Spring Issue: Hidden Treasures

From the Royal Road to the Mother Road, New Mexicans have always been a people on the move. With a state so culturally and ecologically diverse, there is always something new to see, do, and taste. For this issue of Edible, we hit the highway in search of hidden treasures from Silver City to Silverton, Colorado, and discovered the ways in which communities throughout New Mexico and southern Colorado use their food, art, and natural wonders to attract visitors and create unique senses of place.

From the Royal Road to the Mother Road, New Mexicans have always been a people on the move. With a state so culturally and ecologically diverse, there is always something new to see, do, and taste. For this issue of edible, we hit the highway in search of hidden treasures from Silver City to Silverton, Colorado, and discovered the ways in which communities throughout New Mexico and southern Colorado use their food, art, and natural wonders to attract visitors and create unique senses of place.

There are many ways to explore a place—on foot, on bike, behind the wheel—but regardless of how you get there, finding the best places to eat often requires putting away the smartphone, walking the streets, and talking to people. Local cuisine can be an important and immediate way to begin to know a place. In southern Colorado, we explored high-elevation valleys with deep agricultural roots, and found vibrant and underspoken local food scenes that have taken strides to make locally produced food accessible. Following the Rio Grande from its headwaters to the shores of Elephant Butte Lake, we found it is (luckily) still easier to find a good local meal in the quirky art town of T or C  than to fly beyond the earth’s atmosphere. We continued south to walk the streets of Silver City, where local art and local food come together to offer inspiration to all the senses. Finally, we traveled west to rural El Morro, where a small organic market is improving local grocery options one kohlrabi at a time.

With summer just around the corner, we hope these destinations—all within a day’s drive of the capital—encourage you to start thinking about your next road trip. Beyond town limits and across state lines, the road binds us and reminds us how close and connected we really are. So pack a bag with some of our road eats recipes, make pit stops to experience the local flavor, and open yourself up to new experiences, culinary and otherwise.

One last note. While we were lucky enough to travel across New Mexico and Colorado this issue, we know that mobility is a privilege not afforded to all. We at edible Santa Fe would like to extend our support and solidarity with the city of Santa Fe for recently reaffirming itself as a community welcoming to immigrants and refugees. Immigrants are not only vital to our economy and food systems here in New Mexico and across the country, but significantly add to our local culture and strengthen our communities.

We stand with all of our fellow farmers, cooks, neighbors, and travelers.