Read our Abq Journal Columns
Every week, Denise Miller of the New Mexico Farmers' Marketing Association will spotlight local growers and their crops, along with tips about how to cook the produce.
It Looks Like... We're Not Sure, But Kohlrabi is One Tasty Veggie
At the Belen Farmers’ Market, kohlrabi samples were offered.
Plain, raw kohlrabi. What were Pamela French and Joe Towner of Two Black Sheep Farm thinking as they presented slices of this mysterious spaceship-shaped vegetable to unsuspecting passers-by?... Read more on our link.
Tomatillos a Versatile Option for Cooking
I don’t usually eat plain tomatillos. However, whenever I cook with them, I always eat one and rediscover its tart, tangy flavor... Read the full story here.
Cook Up a Pot of Goodness
My immediate intention was not to make soup. However, once I saw the leeks coyly sitting on a market table, I suppose it was only a matter of time... Read the full story here.
Ah, sweet, sweet August, when days, nights are just peachy
It’s prime peach time in New Mexico. Sure, you can buy early peaches, late peaches and even mid-winter peaches shipped from far away, but if you want drippy-sweet New Mexico peaches, now is the time to head to your local growers’ market...
Subtleties of Fennel Plentiful
Vendor tables are becoming significantly more voluminous these days as the summer growers market season heads into its prime. If you look closely between the squash, cucumbers, beans and cilantro, you may even see the versatile vegetable fennel, whose green leafy fronds sometimes cause me to mistake it for dill at first glance.
Daikon Peppers Up Summer
Despite its extralarge carrot shape, daikon probably would not fool Bugs Bunny: After all, it’s white and it’s a radish. If you’ve noticed this unusual vegetable at growers markets, take a second look and give it a try... Read the full story here.
There's Enough Squash to Go Around
There’s an old saying that goes something like this: When you park your car in the summer, be sure to lock your doors or someone might fill it with summer squash.
Late Freezes Mean Produce Pushed Back
June 12 and July 3 may be two dates that go into the collective memory of northern New Mexico farmers. June 12 brought a late freeze; a nasty hailstorm pelted crops July 3.
Try Out Your Salad Chops with a Dash of Creativity, Fresh Ingredients
How could I have been ignorant about chopped salads for so long? I swear I never heard of them until my sister-in-law in Chicago kept threatening to make one. We never did make one during that visit, but when I got home, I started experimenting, and now I am hooked... Read the full story here.
No Time to Wait for Berries
When you ask this Mary how her garden grows, rather than with silver bells, she may tell you very thorny, thank you.
That is because Mary Moses has 200 to 300 blackberry bushes growing around her Los Ranchos home and garden... Read the full story on our link.
Cool Down with Rhubarb Yogurt Tang
The kids are begging for strawberry rhubarb pie, but I have other plans in mind for my red stalky friends. I’m thinking rhubarb frozen yogurt will take their mind off pie (and avoid having a hot oven in the house)... Read the full story here.
'Shrooms Grow Into Obsession
Sometimes just one menu item can change an entire meal. Oyster mushrooms, like those grown by Exotic Edibles of Edgewood, are that kind of food... Read the full story on our link.
Nothing is So Sweet as Spring Peas
Any day now, Salvador Corona’s favorite crop, sweet peas, will start appearing on his market tables from Santa Fe to Española... Read the full story on our link.
Spring Shoots Going Fast
If you’re an asparagus fan, now is the time to search the farmers’ markets for this shortseasoned delicacy. But don’t oversleep, or you will likely miss out... Read the full story on our link.
Get Food to Eat, Grow at Area Markets
People get hooked on growers’ markets for all kinds of reasons, but one of the most basic is that they offer the freshest food you can get. That is, unless you grow it yourself... Read the full story on our link.
Eat More Local Sweet, Rich Greens
In the culinary world of fresh, local food, it’s time to go green. Asian greens may be the original fast food — and a wonderful way to go green. They are healthy, quick and easy to prepare, versatile and delicious... Read the full story on our link.
Programs Sow Seeds of Health
Last year, Dave and Loretta Fresquez of Monte Vista Organic Farm in Española grew 700 pounds of carrots for Albuquerque schoolchildren because they like knowing more kids are eating healthful, fresh foods... Read the full story on our link.
Buffalo's Nutrition Beats Beef
Unlike cattle, bison like to find a high spot and face into the wind. The same seems true — literally and figuratively — for Lana and Monte Fastnacht (pronounced Fosnot), owners of LaMont’s Wild West Buffalo near Santa Fe... Read the full story on our link.
Raspberries' Sweet Taste Takes You Back to Summer
My colorful jars of canned fruit from mid-summer are still untouched on the shelf, but I’m sure it won’t be long before they start to disappear. So what do we do when the thermometer drops and we long for a taste of fresh summer fruit?... Read the full story on our link.
Got lots of winter squash? Make pie!
Pumpkin pie is a great way to recycle your jack-o’-lantern, but if you want to try something even sweeter this season, trying making a pie from locally grown squash... Read the full story on our link.
Orchard Keepers Honor Tradition: Jaramillo family brings delicious varieties of apples to market
Friday was irrigation day. Wearing a flannel shirt and rubber waders, Solomon Jaramillo slogged through his orchard for the third and final watering of the season... Read the full story on our link.
How Sweet it is for Fall Beets
Fans of beets are fortunate. This earthy vegetable has a long growing season that stretches from spring through late fall... Read the full story on our link.
Take the Benefits of Okra to Heart
If you like okra, you should make a point of meeting Cecilia McCord. The Socorro grower, who also sells her produce at the Downtown Albuquerque Growers’ Market, is a longtime friend to okra fans, who know they can count on her for the most tender, savory okra around... Read the full story on our link.
Savor Gemlike Asian Pears
What kind of fruit is small and round, yellow with tiny brown freckles, sweet and crunchy like an apple, and grows in New Mexico?
Surprisingly to many, the answer is Asian pears... Read the full story on our link.
Peppers Spice Up Farmers' Crops
Jesse Daves likes to see results. He also likes to collaborate with nature. Combine those qualities with a big heart and you get the magic of a farmer who consistently pulls beautiful produce from the ground... Read the full story on our link.
