Fe’s Arroyo Vino, an amuse-bouche of seasonal crudités, I knew I was in for an incredible meal. The beautifully plated...

Spain in the Wine: Casa Rondeña

Top: In the cool, dark barrel room, Casa Rondeña wines rest quietly in French and Hungarian barrels for years before being bottled. Bottom left: Dining room where members of the exclusive 1629 Club enjoy old world ambience. Bottom right: Riesling grapes in midsummer,...

It Takes a Hive: The Beestro, The Hive Market, and the Soon-to-Open Root Cellar

Greg Menke having fun with honey props at The Hive. The honey wall at The Hive Market filled with honey products from around the region. By Sarah Wentzel-Fisher · Photos by Stephanie Cameron Today when someone refers to innovation, it often implies...

Fruit Forward: Freshies Farm

Above: A micro-sprinkler irrigation system at Freshies Farm coats the orchard in a thick layer of ice, protecting the buds and flowers until the sun comes out and warms the air, lifting the temperature out of the danger zone. Photo by Christopher Bassett. By Mark...
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Edible celebrates New Mexico's food culture, season by season. We believe that knowing where our food comes from is a powerful thing. With our high-quality, aesthetically pleasing and informative publication, we inspire readers to support and celebrate the growers, producers, chefs, beverage and food artisans, and other food professionals in our community.