Summer 2012 by Edible Southwest Colorado

edible

san juan mountains

Traversing the San Juans to bring you the story of local food, season by season.

No. 9 Summer 2012

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Contents

Publisherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Letter

Our Storytellers

Saving the Beans By Laura Thomas

Chard: Spinach of the Southwest

By Rachel Turiel

Composting: 101 By Rachel Turiel

Farm To Wedding

By Lauren Slaff

Kernels of Truth By Lauren Slaff

20.

Earology

By Lauren Slaff

Garden Therapy

By Anna Riling

Riverfront Dining

By Deb Dion

OUTTAKES

PUBLISHER’S LETTER

inally! That’s how it feels this time of year, when the going gets good in the rivers and soil. You’ve come out of your stuffy hobbit house and into this miraculous thing called a mountain summer. Your social calendar is full as friends reclaim their grills from the black widows. It is a perilous time. I’m not talking about the West Nile Virus that might lurk in the welt behind your ear, or the sprained ankle waiting to happen as you tumble on a scree slope below that fourteener. The trouble is the potlucks. I believe that potlucks should be outlawed. There is no surer way to ruin the culinary delights of the season. Sure, the term is loaded with cheerful associations: the vintage table cloth strewn with pies, kids frolicking on a green lawn, the endless warm twilight. But the truth is not so lovely: your plate laden with beany concoctions and too much cream cheese. Or, it’s nothing but chips because you arrived after the real food was scooped up. Later, there will be surreptitious visits to the fridge. You will search its contents for ... something. You’re aware that you’re not exactly hungry, just dissatisfied. That is because a meal is not merely a collection of sufficient calories. It’s an aesthetic and culturally coherent arrangement of elements, in harmony with the season and with one another. It’s why we generally don’t eat potato chips for breakfast or put maple syrup on a hot dog. There’s an appropriate time and place for each thing. Potlucks are the anarchists of the food world. They harken to some higher principle like “sharing” or “harmony coming from higher consciousness.” In practice, they’re the cacophony that precedes indigestion: seven-layer dip + spring rolls + potato chips + chili = oh dear. I know from first-hand experience. I’ve hosted dozens of them over the years. I love parties, but it’s breathtaking how much 20 or 30 people will eat in three hours. When you’re a mother with small kids and you’re barely scraping the money from your income to cover groceries, hosting a party is an extravagance. But you really want to share that birthday, that holiday, or that perfect summer night with your friends. So after you stare at the dried spaghetti in your pantry, unsuccessfully willing it to transform into juicy steaks, you call your friends and say, “Come on over. Oh, by the way, it’s potluck.” There’s a better way, at least, if enough of us are willing to change. What if, instead of sharing a sad succession of potlucks, a group of friends agreed to feed one another coherent meals in succession? A meal can be as simple as soup and bread, but simplicity doesn’t

2 edible SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS SUMMER 2012

prevent a meal from being glorious or memorable. A friend fed me and my family a posole last summer that we are still talking about and trying to replicate in our own kitchen. She tossed a cheap cut of pork with dried hominy and chilies into a slow cooker and it was ready by the time we arrived for dinner (empty-handed at her insistence.) Just about everybody is good at making something. Each of the wonders in the potluck litany could be part of a great meal, with the possible exception of the potato chips. Which brings me to another point: whoever brings the chips to the potluck is short on time, inspiration, or both. Such a person needs to be fed a good meal, not burdened with supplying a component to an inchoate whole. The experience of being fed well could inspire this person to return to his or her own kitchen. The kitchen patiently awaits their repentance and redemption. Each issue of Edible San Juan Mountains (especially this current one) overflows with opportunities for seasonal inspiration. The first stop is the field, where tender crops are preparing themselves to meet us. Notable among them is the sweet corn. Paul Sugnet at Animas Valley Farms has ignored the skepticism of those who said our altitude wouldn’t support a good crop. We all benefit from his audacity. Meanwhile, Brittany Meyer at the Open Sky Wilderness Therapy Program is applying the principles of permaculture to a small farm in the Mancos Valley to create abundant food and healing for program participants. We could take notes on the approach in our own kitchens and yards. And then there is Stephen Roth, executive chef at Telluride Golf & Ski, who is creating farm-to-table dinners for weddings. Roth knows that the last-minute menu planning that seasonal food requires is no excuse for confusion. Instead it’s an opportunity to get inspired – in a hurry. Even I could get inspired: the mom-on-a-budget with her dried spaghetti. Ten dollars right now (or, in a few weeks, a trip to my garden) will get me tomatoes, a bunch of basil, and some garlic. Chop them, sauté them in olive oil, and presto: its pasta alla cecca for a crowd. Simple, fresh, delicious. Just bring something interesting to talk about. And maybe a bottle of local wine.

Laura Thomas, Director of PR and Marketing

edible

san juan mountains PUBLISHER Rick Scibelli, Jr. rick@ediblesanjuanmountains.com

COPY EDITOR Chris Brussat

WRITERS Lauren Slaff Rachel Turiel Emily Brendler Shoff D. Dion Anna Riling

PHOTOGRAPHY AND DESIGN Rick Scibelli, Jr.

ILLUSTRATION Lauren Slaff

MARKETING DIRECTOR Laura Thomas 970-946-7475 Laura@ediblesanjuanmountains.com

ON THE COVER: Paul Sugnet, of Animas Valley Farms, doesn't pretend to know what he is doing. An environmental engineer-turnedsweet corn farmer, Sugnet owned his Durango land off Florida Rd for more than 19 years before finally turning the soil. And then he planted sweet corn. That, despite the objections of anybody who knows anything about farming the moody climate of the San Juan's. "They told me you can't grow sweet corn here," Sugnet said. But he also believes that naivite in business is not always a bad thing (... if you knew how difficult it was really going to be ... you would have never done it). By July of last year, his first year in farming, with his corn not even to his knee, Sugnet started to wonder if he hadn't indeed made a big mistake. "I was worried," he said. But not for long. By August he had his sweet corn. Now Sugnet is at it again. Year two. With some help he is spreading manure by hand across his 6 acres. Shovel full by shovel full (he tried to find a spreader to borrow to no avail) and waiting for the soil temperature to rise above 70 so he could seed his field. By May it hadn't even reached 60. "It will probably be June before we plant." Spoken like a seasoned pro. – Rick Scibelli, Jr.

info@ediblesanjuanmountains.com edible San Juan Mountains 361 Camino del Rio Suite 127 Durango, CO 81303 To send a letter to the editor, email us at rick@ediblesanjuanmountains.com. For home delivery of Edible San Juan Mountains, email rick@ediblesanjuanmountains.com; the rate is $32 per year. Edible San Juan Mountains is published quarterly by Sunny Boy Publications. All rights reserved. Distribution is throughout southwest Colorado and nationally by subscription. No part of this publication may be used without written permission of the publisher. © 2012. Every effort is made to avoid errors, misspellings and omissions. If, however, an error comes to your attention, please accept our sincere apologies and do notify us. Thank you.

OUR STORYTELLERS

Deb Dion is a writer and editor living in the San Juans with her husband and their two children, a puppy and a one-eyed cat. She loves outdoor adventures even though it sometimes means eating dehydrated soup and making coffee with a sock.

Chris Brussat (on left) loves words. Favorite subject in grade school: spelling! Has a BA in English, is researching and writing his family history, dabbles in graphic design and fine art, digs organic gardening, lives local, co-owns Darvill'sRarePrints.com, and can carry a tune.

Emily Brendler Shoff made the mistake of ordering a fried chili of unknown heat from a food cart in Rajasthan and spent the rest of the day trying to find peace where no peace could be found. These days, she generally sticks to food carts closer to home, in Telluride, where she and her husband are raising two girls.

Laura Thomas once got a bag of kohlrabi from her CSA. She thought, “What the %*#@ is this?” She stuffed it in back of the produce drawer and forgot about it. In November, she searched “kohlrabi” online and learned that it’s like broccoli, except spicier and uglier. She decided to turn it into a gratin. Laura is the Director of Marketing and Public Relations for this magazine. She lives in Dolores.

Anna Riling is an amateur cook with a chronic aversion to recipes. Sometimes this works out great. Sometimes the dogs get an extra treat in their bowl that night. She lives in Durango with her husband and two wellfed heelers.

A native New Yorker and grateful transplant to Durango, Lauren Slaff is a devout locavore who celebrates the farm-to-table concept with her students, clients, community and a network of friends (who worship her cooking). She is the chef and proprietor of kitchen KOACH. (www. kitchenkoach.com)

Rachel Turiel is a freelance writer raising children, chickens, a large vegetable garden and a small orchard on an urban homestead in Durango. She's a regular contributor to Edible San Juan Mountains, NPR's "Earth Notes," The Durango Herald, Mamalode and more. Read more on her blog, 6512 and growing. 4 edible SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS SUMMER 2012

Rick Scibelli, Jr is a freelance photographer and this magazine's publisher. Along with food, foodiess and farmers, he shoots assignments for other publications. He also shoots weddings. Sometimes he shoots himself in the foot. And when he isn't doing that he photographs his wife and two heelers. His work can be seen at rickscibelli.com and rickscibelliweddings.com

IN THE COUNTY

Roma Ewing sets up her garden in anticipation of her fast growing King's Banquet Beans.

SAVING THE BEANS BY LAUR A THOM AS

ou’ve probably never heard of the King’s Banquet Bean. That’s because this indigenous pole bean is nearly extinct. Only a tiny handful of local gardeners are growing it now, most of them getting their seeds from Mancos resident, Roma Ewing. When her husband, Henry, passed away, she found bag after bag of King’s Banquet Bean seeds stashed in his garden shed. Ewing’s family had settled Yellow Jacket more than one hundred years before, and grew the meaty, tender pole beans on their dryland farm. “Henry loved those beans, so I am doing what I can to keep them growing,” says Ewing. Midge Kirk of the Mancos Public Library is joining in the fight to keep the beans alive. A few months ago, the husband of one of her colleagues heard a story on the radio about a new movement at public libraries around the country to develop seedlending banks. He pulled off the road and called his wife and Kirk about the story. Kirk says it was a perfect fit: “I try to use my job to promote sustainability. I want to bring these ideas to the community in a way that people can really use.” 5 edible SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS SUMMER 2012

Kirk calls the pilot program, which launches this June, “seed saving for dummies.” In the initial phase, she has created a bank of seeds unfussy self-pollinators including some cucumbers, tomatoes, flowers, and of course, the King’s Banquet Beans. Not all seeds are indigenous to the region, nor are they all specifically adapted to our growing conditions. But they do belong to the “heritage” category: they’re old and not genetically modified. Kirk says the lack of research about the long term health effects of GMO foods made her want to keep GMO seeds out of the seed bank. The Seed Bank, like all things library, is free. Users can take whatever they want for their gardens right now. In the fall, they’ll have to collect and return the seeds that come out of their hardiest plants. Kirk intends to grow the bank’s selection gradually, with input from participants. For more information about the Mancos Public Library Seed-Lending Bank, contact Midge Kirk at 970-533-7600 or eurydice4@yahoo. com 5

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CHARD: SPINACH OF THE SOUTHWEST BY R ACHEL TURIEL

y June, my spinach plants look as ragged and spent as Keith Richards on a week-long bender, while the Swiss chard appears to have waltzed out of the salon, its rainbow stems buffed and polished, green leaves shining like vegetal sails. Gardening in the San Juan Mountains is challenging; growing chard is easy. Chard is the bodhisattva of the garden, growing with complete acceptance of the choking heat of June and the biting nights of October. Through clay soils and nibbling grasshoppers, chard just goes on serenely performing the tai chi of unfurling shiny new leaves. Chard won’t monopolize your time, unlike certain tomatoes I know, who spend the summer singing tributes to themselves, then after the first whisper of frost, collapse in a dramatic heap. Plus, would you like a little magnesium, calcium, folate, iron, potassium, zinc, copper and Vitamins K, C and A in your meal? Chard is a starred food in the book The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth by Jonny Bowden. When I see little green slivers of chard sneaking their way into my kids’ mouths (riding the coattails of macaroni and cheese, undoubtedly), I feel like perhaps my children will beat the white-food scurvy after all. Chard is a relative of beets and spinach (in the Chenopodiaceae family), and its leaves can be prepared exactly like spinach. The taste is greenish, slightly salty and mild. Young tender leaves, stems and all, are lovely raw in salads; larger leaves can be sautéed, steamed, swirled into soups, or buried like nutritional treasure in casseroles. Chard is a biennial, meaning its entire first year is devoted to

spooling off leaf after ruffled leaf, and not until its second year does it flower, go to seed and die. Sometimes, if you plant chard in a warm, protected spot and cover it with straw over winter, it will spring back for a brief, leafy encore in its second year before going to seed. Chard is a great crop for the food preservationist. It freezes well –blanched – keeps well, and thaws seamlessly into your pasta sauce in December. Chard grows fast and efficiently; while you turn your back to fret over the bolting lettuces (not biennials), your chard plants wink at each other and call out (in a relaxed, chardish way) “Now: go!” If chard had a song it would be a medley of Billy Joel’s “My Life” (I don’t need you to worry for me cause I’m all right) and Simon and Garfunkel’s “Feeling Groovy” (Life I love you, all is groovy). The stems of chard come in red, yellow and white and are edible as well as flamboyantly attractive in your endless rows of green. There are enough challenges in life and gardening. Grow chard and be happy!

SESAME CHARD Makes enough for a side dish for four. Prep and cook time: 15 minutes INGREDIENTS

Large bunch of chard (approximately 1 pound) 3 tablespoons sesame oil 3 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar 2 tablespoons tamari (or soy sauce) 2 teaspoons honey 2 tablespoons sesame seeds (optional) METHOD Chop chard leaves and stems into small pieces and sauté on low heat in combined liquids until soft and wilted, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

IN THE GARDEN

COMPOSTING: 101 BY R ACHEL TURIEL

t seems a small oversight that compost, that steamy, D.I.Y. hill of fertility, has not been included in the Seven Wonders of the Natural World. Compost is practically biblical in its quality of miracles. I mean, there’s Moses parting the Red Sea and there’s a heap of egg shells, watermelon rinds and cabbage trimmings transforming into free, agricultural manna. Having a compost pile is like always having an extra cup of flour in your pantry. At the first wink of spring, instead of waiting for bags of scientifically-formulated soils to appear at the store, you can tuck lettuce seeds into pots filled from your own backyard pile of wonder.

Tending a compost pile reduces your landfill contributions (reportedly by 35%), generates fertility, eliminates the need for chemical inputs, and like certain catchy 20th century promises, you can have it your way. Perhaps you’re a follow-the-rules type, and accordingly you will produce quick and flawless compost in which every last weed seed is incinerated by thermophilic organisms digesting your well-measured mix of materials. Cool! Or maybe you’re more inclined to throw your kitchen scraps into an earnest pile before getting a last minute invite on a Pacific Northwest road trip, which you can’t pass up, obviously. No prob.

As the saying goes, compost happens. Besides certain Hollywood personalities, who seem preternaturally embalmed, all living organisms are slowly dying, each with their own attendant mop-up crew lying in wait. Study a forest floor to see how nature blends pine cones, deer droppings, rain, and dead grass stalks into a soil rich enough for next spring’s seedlings and light enough for gophers to tunnel collective miles. A compost pile is simply an accelerated theater of decomposition. You procure and layer the scraps, create the beneficial conditions, and then sit back and cheer on the reality show of characters. You build it, they will come: millipedes, worms, centipedes, sow bugs, ants and beetles. This is simply what you can see. In one teaspoon of compost you’ll also find 1 billion bacteria, over 500 feet of fungal hyphae, and roughly 30,000 protozoa. One teaspoon! These microorganisms are the workhorses of slop: eating, digesting, excreting, and warming your pile to a steamy 120 F, before dying in the arms of hungry nematodes. There should be a quiz, like those in glossy magazines (are you adventurous or old fashioned in the bedroom?) to assess your appropriate compost-making style. But chances are you know who you are. I am heartened that there are many approaches, and just a few rules of thumb. INGREDIENTS In compost lingo, organic matter is divided into two categories: carbon-rich (“brown”) or nitrogen-rich (“green”). Brown materials are dry, woody items like straw, sawdust, paper, cornstalks, and dry leaves. Green materials are fresh, moist items like manure, kitchen scraps, coffee grounds and grass clippings. Your pile should be roughly 2 parts brown to 1 part green. Too much green and your pile will become a mushy, smelly mess. Too much brown makes for a slow pile. It’s helpful to keep a pile of brown ingredients nearby to layer over kitchen scraps, dampening smells and balancing out your pile. My compost pile is omnivorous and everything formerly alive (except weed seeds, woody stalks and diseased plants) is welcome. Dead sparrows are buried in there, dairy-rich nubbins of casserole go in, citrus peels, avocado pits, animal bones, unbleached paper towels and even an occasional holey cotton sock goes in. Everything eventually breaks down. The only reason to omit meat and dairy is if you live in bear country or have a problem with animal pests. (If animals are a problem, consider an indoor worm bin). STRUCTURE Chicken wire wrapped around metal stakes or wood pallets tied together makes for a fine structure. It’s helpful to have a 3-chambered bin: one to layer up scraps to the ideal dimensions of 3 x 3 x 3 feet, after which you can forget about it and let the decomposers do their thing, or, you know, tend it meticulously. A second chamber is for starting your new pile; by the time that one is full, your original pile is ready to be turned into a new space, sit out winter and come out useful in spring.

AIR AND WATER Compost piles also need watering (they should be as wet as a wrung out sponge); place them within range of your garden hose. The speediest and most efficient bacteria are the aerobic variety, which need air to proliferate and work. Structural materials like pallets and chicken wire create some ventilation. You can also aerate by inserting one or more perforated pipes or rolled tubes of wire mesh into the pile, or turning with a pitchfork. I turn my pile just once, moving the entire pile – so the top becomes the bottom – into a new chamber for final decomposition. Turning is not necessary, though it will speed up the rate of decomposition. If you turn your compost, be sure to leave it alone for at least a week between turnings to allow the pile to heat up. USAGE Your compost is done when it smells rich and earthy, and looks like soil (except the occasional egg shell sliver or sprouting avocado pit). You may notice that most of the earthworms and red wrigglers (compost worms) have moved out and onto your newer, fresher pile. You can plant directly into compost or spread it on garden beds in the fall. To conserve compost, instead of spreading over an entire garden bed, dig a hole, add compost, and put your plant directly in.

We believe in simp fast food with an a EPILOGUE good, w When I toss a carrot top into my compostthat bucket, Ifeels imagine billions of microorganisms cheering, wavingreminds their sign: Will Work for us that som Food. I like the deep lessons in a compost pile, how nothing is ever in arelife are quit gone, just transformed. Or how miracles of the Earth abundant and free. But mostly I love the wealthy feeling of sinking tomato plants into the rich, black stuff on a summer day.

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IN THE WEDDING

FARM TO WEDDING Chef Stephen Roth Brings Localizes the Big Day BY LAUREN SLAFF

There’s a reality TV show, “Bridezillas,” that showcases frantic, control-freak brides-to-be at their most despicable. I can’t help but wonder what the producers of this on-air fiasco would think of the farm-to-table wedding concept. Seriously. What better way to get a gal on the verge of wedded bliss to totally lose it than to make her wait until the day of the big event to finalize the menu? The farm-to-table wedding concept (a menu featuring ingredients having taken the most direct route from fields to dining table) has exploded in popularity over the past few years despite the unpredictable nature of the feast. With more folks interested in shopping, cooking and eating locally,

it seems natural to want to marry their commitment to those values with, well, the commitment of marriage. Here in the San Juans, farm-to-table anything can be a dice roll. At our altitude, whether high desert or alpine, the few things we can count on are unpredictable frosts, droughts, and a short growing season. Any gamblers out there? Stephen Roth, executive chef of Telluride Ski & Golf’s nine mountain dining venues, isn’t afraid to wage a bet or two. Executing upwards of 25 “barn-to-belly” weddings (as he and his team have affectionately coined them) each year at the rustic 1800s sheep-ranch-turned-ski-lodge, Gor-

rono Ranch, Roth says he thrives on the rush of leaving much of the planning to Mother Nature. You may be surprised, upon meeting the blue-eyed and babyfaced 36-year-old Jersey boy in his off duty uniform of blue jeans, T-shirt and baseball cap, to hear he has 22 years of experience under his belt. Before heading west to pursue ski-bumming, and even before spending summers cruisin’ the Jersey Shore in his ’81 Cadillac Eldorado, he began his career at age 14 working at Butch’s Live Lobster (aka “the fish truck”) in Emerson, NJ. Fast forward to 2003, as a graduate of The French Culinary Institute, Roth accepted his first job in Telluride at the resort’s upscale mountaintop flagship, Allred’s. By 2008, he was Executive Chef. Roth supports area farmers such as Montrose’s Mike Anders, Paonia’s White Buffalo Farm, Durango’s James Ranch, Jumpin’ Good Goat Dairy in Buena Vista, and Ignacio’s Foxfire Farms. “Stephen is a pretty serious guy. He's very helpful with providing the details of exactly what he wants down to how it should look,” Anders says. “One summer he felt the mesclun greens were too wet. So he ordered a huge [salad] spinner and had it sent to me so they'd be dry the next time. I figured it was pretty expensive, so I returned it to him at the end of the season. He always goes the extra mile.” What Roth can’t source in the immediate area, he finds within state lines where possible. And for heavily requested items not available in the region or in the state, he seeks sustainable resources such as the Quinault Indian Nation in Washington State for wild-caught salmon.

When Telluride locals Eliza and Eric Slayman decided to host their upcoming nuptials at Gorrono Ranch, they were as passionate about their menu as they were their union. With guests from all over the globe, the couple wanted the event to reflect this region and their own sustainable lifestyle. Understanding the constraints that come with seasonality as well as cost, they looked to Roth for a solution. So what does he do when a couple wants to go full blast B-to-B on a humble budget? Local goat kebabs with black spices and curried watermelon, of course. Eliza explains, “Our wedding was a reflection of us and our lifestyle. We believe food truly brings people together so we wanted it to take center stage.” She said Roth and his team “bent over backwards” to fulfill their wishes including collaborating with the couple’s pals at Buckhorn Gardens to utilize their organic produce. For the sake of freshness, Roth will leave special little details for the very last minute. Personally visiting the Friday morning Telluride Farmers’ Market with basket in hand, he procures freshly harvested herbs and summer fruit for the next day’s event. Working together with the TS&G team led by Director of Culinary Services Jake Linzinmeir, Roth employs other sustainable initiatives like using the slow time to can seasonal crops at their peak. With the perfect marriage of talent, vehemence, integrity and a touch of east coast bravado, this chef is building a barn-to-belly legacy one happy couple at a time.

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INTERVIEW

14 edible SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS SUMMER 2012

KERNELS OF TRUTH an Edible interview with Animas Valley Farm's, Paul Sugnet

f Norman Rockwell had a favorite veggie, hands down it would be summer sweet corn. Each and every highly-anticipated ear drips with as much Americana as it does melted butter. Someone recently gave me the sad news that it’s not possible to get corn that hasn’t been in some way funneled through a “corn-poration.” This myth has been debunked. Paul Sugnet, professional wetland scientist and proprietor of Animas Valley Farms, is a certified organic corn producer right here in Durango’s city limits. Sugnet sources his seeds directly from Olathe-based Mesa Maize, the original developer of our locally beloved climate-friendly hybrids with tantalizing names such as “Luscious” and “Tablesweet.” Growing about 12,000 ears per acre, Sugnet uses only organic treatments like mineral oil for pest control and still yields an impressive 75-80% salable product. If you truly want to savor that fresh-picked sweetness, visit your farmers’ market or farm stand to get the goods right from the source. If you’re lucky, you’ll meet Paul and he’ll hand you a freshly-picked, roasted ear to devour right then and there. - Lauren Slaff Edible San Juan Mountains: You are new to farming. Was it always a dream of yours, or was it more of a whim? Paul Sugnet: I started Animas Valley Farms to grow organic produce in 2011. I had a vague notion that I should grow food on the ranch since I purchased the land in 1990. But it took me about 21 years to finally get around to it. Life is like that. Were there seasoned farmers in the area who tried to convince you that you couldn't grow sweet corn in the San Juans? To say that I was on a steep learning curve last spring would be an understatement. I spoke with a number of farmers in the Durango area and found that very few, if any, are growing corn – let alone sweet corn. Some used to grow corn for silage [cattle feed] 30 or 40 years ago when there were local dairies. Most of the farmers seemed puzzled that I would want to launch such a project. There was considerable skepticism from some, in regard to the elevation and the short growing season. I then consulted with farmers up in the Delta/Olathe area. Olathe, Colorado, as you know, is famous for its sweet corn. It is about 1200 feet lower than the Animas Valley and enjoys a lon-

ger, warmer growing season. Raised eyebrows turned to chortling and snickering from some locals when the corn failed to reach the "knee high by the 4th of July" milestone. Was there any time during the first summer [last year] that you started to think maybe they were right and that you can't grow sweet corn here? There was a time when I felt a bit like the lead character in the TV show "Green Acres" (but without Ava Gabor to console me). Luckily, my assistant, Aaron Blue [a Fort Lewis student], was always positive. But, I must admit, I was a little discouraged, and began to focus more on the other crops. The potatoes and pumpkins looked promising. In August, Ron Godin, the Colorado State Extension agent from Delta, visited the farm and assured me that I was on track – that the knee high standard only applies to Midwest feed corn. In the end, the corn was a big hit at the Durango Farmers Market. Most sweet corn fanatics consider the corn of their childhood locale to be the best on the planet. But there was some high praise for Animas Valley Farms sweet corn. Eric Allen of The Wine Merchant, a self-proclaimed corn aficionado from Iowa, called it "the best I have ever had." Paul Gelose, Chef and Owner of the Palace restaurant in Durango, had similar praise. So why sweet corn? I chose sweet corn as the flagship for year one simply because I have loved it since I was a boy. This year, we are adding heirloom melons as another focus. I think sweet corn is one of those things that represent summer to those of us who grew up in northern climates with long winters. I grew up in Buffalo and despite what the local chamber of commerce might say, winters were generally long and miserable. In those days, you didn't see corn in the market (nor much of anything else green) during the long "off season." During the summer, my father used to take us fishing in the Niagara River, just upstream from the falls. On the way home we would stop to see "the corn man" who would leave his roadside stand and pick a baker’s dozen right off the stalk for us. That made an impression on me and has been my standard for summer sweet corn ever since. What do you like best about farming? The satisfaction that comes with producing something that is not only beautiful but vital. They don't call it "produce" for nothing. However, there are very clear risks (in addition to the financial side) to starting a farming operation. At some point last year it occurred to me that you can't really fake farming. Either you end up with a useful product or you don't. And being that you are working in front of God and everybody in the community, you can't just close a curtain if the field ends up ugly. Everybody is gonna know. What is the one thing that you never anticipated about the business? I never expected so many people I know would enjoy calling me "Farmer Paul.”

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We all romanticize the life of a farmer, but is the reality as good as the fantasy? Despite all the talk about the long hours and back-breaking work – which is true – I see farming to be a lot like other endeavors. Hard work and long hours lead to success. I think Woody Allen said "90% of success is showing up." Fortunately, this climate, despite the short growing season, is fairly favorable for a number of crops. And, of course, I like working outdoors. What is the biggest mistake you made during your first year? I made a number of mistakes in my first year and may make more this year as the operation is more complex and the expectations are much higher. Luckily, I have two smart partners this season to steer me in the right direction. The single biggest mistake that I made last year was to underestimate the total investment required to get the operation off the ground. I was off by a significant number. But that is the beauty of naiveté in business. If I had a better handle on the numbers, I would have chickened out. A farmer needs to be an optimist by nature. What would be your advice to somebody who wanted to break into farming? There was a saying going around Durango when I moved here 17 years ago. “How do you end up with a million dollars in Durango? Bring two.” No, seriously, it is an honest living but land costs make it difficult to get started. But on the bright side, the area of arable land in the world is decreasing rapidly, while at the same time, the demand for food is rising rapidly, so the business of farming should get better. I heard a guy on the radio proposing urban farms in glassy skyscrapers. Who knows what the future will bring? Everyone likes to eat. Do you get tired of eating sweet corn? No.

SWEET COR N AND CHANTER ELLE R AGOUT INGREDIENTS

2 cups fresh chanterelles, trimmed 4 ears fresh corn 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 tablespoon chives, finely minced

You can also stir this simple mixture into risotto, fold into an omelet, or serve warm on crostini with a smear of chevre. My dinner guests usually prefer the shovel-directly-into-mouth method and can never seem to get enough of this perfect summer pairing.

SWEET AND SALTY BUTTER ED SUMMER COR N ICE CR EAM INGREDIENTS

4 ears fresh corn 2 cups milk 2 cups heavy cream ¾ cup sugar 9 large egg yolks 3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces 2 teaspoons coarse sea salt METHOD Cut corn kernels from cob with a sharp knife. After slicing off the kernels, run the dull side of the knife along cob to release any pulp that did not get cut off. Set aside. Break cobs into thirds In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, bring corn kernels, broken cobs, milk, cream and ½ cup of sugar to a boil, stirring. Turn off heat. Remove corn cobs and reserve. Using an immersion mixer or blender, puree mixture and allow to steep for an hour. Whisk egg yolk and remaining ¼ cup sugar in mixing bowl. Return corn mixture to heat and bring to simmer, then remove from heat. Add about a cup of the hot corn mixture to the eggs, whisking constantly so as not to curdle. Repeat this once more to temper the yolks, then return all, including corn cobs, to saucepan and cook over medium-low heat until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon (about 7-10 minutes). Remove from heat. Remove and discard cobs.

Salt and pepper to taste METHOD Gently remove any dirt from the chanterelles using a damp cloth. Cut corn kernels from cob with a sharp knife and set aside. In a large sauté pan over high heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter. Add chanterelles in a single layer trying not to crowd. Sauté, allowing each side to brown well before turning. When crisp and browned, season mushrooms with salt and pepper to taste. Add corn kernels and stir to incorporate. Turn off heat and add remaining tablespoon of butter, stirring to melt. Sprinkle with chives to serve as a side dish. 18 edible SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS SUMMER 2012

Whisk in butter, one piece at a time, until emulsified. Pass mixture through a sieve, pressing firmly on solids. Discard solids once all liquid has been removed. Cool liquid, then cover and chill for at least 4 hours. Freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s directions. When ice cream has thickened significantly, sprinkle in sea salt while still churning. Transfer finished ice cream to a container and freeze until firm…or just dig in! – Lauren Slaff

ENTS

EAROLOGY a cornalysis

STORY AND ILLUSTR ATIONS BY LAUREN SLAFF

orensics experts help solve mysterious crimes through analysis of everything from fingerprints to handwriting to hair follicles. What if an abandoned cob was the only evidence to go on? I kinda doubt any homicide units will be adding “cornalysis” training to their repertoire. But it sure is funny to examine folks eating corn in their own unique styles.

Fig. 1

THE TYPEWRITER. Logical and goal oriented, the Typewriter approaches tasks at hand with meticulous determination. Nibbling consistently from left to right (or right to left in countries where they drive on the opposite side of the road), then conscientiously returning to the starting point. Overachieving Typewriters even calculate how many rows to “harvest” at a single pass to yield one perfect mouthful. These folks tend to be steadfast in their goals, focusing on endurance over instant gratification and always crossing the finish line.

Fig. 2

THE REVOLVER. Whereas the Typewriter can clearly see his path to travel, the Revolver is always prepared for the mysterious adventure just beyond the horizon. Chomping in a vertical rotation, in most cases churning away without looking back, adventurous Revolvers never quite know what they will encounter on the other side. A calculated risk taker, the Revolver makes his way through life, and corn, forging ahead while embracing the unknown.

Fig. 3

THE FLUCTUATOR. A hybrid of the aforementioned styles, sort of a biathlete of corn consumption. While some may describe the Fluctuator as indecisive, others simply observe them as free spirited. Wishing to approach every experience (or kernel) from new and different angles, the Fluctuator can be distracted by life’s (and dinner’s) temptations but always returns to his course winding and weaving his way to complete consumption. 20 edible SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS SUMMER 2012

Fig. 4

THE GRAZER. Considerably less focused, the Grazer is often perceived as a daydreamer whose attention is frequently diverted away from the trappings of the table by the lure of warm playful summer celebrations. Typically seen in less developed, youthful cob-gobblers, it is well documented that most Grazers develop into full-fledged members of the corn-sumption community given time and encouragement. And, of course, plenty of seasonal practice!

Fig. 5

THE CLOSER. A secondary style often adopted by elder family members, the closer finishes the job after the Grazer has recklessly abandoned their ear. They strive to eliminate waste and to relish each and every morsel of life, or succulent kernel, others may take for granted.

Fig. 1

THE AMPUTATOR. Utilizing a cruel method typically frowned upon by the cob-gobbling community, Amputators prefer their kernels neatly cut off the cob and consumed with – eegads – a utensil. Clemency is granted to those for whom this is a medical necessity, as long as a physician’s note is present.*

o matter where you fall on the “earology” spectrum, it’s important to grasp a few critical tips for making the most of your precious summer sweet corn. Whatever you do, wait as long as you can to husk your ears before cooking. As soon as the fibrous husk and protective silk are peeled back, the sugars begin to turn to starches. Don’t ask me how, just trust me. Fact: Corn can be eaten raw. The reason to cook it is to gently bring out its natural flavor and to give us something capable of melting copious amounts of butter. As a purist, I like to quickly blanch my husked ears in well-salted boiling water. When I say quickly that doesn’t mean half an hour. I’m talking in…then out! A minute. Then slather and serve immediately with or without those charming little corn holders stabbed into the ends. Certainly, where there is fire there is roasted sweet corn. Whether cooked in the husk, with or without the silk, in foil or directly on the grill or campfire, the smokiness adds another layer of flavor contrasting and complimenting the natural sweetness. And if savoring straight off the cob isn’t enough, here are a couple of nifty ways to pair the sweet summer flavor of corn with other summer favorites for surprisingly succulent results. *exemptions apply when using the cobless niblets in a fun recipe. 21

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GARDEN THER APY Open Sky Tills New Soil BY ANNA RILING

rittany Meyer just turned 25. For a birthday present, she got a 25-acre farm. Well, not a gift per se; it’s her job. She’s the newly-appointed farm manager at Open Sky Wilderness Therapy, a mental health treatment program based out of Mancos. Meyer is charged with the daunting task of converting sweeping derelict hay fields, dilapidated barns, and the remnants of a hundred-year-old orchard into a fully functioning farm. Meyer studied permaculture, a form of agriculture incorporating sustainability and ecology, in Costa Rica, Vermont and, most recently, at Fort Lewis College. There, she created her own major bridging permaculture and adventure education. “I always had a vision to do this,” says Meyer from the shade of her straw hat on a recent spring day in one of the farm’s fields. “I just thought it would take me longer to get there.” Just how does a one-woman show take on something this big? One thing at a time. “It’s balancing that 30,000-foot view with what we’re doing at the ground level, right here, right now.” Right now she’s twirling a blue-handled wire snip in her hand, leather gloves waving from the back pocket of her weathered jeans, taking a break from installing an eight-foot deer fence. Eight rows of a fledgling garden lie mulched with straw in one corner of the yard. The garden and the fence are part of that ground-level view. The plan this year is to grow enough food in these eight rows to feed 75 staff members at the weekly field guide rotation. The integration of chickens, compost, bees, and apple trees in the small backyard will illustrate what’s possible with another 25 acres. As for the 30,000-foot view, Meyer’s vision is sweeping, and it makes one sweat just thinking about it. She sees wetlands restoration in the form of a pond for migrating waterfowl, reclaiming the graying barn wood and corrugated metal from the farm’s original buildings, and preserving the heritage of Civil War-era apple trees by grafting the scrappy, ancient limbs onto new root stock. She wants to use the existing infrastructure to water the fields. Livestock, chickens, and worms would provide compost and, apart from the worms, meat. The land, about 160 acres total, now serves as the company’s headquarters, which operates out of an old brick farmhouse. There are 25 acres of irrigable land, and piñon, juniper, and ponderosa cover what hay doesn’t. The neighbor to the west is a 500-acre parcel of BLM land. A pictureperfect skyline of snowy La Plata peaks defines the eastern horizon. CEO Aaron Fernandes purchased the land last year from a longtime local family. “I had been looking for years for that one special location,” says Fernandes. “It was just right.” Fernandes founded Open Sky in 2005. Originally basing the company out of the house he was renting, his intent was always to use the powerful effect of nature as therapy. He recalled his college experience working with gang members in inner city Chicago caring for an organic garden. “I watched them connect with growing things and how they would connect it with their life,”

he remembers. The program sees 200 students per year, and employs over 100 staff. The intent is for the farm to eventually feed them all. For now, though, Fernandes’s feet are firmly planted on the ground. “It has beautiful potential, but we’re really starting with a small demonstration site,” he says. In the Open Sky wilderness therapy program, adults and children with a variety of issues (including depression, addiction, anger, and eating disorders), spend weeks backpacking through the Utah and Colorado wilderness, healing and attaining coping skills. “I really see the garden as being an extension of the treatment plan,” says Fernandes. “We see food as medicine, and using that food as a treatment intervention makes a lot of sense.” As soon as next year, students of the wilderness program will be working in the garden as part of their treatment. “Students will be able to come here and say, ‘Oh my gosh, I can

24 edible SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS SUMMER 2012

take this dead material and turn it into living compost that’s got billions of things living in one tablespoon,’” says Meyer. In recent years, there has been a flurry of studies on the therapeutic effects of gardening. Gardening has been used to treat those suffering from myriad afflictions, including past abuse, depression, drug addiction, and PTSD, in settings ranging from prisons to nursing homes. Studies have shown that gardening can enhance mood, improve concentration, and lower levels of cortisol, a hormone that’s a key indicator of stress. In terms of mental health, so-called “horticulture therapy” focuses on building a skill set to reach a goal rather than on symptoms and shortcomings. A core tenet of this type of therapy is hope. That’s understandable. Planting anything in Colorado before, say, the middle of June, takes hope. And sometimes a space heater. Citing studies that link poor nutrition with behavioral problems, the menu for field guides and students in the program was created by the company’s naturopathic doctors to optimize physical and mental

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on College & 8th (close to downtown Durango) health, and consists entirely of whole foods. Every attempt is made to incorporate locally grown food into the menu. Students get beef jerky from James Ranch, hot sauce from Adobe Milling in Dove Creek, honey from Honeyville, and goat cheese from the Lazy Ewe in Del Norte. “They [local growers and ranchers] are just such an integral part of our community,” says Fernandes. All the meat and most of the produce comes from local ranchers and growers, to the tune of 30 pounds of Sunnyside Meats’ beef per week in the summer months, a couple of thousand lip balms per year from Dancing Willow Herbs in Durango, and eleven shares in a CSA from Banga Farms in Mancos. “On a weekly basis, we have more food going through here than Zuma,” says food manager Kristi Dranginis, referring to the natural foods store in Mancos. In the future, the staff will preserve food that’s grown onsite. Keeping in mind that students carry enough food for a week on their backs during the wilderness program, veggies will be dehydrated to ease the load in the summer, and blanched and frozen in the winter. As for today, Meyer will remove rusting barbed wire to make room for the deer fence. Tomorrow maybe she’ll plant some beets. The slow pace is intentional, and not because it’s just her and a 30-horsepower Kubota. “I’m letting this land teach me what it’s seen and what it needs,” she says. If all goes well, by next summer the farm’s sloping green pastures will be dotted with stooped figures, digging into their healing, one spadeful of Colorado soil at a time.

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26 edible SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS SUMMER 2012

TEA TO TAKE HOME

RIVERFRONT DINING Quick and Simple Food for Boaters BY D. DION

t was before I married that my future mother-in-law handed me a bag of dehydrated yellowish powder and shriveled peas and carrots. “It’s soup,” she told me, beaming. “From our trip.” I took it from her and threw it away later, trying not to appear rude. In my experience, soup was something eaten with a spoon, and it was usually called something more than just “soup.” I figured out the rationale for dehydrating soup much later, after I realized that my new in-laws are what are known as River Rats. I had dated my share of Ski Bums and Dirtbag Climbers, so I had some experience with other types of economical and efficient eating practices. Adventure comes with its own special diet, I’d learned. I would just

28 edible SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS SUMMER 2012

have to adapt. My in-laws, Bill and Susan Kees, have run more rivers than most people. They’ve been down the Grand Canyon fourteen times, the Middle Fork of the Salmon River (Idaho) seven-plus times and have run every classic stretch of river imaginable in the Four Corners area. They also rafted Alaska’s Tatshenshini together and Bill did a 35-day float trip in the Northwest Territories. Probably their ultimate excursion was traveling from the headwaters of the Green River in Wyoming to the Colorado River, all the way to the Sea of Cortez, a sixmonth-long mission that involved an incredible amount of logistics, planning and soup.

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But they are not your typical River Rats. They do not just relish adventure, they also savor fine food. And over all their years floating and rowing, they have perfected the balance between simplicity and satisfaction. “To prepare food on, and before, a river trip is an art that requires time and experience,” says Bill. “We like to keep it simple, but good. Preparing food beforehand is really the key, because you’re down there to have fun. It can be the difference between cooking – sometimes in the hot sun or bad weather – and relaxing.” When it comes to preparation, shortcuts don’t work. Bill remembers the time that a person in his group in charge of bringing coffee brought beans instead of grounds. The desperate caffeine addicts on the trip ended up grinding the beans with rocks. “We drank it,” he recalls, “but it wasn’t like Starbucks.” The coffee scofflaw got off easy compared to the guy in charge of the final evening dinner on a 14-day trip down Cataract Canyon. His idea of preparation was some old cans of Menudo and other salvaged canned food from a supermarket Dumpster. Bill was the trip leader and tried to keep everyone calm by eating the concoction and smiling, but there was an all-out mutiny and the angry boaters started throwing Menudo at the cook. “We put it aside and ate cookies and chocolate instead. The next trip we put him on groover duty for the entire river and everyone was happy.” (The groover is the portable toilet that boaters haul down the river with them; it was an apt sentence for such culinary misconduct.) FREEZE FOOD The secret to preparing meals ahead of time, says Bill, is to precook and freeze food. He even fries bacon at home before he puts it in the cooler – that makes it faster and less messy to cook at camp. Dehydrating prepared meals, like soup, may be a good way 109 W Main Street Cortez to store food for very long Every Saturday trips, but for typical river 7:30 a.m. until Noon trips, freezing food is key;

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30 edible SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS SUMMER 2012

a Ziploc bag of frozen spaghetti sauce doesn’t just cut down the cooking time, it also helps keep the cooler cold and uses less space than a jar. “Keeping the cooler cold is a challenge, especially on an extended trip,” says Bill. “Try to cover the cooler with a wet towel or an insulated pad. And not opening the lid excessively can save ice and extend the life of your food.” Susan says that it is best to plan meals with fresh vegetables and fruit for the first few days of the trip. Beyond that, they start to wilt and fade. The one exception is cabbage; a head of cabbage can last for an entire trip and can make a nice, fresh salad even near the end of your run. If cabbage doesn’t sound appealing, slice it, sauté it with an onion and add pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries, canned pineapple and a vinegar-sugar dressing and transform it into something special. ONE POT Another Kees culinary rule on the river: try to use just one pot. Whether you are layering lasagna or a casserole into a Dutch oven and covering it with coals, or piling several food items into a pot of boiling water, using a single vessel is a good way to streamline the cooking process. And it simplifies the cleanup. A favorite meal for the Kees is Polish sausage, potatoes and green beans, because you can boil them all together. Dress the green beans with some vinegar, the sausage with hot mustard, and open a can of applesauce, and in less than a half hour you’ll be enjoying some riverfront fine dining. ETC. The Kees have a few other trade secrets: Always make extra food at dinner so that you can have leftovers for lunch the next day. Keep a quick emergency meal on hand, sandwiches or something you can cook on a one-burner camp stove, in case someone takes an unanticipated swim. Bring a fishing pole, and you might get lucky and have a fresh catch for dinner. And the key is a great kitchen setup, something simple and close to where the boats are moored, but with lots of basic spices and seasonings – the couple even brings a maple tincture and reconstitutes it into syrup, using brown sugar and hot water – so that every meal is flavorful. Just because you’re camping doesn’t mean you can’t make delicious food. “‘Float and bloat’ is what we say when we’re rafting, because you always seem to gain weight,” laughs Susan. “I’ve never been on a river trip where I haven’t gained seven pounds. And I row!”

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