New Mexicans are hardworking, resourceful, and creative. This issue is for those willing to get their hands dirty and do it themselves. We explore the processes of starting a sourdough, growing sweet potatoes, and making your own goat cheese, all in the hope that demystifying these techniques will provide inspiration in the kitchen and garden. In each of these pages you will find an affirmation that the process of making something yourself can offer its own rewards of knowledge, enjoyment, and satisfaction. The extra time and energy, the love and sweat, can transform an otherwise ordinary product into a meaningful expression of ourselves.
In our busy lives, when we contemplate our next meal, convenience often beckons through the warm glow of drive-thru signs or the ease of opening a box or bag. Time is a luxury, and the thought of baking bread or growing vegetables can feel daunting, if not impossible, for those of us unfamiliar with the processes. But making food from scratch doesn’t require magic—just a little effort, instruction, and inspiration.
New Mexicans are hardworking, resourceful, and creative. This issue is for those willing to get their hands dirty and do it themselves. We meet Adam Danforth, a nationally renowned butcher with a mission to introduce chefs and home cooks to a more thoughtful and sustainable approach to butchery. We also pay a visit to Chris Altenbach in Albuquerque’s South Valley, where he shows us how he has repurposed and reengineered everyday items and machinery to create unique farm tools at Ironwood Farm. We explore the processes of starting a sourdough, growing sweet potatoes, and making your own goat cheese, all in the hope that demystifying these techniques will provide inspiration in the kitchen and garden. And, finally, we turn to New Mexico’s rapidly growing beer scene to examine how experimentation in brewing can lead to delicious, wholly unique results both at home and at our favorite watering holes.
In each of these pages you will find an affirmation that the process of making something yourself can offer its own rewards of knowledge, enjoyment, and satisfaction. The extra time and energy, the love and sweat, can transform an otherwise ordinary product into a meaningful expression of ourselves. We celebrate those expressions here and encourage you to go and make something that money can’t buy.
Roasted Eggplant Jam and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Roasted Eggplant Jam Recipe by Amy Robb (edible Northeast Florida) 1 pint. Make ahead. 1 medium eggplant, diced into 1/2-inch cubes 1/2 large red onion, minced 1/4 cup olive oil 1/4 cup tomato paste 5 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed 1 teaspoon salt...
Comfort Food, Redefined
Arable and Loyal Hound By Jenn Shapland · Photos by Douglas Merriam Renée Fox and Dave Readyhough at Arable. Years ago, I regularly gathered with a group of friends at a bar that served truffle tater tots. These were exactly as wrong as you'd expect: tots...
Relax—Have a Homebrew
Learning from the Keg to the Grain By Briana Olson Make Your Own Beer at Home, Advertisement for malt extract, circa 1900. Courtesy of the Warshaw Collection of Business, National Museum of American History Archives Center. “Would you like a taste?” asks...
Double-Decker Sweet Potato Latkes
This recipe is the brainchild of Joshua Johnson, alongside whom I’ve spent many days working in the farm fields and nearly as many nights cooking up the fruits of our labor in the farm kitchen. We recently made these latkes, in which sweet potatoes and...
The Perfect Loaf: Beginner’s Sourdough Bread
Story and photos by Maurizio LeoYour sourdough starter is the cornerstone of great bread. When your starter is mature each day is the optimal time to make what’s called a leaven—an offshoot of your starter that’s used in a single bake. Learn how to create your own...
Creating a Sourdough Starter
Three Basic Ingredients Story and photos by Maurizio Leo Flour, water, salt. That’s it. Nothing more, nothing less. If you had told me several years ago that I could make enticingly crunchy, tender, healthy bread at home with only these elemental ingredients, I would...
Sweet Potato Fries and Sweet Potato Red Chile Sauce
First things first: Not much beats a good sweet potato fry. They are not only exceptionally tasty, but also require little effort to prepare. In this variation, I add balsamic in the last five minutes to give the fries some tang and depth of flavor, but by...
From Slips to Fries
A Guide to Sweet Potatoes in the High-Desert Garden and Kitchen By Willy Carleton Several years ago, when I told a few neighbors that I planned to grow sweet potatoes on a low-lying acre along the Rio Chama, I received friendly warnings that my efforts...
Veggie Food for the Soul
Just Like Grandma Used to Make - Minus the Meat By Sophie Putka · Photos by Stephanie Cameron Left: Shawn Weed. Top right: "Chicken" & Waffle with sage-thyme breaded cauliflower and bourbon maple syrup. Bottom right: Wedge salad with grilled iceberg,...
Winter Pairings
New Mexico Wine Wine Notes and Pairings by Michele Padberg · Photos by Stephanie Cameron Some people freeze when it comes to food and wine pairings, but with just a few tricks of the trade, you will wow your guests in no time! First, know your wine body:...
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.