Early Fall in Taos

Warm, Sunny Days.  Freezing Temperatures at Night. A few Rainy Mornings. Harvesting the Last of the Summer Produce. Pinon Wood Fires in Kiva Fireplaces. Fall in Northern New Mexico. Stunningly Beautiful.

Here is this week's email regarding the Farm Share for our local CSA. (Community Supported Agriculture). Gotta go so I can plan some menus... (Salt Roasted Potatoes and Greens, anyone?)

Greetings from Cerro Vista Farm !

This is week 18 of the  18-week Summer Share,  the final week.  Thank you for being part of the Farm this year !

In Cerro, record warmth trumps record cold any time.  We continue to enjoy fabulous harvesting and planting weather as the trees belatedly turn gold. The gamble with row cover three weeks ago paid off……..Greens have been harvested from the fields for the last two weeks.  The fields are now all harvested-out, except for carrots and turnips, at this point.  We will finish planting winter rye and Garlic in the next few days.  This week Shares will include greenhouse-grown Lettuce, Kale, and Bok Choy.

Fall Shares will be distributed NEXT week.  If you purchased a Fall Share I’ll be sending you an email in a few days to remind you about the Fall Share pickup.

     ~ Farmer Daniel ~

Here’s a list of what you will probably receive in your Share this week:

Half Shares:

Lettuce Mix

Carrots

Green Cabbage

Red Potatoes

Kale

Bok Choy

Full Shares add:

Gold or Russet Potatoes

Acorn Squash

Salad Turnips

My best,
diane
October 12, 2014

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4th of July in Taos

Happy 4th of July! There are so many things to do this holiday weekend. My favorite way to start the 4th is attending the parade in the neighboring town of Arroyo Seco. If you are in or near Taos on the 4th of July you should not miss this annual fun, wacky, small town event. Please click here to read my post from last year's parade.

After the parade there is time for eating, barbecuing, sightseeing (if you are a tourist) or just resting up for the evening.  A fun activity is attending our local minor league baseball team's game.  Called The Blizzard, The Taos Blizzard is a Professional Baseball Team in the Pecos League of Professional Baseball Club, a New Mexico/West Texas Independent Professional League that plays from May to August. Other teams in the league include: (Alpine Cowboys, Bisbee Blue, Douglas Diablos, Las Vegas Train Robbers, Raton Osos, Roswell Invaders, Santa Fe Fuego, Taos Blizzard, Trinidad Triggers, and White Sands Pupfish).

4 (4569) Crawford/Padilla (4569) 6:00: SFM /

I wrote about the team last year. Click here for more information on the Taos Blizzard. The games this year are all played at night thanks to lights being installed at the field last winter. The game on the 4th starts at 6:00 pm which leaves just enough time to get to the fireworks show held at the Salazar Road extension in the town of Taos starting around 9:15, or whenever it is really dark.

So... a parade, baseball, food and fireworks. What a perfect way to spend the holiday.  Be safe everyone!
There are so many ways to celebrate the 4th of July. Here are a few options courtesy of Taos.org.

Arroyo Seco – Beginning at 12 pm sharp, this annual parade is considered the quirkiest of the area’s offerings with unexpected floats and unusual costumes. Its participants proudly display their personal philosophies and political persuasions in an often humorous manner to the adoring crowds. The best people-watching is right here. Parking is limited, so come early! Festivities run from 10 am until 4 pm along the main thoroughfare, Hwy 150.

Eagle Nest – With a parade beginning at 2pm and fireworks over the lake after dark (about 9:30 pm), nearly everyone in this small community (and from several of the surrounding ones) participates in these events. The crowd of spectators is swelled by visitors lodged in local campgrounds and RV parks from all over the southwest who come to cheer on the floats and enjoy a fabulous BBQ lunch at the Volunteer Fire Department in town. Activities begin at 11 am until 5 pm. Not to be missed! Call (575) 377-2420 for more information.

Red River – The Annual 4th of July Main Street Parade is a time-honored tradition in Red River. The first parade of the day begins promptly at 10:00 a.m. and proceeds westward down Main Street. After the parade stroll down to Brandenburg Park where you can enjoy an AWESOME live performance by a regional band, delicious food, refreshing beverages, and good old fashioned family fun! For more information call 877-754-1708.

Taos Ski Valley – ‘TSV’ as it’s known to the locals, offers a parade, a rubber duck race, fun games and live music. The rubber duckie race starts at 2 p.m. with the parade, music and other events to follow. It’s all free. Call 800-517-9816.

Taos - While it leaves the parades to other nearby communities, Taos does host an hour-long annual professional fireworks display at the Salazar Road Extension, put on by the Town of Taos Volunteer Fire Department. This prime location allows the show to be seen throughout the area. Fireworks launch once the sky is fully dark, usually around 9:15 pm.

My best,
diane
July 3, 2014

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Saturday in May

This is what a perfect Saturday in May in Taos looks like:

Start the morning at the first Taos Farmers' Market of the year.  While there is not a lot of fresh produce yet, there were plenty of greens, carrots, spring garlic, fresh baked goods, honey, grass fed beef, pork and lamb, eggs, and veggie starts.

spring garlic

After shopping at the market it is off to brunch at a new favorite, Old Martina's Hall in Ranchos de Taos.  This building has such amazing history and restoring the building and opening the restaurant was a multi-year struggle.  Read about the history here.  If you plan to visit Taos, do make a stop here for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Peter had the steak and eggs

I had the huevos rancheros with red chile (delicious)

After brunch we wandered across the street to visit St Francisco de Asis Church, the iconic Catholic church that was built in the late 1700's.  You will find many paintings and photographs of this beautiful building but, if you get the chance, visit in person.

While in St Francis Plaza, we visited one of our favorite galleries...Two Graces.  They had an antique 7 foot cross for sale at an unbelievable price.  I instantly fell in love and knew it would be perfect in our dining room.  (This makes loads of sense if you live in an old adobe in Taos).  We snapped it up and had the interesting experience of loading it in the jeep, carrying it in the house and placing on a banco between the vigas for support. (A banco is a built-in plastered bench, typically in front of kiva fireplaces, along low walls, and under windows. Vigas are large (6- to 12-plus inches in diameter) usually peeled round logs used as ceiling beams regularly spaced across the width of the room. In traditional Southwestern architecture, the exposed interior vigas, along with latillas, decking, or even plaster, form a strong design element at the ceiling. A classic feature of Santa Fe style, they often are exposed outside, too, protruding through the exterior walls.)* courtesy Su Casa magazine.  

The cross looks perfect, we are well fed and stocked with food for the weekend and it is only 1:00 pm.  I think we will get the dog and go on a hike...or check out the craft fair....or drive up to Arroyo Secco...so many choices.  I love Taos!

my best,
diane
May 11, 2013

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Winter Farmers' Market

I love the Farmers' Market in Taos.  It has a very authentic, real feeling.  You can tell the farmers are local, from small farms where they pick their produce early in the morning the day of market and then set up with very simple displays. 

We moved to Taos in time for the last two markets of the year and I stocked up as much as possible. Sadly, I was just not unpacked and organized enough to buy, freeze and can the amount of local produce needed to last through winter. Next year for sure.  This winter will be spent exploring ways to eat locally in a winter climate with very cold weather and very high altitude. (We are at 6,967 feet in the town of Taos). I realize just how spoiled I have been living in California all of my life with year round easy access to fresh, local produce.

I was very happy to hear about the first annual Taos Winter Holiday Market which was held the Saturday before Thanksgiving.  Designed to give locals access to end-of-season  produce, fresh baked goods, honey, beef, lamb, preserves, spices and holiday gifts (all from local farmers, purveyors and artisans) the Market was a huge success. This was the perfect opportunity to shop for the Thanksgiving meal and begin Holiday gift buying. 

 

 

I was so encouraged by the large crowd of both Taoseños and tourists clamoring for organic and/or suistainably grown food.  Taos has always been at the forefront of eco-friendly living.  The emphasis on the locovore movement is growing as farmers and locals learn growing techniques to expand our very short growing season.  I look forward to sharing the successes and learnings (hydroponics, cold frames and greenhouses anyone?)

Keep it local my friends!

my best,
diane
november 27, 2012

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