LATEST TRICKS: Savory Santa Fe

Santa Fe, New Mexico
Saturday, October 23, 2010

This morning we went to the Farmer's Market at the Santa Fe Railyard.

The aroma of roasting chili peppers, the sound of Mexican folk songs, and the vibrant colors of fruits, vegetables, marigolds, sunflowers and dahlias tickled the senses.

Vendors proudly displayed their produce and wares, offering a friendly "hello" and often a sample or tidbits about their products.

Signs of autumn were everywhere: pumpkins, gourds, squash and ristras (arrangements of drying chili pepper pods) and the fanciful skeletons that signal the upcoming El Dia de los Muertos or "Day of the Dead".  It was a festive, fall day at the market.  

We enjoyed spending time chatting with vendors such as Lisa Fox of Southwest Chutney and Les Crowder of For the Love of Bees.  Of course we had to buy some of their delicious chutney and honey, as well as Lisa’s beautiful book, Artisan Farming: Lessons, Lore, and Recipes.  Surrounded by all the lovely produce, breads and cheeses, we longed to cook; if only we had a kitchen!

Hungry after all that temptation, we stopped in to the Second Street Brewery right there at the market and Railyard. Ted sampled a flight of their beers (thumbs up to the Kolsch, ESB, and Schwarzbier) while Laura sipped Dry Creek Sauvignon Blanc.

We shared a bowl of Chicken and Green Chili Stew and a Farmers Lunch of locally-produced lamb sausage, artisan cheeses, toasted bread and field greens--all beautifully presented, fresh and delicious.  During lunch we had a delightful conversation with two members of our Air Force who were visiting Santa Fe on a weekend break from a training program in Albuquerque.  We thoroughly enjoyed their company and expressed our appreciation for their service to our country.

After lunch, we spent some time strolling the grounds of our Santa Fe home, the El Rey Inn, and planning the rest of our day.  We headed to the heart of the historic district, the Plaza.  There we browsed and chatted with the American Indian craftspeople outside of the Palace of Governors and peeked into a few of the many shops and galleries.

We had a lovely conversation with Brooke Williams in her shop, Posters of Santa Fe; she made us feel truly welcomed and offered many helpful suggestions.  Just before sunset, we took a break at the Marble Brewery Tap Room so that we could lounge on their balcony overlooking the Plaza and listen to the live music that filled the square.

As sunset turned to dusk, we walked over to the very popular Café Pasqual and put in our name for dinner.  Two seats opened up at their Community Table in the center of the restaurant, so we soon found ourselves enjoying a sumptuous southwestern meal with four other couples: one couple lives in Santa Fe, one in Los Angeles, one in Pacific Palisades, and one in San Diego.  We had the most delightful time sharing stories, experiences and ideas.  We were reminded what a small world it is as we learned that one of the couples shared the same October 20th wedding anniversary as us and one used to live in our home area and worked with a mutual acquaintance.

Near the end of our meal we also had a chance to meet a man from Sweden who is an Information Technology Consultant working in Vancouver and Chicago.  It was wonderful to meet such interesting people while sharing a delicious meal.  It reminded us of our “Dinner Club” back home. We'd love to see more restaurants offer a Community Table option.  It made for a very special evening!
-- Ted and Laura