san juan mountains Traversing the San Juans to bring you the story of local food, season by season.
No. 4 Spring 2011
HIgh Country Kimchi Weedeating A Butcher and a Baker Roadside Dinner Member of Edible Communities
Certified Organic vegetables and flowers grown with love.
See you at the Aspen Saturday Market! Visit our website and join our mailing list! –Daphne, Don and the Zephyros farm crew
Contents 2
Letter from the editor
4 notable edibles
Cocina Linda Goes Todo Local
Don’t Mow the Dandelions
Damiano’s the Main Thing
Lowe Chef, High Road
10
김치, 깍두기 and Grandma
By Jess Kelley
12
New Beginnings
By Kris Holstrom
14 Libation
Spice Up Your Craft Beer with Barrel Aging
By Kris Oyler
16
The diva dines
by Lauren Slaff
18
Back of the House
By Emily Brendler Shoff
22
Love and Muffalettas
By Dale McCurry
Springtime. Birds. Bees. Romance.
Telluride’s Latest Gold: The Butcher and the Baker
26
Roadkill: It’s what’s for dinner?
by Rachel Turiel
28
Regional Food Event Calendar
30 Eat Local Guide 32 outtakes
Avalon Basham, 2, reaches for heaven at the Butcher and the Baker in Telluride, CO.
ediblesanjuanmountains.com 1
The Entrepreneurial Spirit— Making it Cook in A Mountain Town Everyone struggles. At least a little bit. Add the mountain town component and the struggle factor increases a touch. But it’s worth it. That extra job you have and hate, but need, pays for paradise. It pays for whatever passion you have that brought and kept you here. Or whatever passion you had in the muddy grinds of the city and are trying to make fit here. It might sometimes feel like forcing a square peg into a round hole. That’s the struggle. That’s what you do when you find that thing you love to do. People who follow their dreams know this. They know the struggle. These people are called entrepreneurs, and there is a magazine for them too. People in the San Juans know this, and there’s a lot of risk taking, innovative food and beverage proprietors popping up. When you follow what you love, the promise is that the money will follow. I’ve tried it. One time I started a granola business. I had a killer little tent at a farmers market outside of Denver. It was a long shot, but people loved it and in some sick way I totally loved making huge batches of sticky baked organic grains. I lost money. Then we moved. Then I felt like I needed a real job. It’s because of the granola (and other reasons) that I really admire people who give it a shot. Like Linda Illsley, who is moving her menu toward all locally sourced ingredients (Yes, all. Everything). To do this, of course, she’s had to raise prices and is feeling the struggle of patrons not wanting to pay the increased cost. But if you’ve ever talked to her, you know how passionate she is about it. So passionate she says she’ll quit if it doesn’t work. It’s people who have this passion that stories are written about. Take Megan Ossola and Cinda Simons, who’ve started a novel little cafe in Telluride when the economy is—so they say—in the dump. And people love it. “We’re local because we have to be,” Ossola says. They’ve made the square peg fit nicely into the round hole. This is happening all over the southwest. “Sid” Cavallo left a legacy in New Orleans to come to Ouray to follow love and make muffalettas. There are international travelers coming to volunteer at farms in our area because they want nothing other than to learn a trade that will sustain them—and all of us. Grandma Chung is almost 80 years old and is still making batches of kimchi and Secret Sauce because she “loves to feed the people.” This is what I’m talking about. It’s stories like this that make me want to break out the oats and honey and start mixing again. Instead we’re trying like the devil to get a magazine off the ground when some say print is dead. The response to the magazine has been proving that theory terribly wrong. At the end of the day, people—diners especially—want something new, so these self-starters will not struggle for long. We can’t let that happen. In case you didn’t read the 2011 restaurant trends as reported by the National Restaurant Association, then let me tell you, these San Juan entrepreneurs will fair far better than Front Range granola. The “What’s Hot in 2011” survey of more than 1,500 professional chefs concluded that local and hyper-local sourcing will be among the hottest trends on restaurant menus in 2011. The top ten menu trends for this year included locally sourced meats, locally grown produce, sustainability as a culinary theme, back-to-basics cuisine and farm-branded ingredients (names of farms are called out on the menu). On the drink menu, spirits from micro-distilleries are topping the menu. Other libations high on the list include locally produced beer and wine—so the boys at SKA, Steamworks and Sutcliffe are ahead of the game. I don’t think any of our cooks, farmers and beverage makers here in the San Juans were waiting for these reports to come out. They already knew. Diners are demanding local, artisan-created food and drink. It tastes better than what’s being made by chemicals and machines. It’s worth the extra dollar, and what’s more it’s worth the trouble. We hope you feel inspired by our Spring Issue—so inspired that maybe we’ll be writing about your granola—or whatever dream in our next issue. Jess Kelley Managing Editor 2 edible SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS SPRING 2011
edible
san juan mountains Editor & Publisher Rick Scibelli, Jr.
MANAGING EDITOR Jess Kelley
DESIGNER Bambi Edlund
Writers Kris Holstrom Kris Oyler Lauren Slaff Rachel Turiel Emily Brendler Shoff Jennifer Mandaville Dale McCurry
Copy Editor Dale McCurry
Photographer Rick Scibelli, Jr.
advertising Durango: Jess Kelley jess@ediblesanjuanmountains.com Rick Scibelli rick@ediblesanjuanmountains.com Telluride/Montrose/Ridgeway/Ouray: Dale McCurry and Jennifer Mandaville, WellSpring Publishing, Marketing and Public Relations wellspring@ediblesanjuanmountains.com
contact us 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 info@ 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. © 2011. Every effort is made to avoid errors, misspelling and omissions. If, however, an error comes to your attention, please accept our sincere apologies and do notify us. Thank you.
103 Rose Lane Montrose, Colorado
2674 N. Highway 135, Gunnsion, CO
A little over 1 mile east of Historic Downtown Montrose
On the Gunnison River, 2.5 miles north of downtown Gunnison
(970)249-4381
(970)641-2493
On the Cover: After 16 years of marriage and 16-plus years of farming together, Rosie Carter and Chuck Barry of Stone Free Farm have discovered the secret to success: Do what you love. For Chuck, it’s his music – writing, playing and recording (download his band: Beautiful Loser Society. You won’t be disappointed). For Rosie, it is art. Photography (look for her homemade photo booth at the Cortez farmers market this summer) and intricate dioramas (a solo show now hangs at Arborena in Mancos. Again, you won’t be disappointed.). Together, it is working the land and growing some of the best produce in the area (the carrots are especially, well, special). And just why are they on the cover when there is no story to be found on them inside this issue? Why not? —RMS, Jr.
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notable edibles
Cocina Linda Goes Todo Local Normally it’s warm inside Cocina Linda. Like take-your-pants-offand-pour-me-a-margarita kinda warm. But we’re not in Mexico, we’re in Durango, in a premiere tamale joint that’s been sitting on the outskirts of the Albertson’s supermarket parking lot for almost ten years. On the chalkboard menu above the ordering counter “Shrimp Salad” has been deliberately crossed out and “Out of Season” iswritten across it. On the south-facing window that faces the parking lot, where gobs of people hurry in and out with plastic bags filled with international foods, is a black and white “Eat Local, Eat Healthy” sticker. Like an ant waving a little white flag in a room of elephants—and having a damn fine time at it. “Eye yam soooooooo excited,” exclaims Linda Illsley, proprietor, originally from Michoacán, Mexico, from behind the counter in a red tank top. “I found a lady who is going to raise us pigs!” She’s talking about Cecilia Berto, of Berto Farms out of Yellow Jacket, and her energy is so contagious that now I am really excited about the pigs. And pork is just the beginning. Illsley is on a crusade to support local farmers by fully adapting her menu to buy and cook what area farmers have and cannot sell. “The menu is not going to be strictly Mexican anymore,” she says. “We’re going to serve what the farmers need us to.” Her hope is to collaborate with the farmers directly, and if they’ve got a bunch of spaghetti squash, then, by Joe, she’ll buy what she can afford, and make a Latin-infused dish out of it. If some staple foods cannot be locally sourced, the goal is to be organic…but not commercial organics. “I don’t want the truck, I don’t trust the truck.”
She’s already rolling. Menu items now include carrot soup from Montezuma Farms, USDA certified organic eggs from Cole Ranch just east of Durango, Fox Fire Farms and James Ranch meats and local chickens. Along with help from a Danish trained chef, meals like pork tenderloin in a plum molé sauce with spinach salad will soon be replacing the shrimp salad’s spot on the chalkboard. While trendy and utopian, this local-only menu change is not cheap—she estimates a 300% cost increase just for using local meat. “We have to get more acquainted with the real cost of food,” she explains. “How many of us go and spend $6 to $12 on a cocktail, but when I put up the price by fifty cents to have local meat, people get upset?” Good point, and speaking of cocktails, there’s more of those on the menu now too, with vodka and gin from Peak Spirits, which is grown, fermented and distilled at Jack Rabbit Hill Biodynamic Farm in Hotchkiss, and rum from Montanya Distillers in Silverton. “We have to do this,” she says. “I’ve thought about it, and thought what if it doesn’t work? If it doesn’t work I can’t go back to the old menu…I quit. We can’t sit here and let Monsanto take over. We have to start becoming aware and reclaim our power over our food; if not we will wake up one day and there will be no other options.” Side of activism salsa, anyone? —Jess Kelley Cocina Linda is open seven days a week, Monday through Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., and Sunday’s from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. 970-259-6729. ediblesanjuanmountains.com 5
notable edibles The Inside Scoop on Spring Edibles With Katrina Blair:
Don’t Mow the Dandelions
Edible: What are the first wild edible plants people in the San Juan region are going to see? KB: The earliest wild edible greens that start showing their presence in the spring are wild grasses, dandelions, mallow and sometimes a few thistles. All of these give the body an amazing boost of life force energy, reminding us of who we are. When we eat directly from the earth we live on, we remember that our big body is the earth itself and we want to care for our whole self. We are what we eat! Edible: What do they taste like? KB: Grass is sweet and often melts in your mouth when it is young and just poking up out of the ground. All grass is edible, but they all taste different. Make sure you don’t eat any grass that has been sprayed with “weed and feed” lawn chemicals from the past fall. 6 edible SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS SPRING 2011
So avoid public parks at this point unless it is at known chemicalfree parks or in an area that you know its history. Dandelions are tender now too. They still have a mild bitter flavor, but are delicious in salads, green juices and to nibble as you pass by. Mallow is a delicious mild flavor all year round. The entire plant is edible. It is a great addition to smoothies, juices and salads. Edible: Is there a certain way to pick these edible plants, and any suggestions on storing them? KB: Pick the spring greens carefully, one leaf at a time and not too many from one plant, so they will continue to grow more leaves easily as the spring progresses. Give thanks to their life force! Use the greens fresh or hang dry or dry on a screen in an area that does not get direct sunlight. Once fully dry, you can store the greens in
a glass jar to use later in your smoothies or for other daily recipes to get an addition of wild mineral support. Edible: Speaking of recipes, what’s the best way you’ve found to consume these plants? KB: A simple green juice is my favorite way to ingest the greens right now. I grab a handful of whatever edible greens I can find, rinse off the dirt if necessary and add them to the blender with an apple and a lemon. I fill the blender 3/4 full of good water and blend well. If it breaks down fully, I drink it with the pulp, but if the pulp doesn’t break down due to too much cellulose, I strain it and drink it right away. It is best to drink it as fresh as possible, but if I make a large amount for the day, I put it in a glass jar with a lid and keep it cool. Edible: Beyond being able to eat these plants, do they have any medicinal properties or health benefits? KB: All the edible greens that begin to appear are our best friends in the spring time. They are packed with nourishment from the underground stores of minerals. In the early spring, these greens are particularly vital and full of enzymes bursting with new life. By ingesting the young greens, we are consuming chlorophyll. Living chlorophyll supports our immune system, provides liquid oxygen to help revitalize the blood and binds with excess toxins to remove them from our body. Chlorophyll also helps shift our body chemistry into an alkaline state which promotes health. ★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★ Edible: If people are interested in learning more about wild plants and their uses, where are some places to start? KB: Our book Local Wild Life: Turtle Lake Refuge’s Recipes for Living Deep is a great resource for the local wild plants and how to use them. It can be found at Maria’s Bookshop as well as Durango Natural Foods and Natures Oasis. Other great resources include other wild edible field guides that have great pictures, such as edible and medicinal plant books by Gregory Tilford. Turtle Lake Refuge also has wild edible plant hikes throughout the growing season, and people can check our website: turtlelakerefuge.org to find out about upcoming classes.
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Author, teacher and naturalist, Katrina Blair, is the Director and Founder of Turtle Lake Refuge, which was founded in 1998 to “Celebrate the Connection Between Personal Health and Wild Lands.” She teaches sustainable living practices and wild edible plant classes through San Juan College in Farmington, NM, Fort Lewis College in Durango, CO and with Prescott College in Prescott, AZ. Turtle Lake Refuge is located at 848 East 3rd Ave in Durango: 970-247-8395.
A complimentary gourmet breakfast is served every morning in the lobby of the Rochester Hotel. Our breakfasts feature a daily hot entrée, an abundance of fresh fruit, homemade baked goods, muffins, scones, coffeecakes and granola. www.rochesterhotel.com (970) 385-1920 • (800) 664-1920 721 East Second Avenue, Durango, CO 81301 stay@rochesterhotel.com
ediblesanjuanmountains.com 7
notable edibles
Damiano’s the Main Thing “What do you want to know?” Anthony Damiano asks with a slight smile; the proprietor of Damiano’s on Main is busy. Classically Italian, from his rapid-fire Long Island dialect to his southern-European features, Damiano appears a bit tussled but very directed. He arrives for our interview juggling his business. He quickly confers with his head chef, followed by a brief wine tasting and is clearly focused on his ever-present appetite for the mission: excellence in great local food and a passion for urban revitalization. Damiano periodically pauses to introduce a parade of employees anxious to ask questions du jour; the laughter is hearty and, clearly, the loving rapport is mutual. It is refreshing to see a restaurant owner honor his staff. As he begins to share his story, I glance around the restaurant. Nice: Local art covers the walls, and the sofas and easy-chairs mix agreeably with dining tables. The palette is sophisticated yet unassuming—relaxed. The proprietor has been around the block and it shows. Chef Anthony fills his time with his two restaurants—Damiano’s on Main and the newly opened Sushitini—and his latest Montrose venture, The Western Colorado Culinary Academy. Yes, a culinary school. “Montrose is a college town without a college,” Damiano says. The Western Colorado Culinary Academy opened its doors in February, 2011, and as the school earns its various accreditations, 8 edible SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS SPRING 2011
the seats are filling with students eager to learn the craft Damiano has honed over the past forty years. With a career started in his family’s restaurant, Damiano went to culinary school and apprenticed around Europe. He scored his first job at the Hotel Pierre in New York and later, in 1987, landed a gig as Executive Chef at the Russian Tea Room—1,400 covers daily and annual sales of $14 million. It was during his three years at the Tea Room that Anthony met his love and wife, Lisa—former pastry chef at the Tea Room and current pastry chef for Damiano’s. Over the next eleven years, from the coastline of Florida to the Las Vegas Strip, the duo opened several lauded restaurants (including three in historical homes in redeveloping areas), and wrote a cookbook, Damiano’s at the Tarrimore House. Damiano served as chef instructor at Le Cordon Bleu, worked for Donald Trump and lastly (maybe the coolest?) created the longest buffet line in Vegas at the Rio Hotel and Casino. Opening his latest restaurants and the culinary school in the historic district of Montrose employs his passion for both urban revitalization and fresh, local food. “Everything is based on seasonality,” declares Damiano. “If I can’t get good tomatoes, I won’t serve them.” Damiano’s on Main’s menu changes every two to four weeks. Seafood is flown in daily. The coal-and-wood-fired oven—the centerpiece of the dining room—bakes homemade-crust topped pizza with a good friend’s locally made goat mozzarella and fresh herbs from Norwood. The menu varies from a selection of Colorado Sterling Finest Aged Angus steaks to garam masala dusted pork tenderloins with apple and pear gastrique, a five-hour roasted duck with a pomegranate reduction that Damiano promises is “to die for” and, of course, pasta … lotsa pasta. At the end of the day he is, of course, Italian. —Jennifer Mandaville
notable edibles
Lowe Chef, High Road It seems it takes a puppy to teach the proverbial old dog new tricks. Take the Ore House Restaurant for example. Established 1972. Take Ryan Lowe. General Manage/Executive Chef. Established 1984. It’s a culinary Cinderella story of the kid washing dishes to earn a coupl’a bucks, who just kept moving up, and up and up… A kid with the kind of bravado—minus the ego—necessary to overtake seasoned culinary veterans to win the coveted title of 2009 Iron Horse Chef at the Durango Farmers’ Market. Now at the ripe old age of 26, Chef Lowe has overseen a massive kitchen renovation and less massive, but intuitive and culturally conscious, menu transition at one of the San Juans’ long established dining institutions. In the tradition of celebrated restaurant giants such as award winning chef, Tom Collicchio’s highly touted steakhouse, Craft, Lowe’s Ore House kitchen will maintain its a la carte steak-house concept while elevating to true ingredient-forward offerings, thoughtfully prepared yet presented playfully with an eye on sustainability in the forefront. I asked Lowe what he was most pleased to see adios from the Ore House repertoire. Needing no time to ponder and respectably concealing his obvious giddiness: The “salad bar”—dandy for the local supermarket, but not for classy 21st century joints like his. Instead, diners will be treated to lovely salads, creatively composed
in the kitchen rather than under a Lucite shield. Best new item to bring to the picture? Side of bleu cheeselaced creamed sweet-corn. Served crusted in savory cornbread, it arrives tableside piping hot in its own diminutive cast iron skillet. Though Ryan has had years of hands-on experience, he has had no formal training. I wondered if he regretted missing out on that, and if given the opportunity, from whom would he most like to learn? Go figure: the steakhouse impresario cited famed San Francisco vegan chef, Eric Tucker of Millenium restaurant, whose creations inspired his oyster mushroom “calamari”—a dish he hopes, with other veggie-centric dishes, to bring to the new Ore House menu. Any one ingredient Lowe is most excited about? Sustainably harvested Alaskan King Salmon. He regales the detailed process from fishing line to kitchen, which produces the maximum fishliciousness and nutritional benefit, while simultaneously respecting both species and habitat. Classic Steak House—how about classic cocktails, I inquire, glancing at the cozy bar area. (It is after noon, for goodness sake, too early to ponder?). Crafted in the tradition of today’s premier mixologists, Ore House offers a small, but growing list of swanky libations, each employing only locally crafted spirits and foregoing outdated (and kinda icky) accoutrements like the maraschino cherry in favor of luscious house brandysoaked dark beauties. Wit h growing season just around the corner, Lowe assures me we can look forward to the addition of daily selections of seasonal market-driven dishes celebrating our local bounty while remaining rooted in the traditions of the great West the Ore House has come to stand for. So keep an eye on this “boy wonder” and his passionate quest to marry old and new in delicious harmony. —Lauren Slaff ediblesanjuanmountains.com 9
김치, 깍두기 and Grandma By Jess Kelley
H
ere in the Four Corners, it can feel as if “culture” goes about as far as Anglo’s in Patagonia garb, enclaves of decent Mexican food and the rogue Himalayan joint. Even beyond the Southwest, when it comes to food, America is often criticized as not having a food culture at all—aside, of course, from the vast variety of burger drive-throughs. And, lest we forget, the ketchup that goes with it. Americans have ketchup like Australians have Vegemite, Chileans have manjar, Brits have chips and the Irish have soda bread. In Korea, it’s kimchi. Kimchi at just about every meal. Koreans eat so much of it that natives say “kimchi” instead of “cheese” when getting their photo taken. Kimchi is here…in Durango. A Korean condiment messenger brought it: Grandma Chung. Grandma (Hwaja) Chung: the woman, the legend, the chef. Grandma—the name originating from her collection of grand, and great grand children—has been cheffing-up traditional Korean cuisine for Durango diners for decades. She’s exposed our naive taste buds to a cultural condiment that’s been around for more than 4,000 years. A condiment, mind you, that has its own museum and traveled to space with Korea’s first astronaut. Sorry, Heinz. So back up. Ahem, what then, you ask, is kimchi? While there are hundreds of variations, the basis is a fermented, fiery-yet-pun-
10 edible SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS SPRING 2011
gent Napa cabbage-based dish that’s heavily seasoned with garlic, red chile, ginger and scallions. A condiment, yes, but kimchi also moonlights as kimchi burgers, kimchi bacon rolls, and kimchi pizza. When she’s not making multi-pound batches of kimchi to sell to stores around Durango, Grandma Chung makes kimchi pancakes for her grandson, Jesse, who’s acquired a taste for them. This is nutrition in disguise: kimchi is loaded with vitamins A, B and C, and its biggest benefit is in its healthy bacteria called lactobacillus, found in other fermented foods like yogurt. According to Grandma, it also has medicinal benefits. “The kimchi tastes good, good for people. Don’t catch cold if you eat this everyday,” she says, ladling out a scoop from the large plastic container on her kitchen counter. (She’s onto something with the health thing: While it wasn’t scientifically proven as a cure, in 2005 scientists in Seoul found that avian-flu infected chickens recovered after being fed kimchi. Not surprisingly, sales surged.) But don’t start jumping too high, it does contain a significant amount of sodium—like 1500 mg in a one-cup serving. It wasn’t easy to get Grandma’s authentic kimchi here. Not easy at all. Born March 20, 1933, in Haeju, North Korea, Hwaja Chung was one of eleven siblings, one boy and 10 girls. Her father
was a type of lord—much like a laird in Scotland—and she lived under Japanese rule, bowing down to her parents. Before coming to the States by boat, she ran away from home to avoid a preordained marriage, spent years as a semi-enslaved servant in different homes and, when pregnant with her second of five children, witnessed the Second Bombing of Seoul. This was followed by months of survival, trying to find food and shelter. The story goes on and doesn’t get easier. She met an American solider in a nightclub after the war ended; they married and moved to the States. Five years and three children later, they divorced. Grandma landed in Colorado Springs, where she worked for the next 22 years, 80 hours a week, fixing electronic panels for Ampex Corp. She said she was never a minute late despite raising five kids on her own, making all their clothes and food, yet still finding time to create needlepoint artwork. She technically retired in 1988 and moved to Durango to be closer to her son, Jerry, and together they ran Grandma Chung’s restaurant from 1989 to 1997. “I have five kids, no child support, no money. I have such a hard time living in this country. I work so hard, but I never ask for government money. I don’t believe in that, no one give money, no stamp, I never lined up to wait for the stamp.” Today, the 78-year-old shows no signs of slowing down, despite urgings from her kids (someday, she jokingly says, she hopes to “just droppah”). Meanwhile, she cooks and tends to her gardens and greenhouse. She cooks a lot. For lunch one afternoon, she serves green chile tofu with brown rice, spring rolls and kimchi. Most everything is served with her “Secret Sauce” which tastes like garlic heavy soy sauce (think: amazing). And talk about food culture: In between stirring steaming pots, she pulls out gigantic bags of seaweed, dried mushrooms and MeKong Rice paper—all with words spelled in symbols, not letters. “I love to feed the people.” she says. “American food have so much sugar, butter, oil. I like the lighter, the natural way.” She’s doing something right because she’s beautiful. My guess is the kimchi. (Both Cleopatra and Queen Elizabeth were reportedly devoted eaters of cultured raw vegetables, believing their consumption made them more beautiful). Grandma is short, so she stands on extended step stools to reach the stovetop. She wears stylish tinted Nine West glasses and a commercial blue apron. Each ear has two earring holes with sparking stones to match the sparking rings on her fingers. Her smile is a room-lighter.
Beyond making monster batches of kimchi, Grandma also sells canned beets, Secret Sauce, toasted sesame seeds, spring rolls, tofu dishes and a delightful peanut sauce. Her main dish artistry is split between the deli counters at Nature’s Oasis and Durango Natural Foods, while Albertsons and City Market sell her packaged goods, including kimchi. Look for the label—it has a red rooster on it, which is the Chinese symbol of physical and moral fortitude. Go figure. On another day at lunchtime, Grandma demos samples of her cooking at Nature’s Oasis. She wears a white lab coat and a different pair of stylish glasses. Garlic fills the air, compliments the noodles and expertly tangos with strips of beef. There’s no ketchup to be seen. It’s ten percent off that day for her products, and the kimchi goes the fastest. ediblesanjuanmountains.com 11
New Beginnings By Kris Holstrom
S
pring is an interesting time in the San Juans. Our region ranges from lower elevations where spring happens on time and folks are able to plant in April and May, to the high elevations where April still finds us with snow coming down, snow to melt, mud to contend with and variable temperatures that can drive us crazy. We crave the feel of the soil, the smell of freshly dug gardens, the taste of the first greens of the new season. When we look outside and still see drifts of dirty snow it can be discouraging. But we must not despair—for others share our desires. Local growers are getting ready to welcome the new batch of helpers to our farms. Apprenticeship is not a new notion. The practice may have started as early as 100 BC in Greece where learned men took on younger students to pass on both intellectual and experiential knowledge. Education of the masses wasn’t in practice. In medieval times apprentices were sometimes exploited—and looked upon as one step up from indentured servants. But in modern times the idea of teaching and learning by doing is experiencing a resurgence. Apprentice or intern—in the farm setting both terms apply—it really is about hands-on, experiential learning. Who are these folks who want to learn about the modern agrarian life? In my experience they come in all shapes and sizes, ages and inclinations. One summer our farm had two 16-year-old girls from Atlanta (with parental permission!). We had a two-week apprentice from England who was a graphic designer. Down in New Zealand at Rainbow Valley (an alternative community I’m associated with) their interns (including two philosophy professors) come from all over the world, including the United States as well as Australians involved in cutting-edge water cleaning technologies (vortexes). The common theme is usually a desire to learn agrarian skills that can either compliment a formal educational path or serve as a launching pad for a new direction. They want to learn to care for the land, grow food, care for critters and develop the skills that will serve them well, no matter where their future leads. The basics of an apprenticeship vary from farm to farm, with as many styles as there are varieties of tomatoes to grow. Some offer live-in situations and involve people in all aspects of the farm’s daily tasks. Some offer a stipend for the work-exchange inherent
12 edible SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS SPRING 2011
2010 “Tomtens,” (l-r) Jasmine Osborn, Erika Cedardahl, Taya Schulte and seated is Julie Cerny
in the agreement while others share the profit. Some charge a fee (usually these have a strong educational component). So how do those seeking a farm experience find the right opportunity? Many readers will have heard of WWOOFing. The catchy acronym stands for Willing Workers on Organic Farms. This global organization has a US branch that charges $30-$40 to join. Members then get access to a listing of thousands of organic farms who will welcome their visit. As a WWOOFer you are generally expected to work at least a half day in exchange for a day’s room and board. Many farms will take WWOOFers for a few weeks—even more. The international website is www.wwoof.org, and the U.S. based site is www.wwoofusa.org. Another good resource is www.growfood.org. A search feature allows users to find farms by region. These opportunities are mostly within the United States, but there are a few hosts from other countries. The last of the top three sites I’ve used is www.attra.org (Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural America). This site is full of so many resources it’s worth a look even if you have no desire to work on a farm. So, what’s the process? From a farmer’s standpoint emails start sprouting up from hopeful apprentices in late winter and early spring. Then it’s a matter of figuring out if there’s a good fit between the expectations of the intern and offerings of the farm. For true apprenticeships or longer term stays, farms require additional steps including personal interviews. Certain skills may be requested—though many just want to see that their future helpers
Come in and check out our delicious selection of Local & Organic Produce, and enjoy our daily specials, sandwiches and smoothies from the Deli. We also offer a large selection of Local, Natural and Organic products in our Grocery and Wellness section. You Can Trust Your Community have a good work ethic. Tomten has a fairly extensive application that tries to get at ‘who’ our applicants are. Two of our 13 questions for example: On the farm, life and work are intertwined. We live together, work together, play together and learn together. This strengthens us as a community, but may challenge us with conflict. What is your communication style and how do you deal with conflict? Describe an influential “food moment” in your life. We follow up with a phone interview. It’s an intuitive judgment on our part, but we know that usually the people who are ‘supposed’ to be on the farm find their way there. This is the only way I want to farm. The mutual benefits can be enormous. We wouldn’t have goats on the farm if not for Katharina, from Austria. Around ten years ago our email interviews lead to magic summers in Telluride for her. She had worked on an organic goat dairy in Austria and once we agreed to try them, she taught me all I know of goats—milking, tending, making cheese, giving ’em love. Breigh Peterson, a former intern, is running a thriving operation that includes a 52' growing dome greenhouse, 3 high tunnels, an acre of new orchard and two and a half acres of vegetables (Buckhorn Gardens outside of Colona, Colorado). Another, Katherina Ullmann, is in a graduate program at UC Davis studying pollinator biology. Another, Cari Bivona, started Homegrown Truckee—a group of gardeners dedicated to growing food at 6000'. About her time here on Tomten Farm, Cari says, “It was the moment that changed my life. It struck me that there is no other way to be in this world, that I have to pursue this.” This is the ultimate ‘why I do it.’ I love the fact that one of my daughter’s college essays explains how the “tomtens” on the farm changed her life by exposing her to a whole different world—a different kind of ‘it takes a village.’ In the past twenty years we’ve had way over 100 folks come through the farm. They’ve brought energy and enthusiasm, amazing drum circles and fireside discussions, a lot of joy and a few sorrows, but mostly an overwhelming amount of love and care for the earth that I feel honored to have fostered in a small way—and in a very large way, received. Kris Holstrom owns Tomten Farm, a high-altitude, off-grid organic farm at 9000' near Telluride.
Community owned..... Everyone Welcome!
Co-op!
Open Daily 8am-9pm
on College & 8th . 970-247-8129 . Visit: www.DurangoNaturalFoods.coop
Ouray County, Colorado
970.318.6916 ediblesanjuanmountains.com 13
Libation
Spice Up Your Craft Beer with
Barrel Aging By Kris Oyler
A
dding to the growing complexity and flavors of craft beers, barrel aging programs have now become a popular trend with craft brewers. Artisan brewers use wine, whiskey and other spirits barrels to inject new flavors into their already full-bodied offerings. Barrels can be used as a vessel for fermentation, the process during which yeast cells consume sugars and produce alcohol and bubbles as a result. Wood barrels can also be used to age and condition beer once it is fermented. Barrel aging programs are often started as a creative outlet for the brewer and to expand craft beer lovers’ palates by combining flavors that are not typically found in the fermentation of beer alone. Information can be collected on how well beer ages in various vessels and what kind of characteristics in the beer develop over time—it’s a great way to experiment. Flavors retained from the liquid previously in the barrel influence and harmonize with the beer, adding another layer of complexity. Bourbon barrels will certainly inject a boozy flavor into the beer, as well as some oak and vanilla notes. Oak and vanilla will also come through with wine barrels, though the wine flavors are decidedly different than their bourbon counterparts and can vary depending on the variety of wine. While American oak is easier to find, French oak barrels are not uncommon. Barrels can be used repeatedly. In their first use, the liquor or wine will shine through in the beer. The second use typically imparts more of the flavors from the oak. Once these flavors are exhausted, many brewers will then “sour” the barrel by adding brettanomyces and/or lactobacillus. “Brett” is yeast most associated with barrel-aged red wines and produces large amounts of acetic acid, and lactobacillus is a bacterium that converts sugars to lactic acid, thus the creation of sour flavors. Once aged, brewers “rack” the beer from wood barrels into stainless steel kegs, first, then serves them through a hand pump actuated beer engine or puts enough head pressure on the kegs that they will carbonate over about a week’s time. From there, brewers have the op14 edible SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS SPRING 2011
tion of serving the beer on draught or bottling off the kegs. Several Four Corners brewers have begun to barrel age beers, including SKA Brewing. Head Brewer Thomas Larsen brought his knowledge of barrel aging to SKA from Wynkoop Brewing in Denver. SKA had already started a program with an Anniversary Scotch Ale, but Larsen has since expanded barrel-aged beer programs. SKA now gets most of its barrels from Stranahan’s in Denver or Peach Street Distillers in Palisade, but has used Heaven Hill Bourbon barrels from Kentucky as well. SKA also recently acquired four rum barrels from Montanya Distillers in Silverton, in which it is aging a double blond. All these barrels are American oak. SKA has been concocting a sour red beer to be released at the end of 2012. SKA brewers have eight, fifty-five gallon barrels that have been aging for a year after being inoculated with brettanomyces and lactobacilli. Larsen recently started ten more barrels of sour red with different strains of brettamomyces that will be blended with the first batch of eight. One of the difficulties for packaging brewers is the amount of beer needed to make the bottling effort worthwhile. Blending
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multiple batches allows flavor profiles to shift to desired targets and allows for greater quantities of beer. Packaging is in “cork and basket” style bottles and is labor intensive. SKA is looking into acquiring a wooden twenty-barrel fermentation tank to increase the quantity of beers that it can produce. Larsen’s favorite outcome of barrel aging was a framboise he brewed at Wynkoop. Framboise is a Belgian lambic beer that is fermented using raspberries. After aging in a sour barrel, the intense sours were balanced with a fresh batch of framboise, adding intense fruit flavor, sweetness and depth to the beverage. In the end, each brewer has his or her own interpretation of barrel-aged beer, offering an enormous number of possibilities to produce unique beers. Try a barrel-aged beer at your local brewery and experience one of these great creative offerings. Kris Oyler is co-founder of the award-winning Steamworks Brewing Co. in Durango, Colorado, which has been making beer in the San Juan Mountains since 1996. ediblesanjuanmountains.com 15
the diva dines
Arborena
Springtime. Birds. Bees. Romance. A City Girl Celebrates (the romantic side of ...) the San Juans. by Lauren Slaff
T
he thaw that begins our long anticipated growing season and inevitably warms our hearts. A gentle alpine chill lingers in the air and majestic snow-capped San Juan peaks provide the backdrop for a healing soak au deux in the hot springs followed by a sumptuous meal at Pagosa Springs’ beloved Alley House Grille. Alley House Grille The moment we enter the historic converted house, we are embraced by a warm, glowing mocha room with elegantly unearthed original details juxtaposed with playful contemporary art. The muted lighting and crackling fireplace further the seduction.
16 edible SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS SPRING 2011
We are affectionately greeted and seated; the genial and professional Alley House staff reflect the genuine passion of connubial proprietors Todd and Kellie Stevens. With years of both fine and casual dining experience under their belts, the vibrant couple relocated to Pagosa Springs from the Lone Star State in 2005, opening their instantly successful Farrago Market. Wishing to bring their comfortable, delectable cuisine to the next level, they opened Alley House Grille to a skeptical public the following year. Heck, this is a ranch town after all, and who needs all that fussy stuff? But quite to the contrary, the pair created a venue offering the familiar yet anything-but-pedestrian food they adore, and it mirrors the comfortable atmosphere they’ve attentively cultivated.
Quality conscious and technique focused, their fare elevates the dining experience without unnecessarily challenging the diner. Settled in at our cozy table, we begin slurping tiny, sweet Prince Edward Island mussels enveloped in a luscious basil spiked green curry broth straight from their ebony shells, savoring their briny tenderness. Shamelessly, we slop up all we can of the ambrosial potion with slices of buttery grilled Pagosa Baking Company bread enlivened with the house smoky chipotle spice blend. After munching down on an inventive signature take on Caesar salad, adorned with gingery wonton crisps and laced with hints of red curry and Asian fish sauce (think anchovies), we venture on to what can only be described as a hedonistic pizza experience. The twist begins with the crust. In the tradition of the classic sourdoughs of northern Cali, Todd nurtures his 3-year-old starter weaned on smooth Belgian Trappist beer from which the tangy, chewy crust is created. Our “Black & Blue” version is laden with molten layers of gorgonzola and mozzarella, earthy mushrooms, sweet caramelized onions and house spice rubbed grilled tenderloin tips. In anticipation of more to come, we reluctantly pack up the remaining slices for the privacy of home. Just when we think it can’t get any more decadent, it does. A lusty locavore entrée arrives, its serving vessel cradling succulent James Ranch short ribs in an aromatic, rich braising reduction, drunken with Pagosa Brewing Company’s smooth, Soakers Stout. Generously nestled atop a pool of creamy Manchego polenta, these fork-tender morsels of grass-finished, locally raised beef create a crescendo to this decadent course-by-course culinary courtship. No romantic feast would be complete without the sweet satisfaction of a potent chocolate dessert. The simple dark flourless cake, adorned in red-ripe raspberries in a swirl of tangy coulis, holds a torch of its own. Literally. Through the magic of kitchen wizardry, a little gently applied heat creates a molten glaze that entices you to keep indulging. (WARNING: This technique is performed by trained professionals in a professional kitchen. Trying this at home may result in embarrassingly singed eyebrows, painfully scorched thumbs and/or unsavory charred cake tops.) True romance is about creating a perfect pairing. This is reflected in the thoughtfully chosen selection of all American wines including vintages from McElmo Canyon residents and Sutcliffe Vineyards. We particularly enjoyed a spicy, plumy Klinker Brick Lodi Syrah. Glasses and half bottles range from $7–$20, with bottles starting at an affordable $26. The check will reflect the conscientiously well-priced menu with appetizers and salads ranging from $6–$12, pizzas at $13 small/$17 large and entrees priced from $17–$42 for the pinnacle of date dishes, the classic surf and turf, and desserts from $8–$10. www.alleyhousegrille.com DUNTON HOT SPRINGS If a soak is your ideal aphrodisiac and you are prepared to splurge
The Alley House
in the interest of l’amour, take a scenic drive and indulge in the prix fixe lunch or dinner at the exclusive Dunton Hot Springs in Dunton, Colorado (Both packages offer use of the restorative spa facilities, a luxurious meal and most libations, featuring the highly touted wines of Sutcliffe Vineyards. Seasonal and local ingredients drive the daily menu. www.duntonhotsprings.com/dining.html ARBORENA WINE BAR, CAFE & CONTEMPORARY GALLERY The tiny valley town of Mancos surprises visitors and locals alike with its vibrant art scene. A jewel nestled in the heart of downtown is Arborena Wine Bar, Café & Contemporary Gallery. The name reflects the arborous theme of chef/owner and former interior designer Rena Wilson’s own branchy creations bringing utilitarian fixtures like dining tables into a forest fantasy. Linger over silky artichoke dip, bearing no resemblance to the oh-so-common cheese and mayo-laden glop we are accustomed to, or nibble on the tantalizing delights of the Mediterranean and cheese plates. All the while, sip luscious wines from the ever-evolving list, including local Guy Drew Vineyards’ crisp, steel barrel fermented Reisling, created to uplift and celebrate the locally inspired menu and ethereal artwork. www.arborena.com COSMO When romancing in Durango, call ahead to request one of swanky Cosmo’s two cozy private booths tucked discreetly behind the bar. Loosen up with an “X-rated ’tini” and an appetizer of whimsical lobster “corn dogs.” Cuddle up Lady and the Tramp-style diving into Chef Chris Crowl’s fettuccini fragrant with earthy truffle oil and porcinis (with flavorful James Ranch meatballs). Nobody may even notice if, in classic Disney canine courtship style, you nosenudge a tender sphere to his or her side of the plate. Save room for Pastry Chef Alex Klinovsky’s inventive desserts. www.cosmodurango.com ediblesanjuanmountains.com 17
Megan Ossola (left) , the butcher, and Cinda Simons, the baker.
Back of the House
Telluride’s Latest Gold:
The Butcher and the Baker By Emily Brendler Shoff
S
tepping inside The Butcher and the Baker, Telluride’s new gourmet deli café, it’s easy to see that something exceptional is happening on Main Street. On the day I arrive, everyone’s waiting in a line that crisscrosses the café several times, and everyone seems happy about it. With its warm yellow walls, wooden tables decorated with hyacinths and lights hung in maple syrup buckets, The Butcher and the Baker seems a lot like maple syrup—sweet, real and eliciting the essence of home. This is a place where you could happily dream away a morning. Or an afternoon. Or even an early evening. Besides, customers need time to choose what they will order. A latte and a chocolate croissant? A sweet potato breakfast burrito? Granola with Icelandic yogurt? And that’s just breakfast. The daily lunch options posted on the wooden cutting board menus read like something out of a café in California rather than out of one residing in a town close to 9000 feet. Hot ham and Swiss sandwich with apples, caramelized onions and arugula? An or-
ganic turkey sandwich with avocado, cheddar, tomato, greens and chipotle aioli? Or a flat iron steak wrap with Napa cabbage slaw? Where are we? It all sounds amazing. And with good reason: it is. Chatting with co-owners, Megan Ossola (the butcher) and Cinda Simons (the baker), I discover the work that goes into this level of grace. “Everything that we can buy locally, we do,” Simons reveals to me in the kitchen. “If we can’t get local, we buy organic. Even the yeast.” By local, she means more than the menu. Local art hangs from the café’s walls and is rotated monthly. The sign out front is made by local designer, Nathan Frerichs. The tables were made by Telluride Woodworks. Even the flowers adorning each table are grown and arranged by a local, Frannie Major. “We’re local because we have to be,” Ossola tells me. She’s sautéing garlic in butter. The smell in the kitchen is as intoxicating as the Mediterranean Sea. “I can’t imagine using beef from an unknown source. I have to know where everything comes from.”
ediblesanjuanmountains.com 19
Cinda’s Famous Apple Cranberry Pie Easiest Pie Dough (makes 3 crusts—you will only need 2 of this recipe, so freeze the third for a quiche or another pie) Ingredients 3 1⁄3 cups unbleached flour 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon sugar 3 sticks cold unsalted butter, cubed ¾ cup milk (cold) Method Place flour, salt and sugar in the bowl of a food processor or electric mixer and mix until blended. Add cold butter and process until it resembles course meal. Add cold milk and mix until it forms a ball. Be careful not to overmix! Divide the dough three ways, and form three disks. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour or up to 3 days (can be frozen if well wrapped for up to 1 month). When ready to make your pie, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Let the dough sit out for 10 minutes to soften, roll out on a floured surface into two rounds and place one in your favorite pie pan. Make filling. Apple Pie Filling Ingredients 5 apples 1 cup sugar 1 teaspoon cinnamon pinch of salt 2 tablespoons butter ¼ cup fresh cranberries Method Core, peel and chop apples; add sugar, cinnamon and salt. To Finish: Pour filling into shell. Place other dough over top. Brush with milk and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Cut a few slits in the top to allow steam to escape. Bake for 1 hour. 20 edible SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS SPRING 2011
Megan Ossola, the butcher.
Local is great for the town and the environment. But local also means that the café is led by those who care intensely. That love for life and for food is easy to see, watching the owner/chefs work side by side. The two dip and twist in an effortless dance as they navigate a kitchen that’s not much bigger than a food cart. When Ossola, who’s eight months pregnant, pauses over the stove, Simons pauses too and asks her if she wants help. “Just a little,” Ossola admits. Simons claps the flour off of her hands and lifts the giant pot of stock from one burner to the next. “I’m not letting her lift anything anymore,” Simons tells me. “I felt like I had to do it all when I was pregnant. That was so silly.” Ossola looks grateful for the help. Yet, it’s easy to see both women are used to being independent. “I first came to Telluride when I was 19,” Ossola says. “I started cooking and right away people started saying I was good at it. When someone’s personal chef left to go work for Pearl Jam, I jumped in. I did that for years. But I’d always dreamed of running my own place.” Ossola’s story is something I love about Telluride: hearing how people got their starts in this sacred place. The stories vary but the end result is always the same—Telluride changed them in ways they couldn’t have imagined. Meanwhile, Simons was employed as a social worker in
Pesto Stuffed Chicken Breast Serves 4 Ingredients 4 organic boneless skinless chicken breasts 2 zucchini 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 cups shredded provolone ½ cup pesto (homemade or prepared) 4 thin slices of prosciutto
Seattle but itching to find a way out. “I’d been getting up at 4 a.m. to work at a bakery before I went to my social work job. One day, I realized—this is crazy—why am I secretly baking before I go to work? Why not just bake?!” A friend called from Telluride with a job offer at Wildflower Café and Simons moved out three weeks later—one of the rare Telluridians to move to town with a job. From there, she went on to work at Cindy Farney’s Cindy Bread. Then she rented a tiny catering kitchen with Ossola and the Telluride Truffle Maker, Patty Denny, at the bottom of Lift 7. One day, just about Christmas-time, Ossola looks around that Lift 7 kitchen. She’s brining about a dozen turkeys, Simons is baking about 30 pies and Denny has sheets of chocolates around. She says, “We look like the butcher, the baker, and the truffle-maker.” The first part of the name stuck. So, too, did the dream to open an expanded space together. (The truffle-maker opened a shop just up the street from The Butcher and the Baker.) When Skyline Ranch closed their commercial operations, Ossola bought all of their old equipment and stored it. Ossola and Simons had their eye on their current sunny side spot for years. But it was being rented by Maggie’s restaurant. “Still, we knew the day would come,” Ossola said. A few years later, it did. Maggie’s restaurant moved up the street. And the Butcher and the Baker moved in. “We opened six weeks later,” Simons tells me, “thanks to local support.” I watch Simons carefully weigh each piece of dough for her infamous ciabatta rolls. She holds the dough as if it were gold. It’s exactly the way that The Butcher and the Baker is run. With passion. With love. With reverence.
Method Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Starting at the thickest side of the chicken breast, slice horizontally almost all the way through. Open the breast like a book, creating a single flat piece. Repeat with remaining breasts. Slice zucchini into thin rings. Heat olive oil in skillet, add zucchini and sauté until softened (3–5 minutes). Set aside. Spread roughly 2 tablespoons of pesto onto each chicken breast. Top with zucchini slices and shredded provolone. Close the chicken breasts, being careful to keep as much of the filling inside as you can. Wrap each breast with a slice of prosciutto, placing the center of the slice at the opening of the breast. Place stuffed and wrapped chicken breasts on a sheet tray covered with parchment paper (or sprayed with olive oil). Bake for 25–30 minutes,or until the internal temperature of the breast reads 165 degrees. ediblesanjuanmountains.com 21
Love and Muffalettas By Dale McCurry
D
ickie Brennan, owner of Dickie Brennan’s Palace Café, and a third-generation member of arguably the first family of food in a burg known for food—New Orleans—has a suggestion for you: “Have Sid cook you something.” Sid is James “Sid” Cavallo, chef at Ouray, Colorado’s newest brewpub, Ouray Brewing Company (OBC). Brennan’s suggestion is based on his family’s experience of ushering Cavallo as a young apprentice into the craft of cooking and the art of running a creative kitchen. Cavallo believes his underlying charge is to please his patrons’ palates while keeping his fare as healthy as possible. “The purpose of food is to nourish,” he says. “I’d like to keep that idea alive as much as possible. But food can also be like paint to the painter or clay to the sculptor.” “There are people who see the world in black and white and those who see it in color,” said, Brennan, whose family has been earning stars in the restaurant business in New Orleans since 1946. “Sid certainly has talent, and he sees the world in color. He creates with food and is as good of a people person as he is a chef.” What Sid really enjoys is creating specials. “I love doing them. They are my favorite part. Where I have pub food on the 22 edible SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS SPRING 2011
menu, the specials let more of my personality come out. A favorite? Blackened salmon over crawfish, andouille, quinoa jambalaya with charred, red pepper herb butter.” His current menu recommendation at OBC is the muffaletta, an Italian-influenced sandwich served, originally and most famously, at the Central Grocery in the French Quarter. It has honey ham, capicola ham, salami, provolone and a housemade olive salad (with pickled cauliflower, carrots, garlic, kalamata olives, green olives, capers, olive oil and herbs). The $10 sandwich is served warm with housemade chips and is, the good chef assures us, “to die for.” Cavallo prepares his fare in the ground floor kitchen of the three-story brewpub. OBC, which opened in August of last year, offers an eye-catching assortment of metal and wood to the diners and drinkers who step inside. The bar boasts a copper patina impression of the establishment’s logo by metalworker Chris Folsom and steel and wooden bar swings by artist Jeff Skoloda suspend from the open-timber ceiling by inch-and-a-half cable recycled from Moab’s failed gondola service. The brewery also offers the only roof top patio in Ouray, serving up breath-catching views of the vertical red rock walls that surround the town.
Cavallo grew up in an area of Springfield, Massachusetts (“home of basketball, Indian motorcycles, Dr. Seuss and Smith & Wesson”) with a strong Italian presence, but he says it wasn’t until he moved to New Orleans (after the Navy) that he “really got into food.” “The first year I worked for the Palace was an eye-opening experience: ‘You can do anything with food.’” Along with the gift of creativity, Cavallo credits Dickie and other Brennans with encouraging his inclination to use local ingredients. “It was impressive for a place that size to use as much local products— fish, vegetables, meats—as it did. I want to do that always. We use local, healthy ingredients—produce, eggs, meats—where we can.” Cavallo says the early challenge to make Creole and Cajun food more healthy stayed with him and carries over to his menu design today. And he is currently on goal to create foods that pair nicely with OBC brewer Jeff Lockhart’s craft brews. After a year at the Palace, Cavallo went back to the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain, where his New Orleans–area love affair with food began. In Mandeville, Louisana, he was a corporate chef for six years for Another Broken Egg Café. His stint writing corporate recipe manuals for the chain has left such entries as Crabcake Cavallo on the menu. Eventually, Cavallo moved back to Massachusetts to be closer to family. Then, Hurricane Katrina hit the Big Easy. “I called and asked if there was anything I could do,” Cavallo said. “They said they could use me if I could get into the city.” Officials prevented many people from entering New Orleans, but Chef Sid managed to make it in. Of the many Brennan-family restaurants in New Orleans, the only one open when he arrived was Dickie’s Bourbon House. “The Brennans had pulled all of the chefs and all of the sous-chefs into the Bourbon House,” Cavallo said. “The amount of talent in that kitchen was frightening.” One by one, Cavallo helped reopen restaurant after restaurant. Nearly five years later, love and opportunity brought him to the kitchen of Ouray Brewery when he discovered Kelly, now his bride, was living in Ouray. Kelly was a young love from his Louisiana bayou days—the girl he could “never quite get out of [his] mind.” She had moved to Ouray County, Colorado, the very place an upstart brewery was looking for an out-of-the-box chef. “I ran an ad in the local newspaper prior to our even being permitted as a brewpub,” said Ouray Brewery owner, Erin Eddy. “Sid’s girlfriend saw the ad, and he called immediately. We hit it off right from the start. He’s a pleasure to work with, has a great attitude and cooks great food.” “I am happy for any opportunity Sid gets,” Dickie Brennan said, sounding all the while the big brother. “He deserves it; but I miss him at the Palace Café. Our loss is Colorado’s gain.”
Ouray Chalet Inn centrally located within walking distance to all of Ouray’s great restaurants, brewerys and pubs!
510 Main St. • Ouray, CO 970-325-4331 • 800.924.2538
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ediblesanjuanmountains.com 23
Grilled and Chilled Aparagus and Quinoa salad with an Asian touch QUINOA INGREDIENTS 3 cloves garlic, chopped 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained 1 ½ cups water 1 bay leaf METHOD In heavy bottom pot, toast garlic in oil over medium-high heat; add quinoa and toast until slightly nutty aroma is given off. Add water, stir and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 18 minutes. Remove from heat, lay on a sheet pan and cool. GRILLED ASPARAGUS & ONION INGREDIENTS 1 pound asparagus, woody ends snapped off 1 medium red onion, peeled and sliced into ½ inch thick rings Kosher salt and ground black pepper Oil for coating METHOD Preheat grill. Toss aparagus in oil to coat and salt and pepper. Toss onions in oil to coat and salt and pepper. Place asparagus over high heat flame and char quickly on all sides. Remove from grill and allow to cool. Repeat with onions. Once cooled, slice asparagus into ½ inch pieces. Once cooled, chop onions into small pieces about ½ inch. 24 edible SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS SPRING 2011
SALAD INGREDIENTS 1 red, yellow, orange or purple bell pepper, diced into ¼ inch 4 green onions, sliced green and white parts 1 inch piece of ginger, finely grated 1 tablespoon freshly grated orange zest Juice of one orange 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 bunch fresh parsley, washed, strained and chopped loosely, without stems 3 tablespoons soy sauce ¼ cup rice wine vinegar 2 tablespoons cider vinegar ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons sesame oil 1 pinch red pepper flakes METHOD Mix all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Fold in asparagus and onion. Fold quinoa into mixture spoonfuls at a time and mix evenly. Season with kosher salt and pepper to taste. Variations: • Grill wasabi rubbed salmon, cool, pull apart and fold into mixture. • Grill shrimp or chicken and add. • Add sesame seeds, pine nuts or pistachios. Just a reminder—this is a basic recipe given to guide you in a direction. Please play with it—with the variation and with your own tastes. Food is fun, don’t forget it—just play with it...
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Roadkill: It’s what’s for dinner? By Rachel Turiel
M
y husband Dan and I once went to an Oktoberfest party at the house of friends in Durango, Paul and Stacie. Were you there too? It was 2004, perhaps, and I made this amazing venison sauerbraten. It was deeply tangy with cloves and peppercorns tucked into succulent folds of meat like children under winter blankets. When Stacie praised Dan’s hunting skills in front of the knickered-crowd, we smiled sheepishly, knowing it probably wasn’t the best time to announce, “Actually, we found that deer on the side of the road. Bon appetit!”
26 edible SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS SPRING 2011
There’s nothing sexy about roadkill. “Grassfed, local, free range beef ” is a catchy tune you can sing from your sustainablemeat throne at your next backyard BBQ. However, “rut-crazed buck tossed to the highway shoulder,” doesn’t quite have the same melody. And yet, the deer and elk of Southwest Colorado keep dying in miscalculated bolts across the road. And the meat is delicious and free and walloped with nutrition. That wild ungulate never saw a syringe full of antibiotics nor a feedlot heaped with soy pellets. There are no ambiguous supermarket labels to decipher, no sketchy industrial slaughterhouses to contemplate. In fact, there’s little time for any contemplation—there’s work to be done. The carcass must be dragged off the road, unzipped with a knife and cooled off. Dan presses on the belly of a dead cow elk found off Hwy 160 near Chimney Rock. “It’s like a lion’s mane,” Col, 6, murmurs, stroking the thick tangle of neck fur. Rose, almost 4, pummels the see-your-breath morning with questions. “Is she a mama? Are we going to eat her? Daddy, is dat her tongue? Where are her eyes?” The cow’s eyeballs have been snatched by an early-on-the-scene scavenger, a magpie, likely. Her flesh is still warm, an indication that she hasn’t been lying long on the crude platter of crusted snow. Determining if a roadside animal is good eating is like con-
Photograph: Rachel Turiel
sulting the Handbook of Caveats and Exceptions. For example, a cold body suggests the animal may have been dead long enough for putrefying bacteria to have rallied their fleshconsuming troops. However, if the animal was hit in the meat locker of a frigid winter night, or is a small deer, able to cool off quickly, a cold body can be perfectly fine. Trust your nose. A bloated belly indicates that circulation has ceased and the abdominal cavity has filled with gas and fluid, not a good sign. However, sometimes the prized backstraps, which lie on either side of the spine (out of the way of the murky abdominal soup) can be salvaged. A body that is particularly mangled, stinky or already breached by a larger predator is an instant deal breaker; leave it for the coyotes and ravens. Several hours later, the hind legs of the Chimney Rock elk hang in our shed, aging and tenderizing, which is a euphemism for can’t get to them yet; thank goodness it’s winter. The backstraps unravel into pats of butter in the fridge, swimming in a marinade of tamari, honey, garlic and olive oil. The next day Dan and I crunch through squeaky cold snow down to the Division of Wildlife office to get our permit. The permit is free, and technically you’re supposed to get one within 48 hours of acquiring your roadkill. You need a new permit for each animal, and are legally entitled to all edible parts of your found animal, though antlers must be turned over to the officials. And even though it’s all business at the DOW: determining map coordinates and game unit numbers, obtaining official signatures on our official roadkill permit, it feels a little Monty Python-esque. Like any minute we’ll drop the facade and the wildlife officer will pass out the antler vuvuzelas, and we’ll all begin the booty-bumping roadkill dance on countertops. We trim various cuts off the hanging hind legs, rotating them through sweet tangy marinades all weekend. Rather than bother with the work of packaging, we just draw from the shed like a
Dan Hinds goes through the necessary channels to land a permit.
19th century family slicing Sunday dinner from salted ham hocks hanging in the cellar. Or like a wolf family on an elk kill. The Chimney Rock backstraps are tender as butterbeans. We grill them and invite the “Roadkill Tribe” over: friends for whom food acquisition also includes highways and county roads. Rose begs for more meat while her mouth is still stuffed with partiallychewed brown threads. Col is the Robin Hood of roadkill, bringing scraps of fat to our backyard chickens and a bowl of blood to our grateful cat. Our kids make no distinction between wild meat procured via hunting permit or roadkill permit. “Is that the roadkill deer from last weekend?” Col asks hungrily, leering at the venison steak I’m slicing for an afternoon snack. Sometimes the best protein comes in surprising packages, and I’m always grateful to turn a regrettable highway accident into the next fine vension sauerbraten. Late Sunday night, kids in bed, I find Dan probing the inner layers of the last Chimney Rock hind leg with his nose. “The smell of this meat takes me back to so many places,” he tells me. “I love that spruce-needley, slightly musky smell that says animals have been here.” Which was Dan’s way of saying this meat is going to be good. And it was. ediblesanjuanmountains.com 27
Regional Food Event Calendar April 2 Montrose Farmers Market Downtown 10 a.m.–1 p.m.
April 9 Winter Farmers Market Smiley Building, Durango CO www.durangofarmersmarket.org Montrose Farmers Market Downtown 10 a.m.–1 p.m.
April 16–17 Four Corners Green Living Expo www.co.laplata.co.us/fairgrounds
April 16 Montrose Farmers Market Downtown 10 a.m.–1 p.m.
April 23 Montrose Farmers Market Downtown 10 a.m.–1 p.m.
April 30 Montrose Farmers Market Downtown 10 a.m.–1 p.m.
May 5–7 5th annual Durango Wine Experience www.durangowine.com
May 7 Montrose Farmers Market Downtown 8:30 a.m.–1 p.m. www.montrosefarmersmarket.com
May 14 Montrose Farmers Market Downtown 8:30 a.m.–1 p.m. www.montrosefarmersmarket.com
May 15 Taste of Durango www.tasteofdurango.com
May 14
May 21
Tentative first day of the Durango Farmers Market 8 a.m.–noon www.durangofarmersmarket.org
Durango Farmers Market 8 a.m.–noon. www.durangofarmersmarket.org
June 2 Ouray Farmers Market 2 p.m.–6 p.m. www.ourayfarmersmarket.org
June 4 Men who Grill Downtown Durango, CO 970.247.1242 Durango Farmers Market 8 a.m.–noon www.durangofarmersmarket.org Montrose Farmers Market Downtown 8:30 a.m.–1 p.m. www.montrosefarmersmarket.com
28 edible SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS SPRING 2011
May 21 Montrose Farmers Market Downtown 8:30 a.m.–1 p.m. www.montrosefarmersmarket.com
May 28 Durango Farmers Market 8 a.m.–noon www.durangofarmersmarket.org Montrose Farmers Market Downtown 8:30 a.m.–1 p.m. www.montrosefarmersmarket.com
June 4 Cortez Farmers Market Downtown 7:30 a.m.–sellout www.cortezfarmmarket.com
June 8 Montrose Farmers Market Downtown 8:30 a.m.–1 p.m. www.montrosefarmersmarket.com
June 9 Ouray Farmers Market 2 p.m.–6 p.m. www.ourayfarmersmarket.org
Spring 2011 April • May • June
June 10 First day of the Telluride Farmers Market 11 a.m.–4 p.m. www.telluridefarmersmarket.com
June 11 Durango Farmers Market 8 a.m.–noon www.durangofarmersmarket.org Cortez Farmers Market Downtown 7:30 a.m.–sellout www.cortezfarmmarket.com
June 11 Montrose Farmers Market Downtown 8:30 a.m.–1 p.m. www.montrosefarmersmarket.com
June 15 Montrose Farmers Market Downtown 8:30 a.m.–1 p.m. www.montrosefarmersmarket.com
June 16 Ouray Farmers Market 2 p.m.–6 p.m. www.ourayfarmersmarket.org
June 17 Telluride Farmers Market 11 a.m.–4 p.m. www.telluridefarmersmarket.com
June 18 Durango Farmers Market 8 a.m.–noon www.durangofarmersmarket.org Cortez Farmers Market downtown 7:30 a.m.–sellout www.cortezfarmmarket.com
June 18 Montrose Farmers Market Downtown 8:30 a.m.–1 p.m. www.montrosefarmersmarket.com
June 22 Montrose Farmers Market Downtown 8:30 a.m.–1 p.m. www.montrosefarmersmarket.com
June 23 Ouray Farmers Market 2 p.m.–6 p.m. www.ourayfarmersmarket.org
June 25 June 24 Telluride Farmers Market 11 a.m.–4 p.m. www.telluridefarmersmarket.com
June 25 Durango Farmers Market 8 a.m.–noon www.durangofarmersmarket.org Cortez Farmers Market Downtown 7:30 a.m.–sellout www.cortezfarmmarket.com
Montrose Farmers Market Downtown 8:30 a.m.–1 p.m. www.montrosefarmersmarket.com
June 28 Montrose Farmers Market Downtown 8:30 a.m.–1 p.m. www.montrosefarmersmarket.com
June 30 Ouray Farmers Market 2 p.m.–6 p.m. www.ourayfarmersmarket.org
ediblesanjuanmountains.com 29
Eat Local Guide (… locals sourcing locally) durango
Nature’s Oasis
steamworks
Locally Owned Since 1993
Steamworks brews worldclass, award-winning beers to be paired with our progressive gastropub fare. We are proud supporters of small, family owned ranches in Colorado and New Mexico for beef & pork while our all-natural chicken comes from Red Bird Farms in Colorado. Only sustainable seafood selections appear on our menu.
More than a corner market, Nature’s Oasis is a cornerstone market for Durango and the Four Corners Region. We believe in providing high-quality and healthy products, buying locally, protecting the environment and giving back to our community. Come and experience the variety of local color we offer, including our expanded deli—from individual prepared foods to full catered meals. 300 S. Camino del Rio • 970.247.1988 catering@naturesoasismarket.com • naturesoasismarket.com
MONTROSE
garlic mike’s
From its birth in Gunnison in 1994, Garlic Mike’s now has a new location at 103 Rose Lane – A little more than one mile east of Historic Downtown Montrose, just off Main. Chef Mike features 100% Colorado beef and local produce when available. "Let our family cook for yours!" 970.249.4381 OURAY
bulow’s bistro
Inside the Historic Beaumont Hotel: organic, free-trade coffee; 300 wine vintages; locally brewed beer; small-plate appetizers; soups; salads; sandwiches; and entrees. Thursday–Saturday: lunch and dinner Thursday: Locals Lasagna Night, kids eat free Friday: Fried Chicken Night • Saturday: Prime Rib Night Ouray, CO 970.325.7000
Damiano’s
Join us at Damiano’s on Main for lunch or dinner. We offer a range of fresh dishes including sandwiches, pasta dishes and original seafood entrees. We make our dishes from scratch featuring locally grown produce, spices and meats. Voted Best Chef in Montrose.T
RICO
rico hotel mountain lodge
Join Chef Eamonn O’Hara for a sumptuous dinner at the Grille. O’Hara’s use of local organic meats and produce gives the Argentine Grille’s critically acclaimed cuisine a distinctively regional flavor. Rico Hotel Mountain Lodge www.ricohotel.com • 970.967.3000
Featuring the cuisine of James Beard National Award winning Pastry Chef Lisa Damiano & former Russian Tea Room Executive Chef Anthony Damiano
Sushitini
1135 East Main Montrose • CO (970) 249-4446 www.damianosdining.com
Resounding Asian Cuisine Tues - Sat • 5 to Close Kevin Chiang Master Sushi Chef 228 East Main Montrose • CO 81401 970.240.1100 www.sushitinis.com
Proud supporters of local wineries, craft brewers & soda companies
WAGON WHEEL
Liquors
- $ ! , " " % " * " % - +' "& ) & ! ' #" # !(' " % %& Conveniently located in Town Plaza by South City Market
ECO-FRIENDLY
#*" ! , - (% " # -
outtakes
32 edible SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS SPRING 2011
t e l l u R i d e
d u R A n g o
We believe in never using chemicals on our land, feeding our animals only what is natural for them to eat, and treating them with respect. The result brings ultra-nutritious and delicious food to our family’s table…and yours.
C r e at i v e Contemporary seasonal fare Proprietor chef Chad Scothorn
offering burgers, pizza, steak & lobster Now locally owned and operated. Proprietors chef Chris Crowl and manager James Allred
BAR
James Ranch Market
(10 miles N. of Durango, just past Honeyville)
Open: Saturday 11am-4:30pm—Winter Mon-Fri 11am-6:00pm—Summer Find us at: www.jamesranch.net BuzzTown.com (970) 385-6858
dining
in th e H otel Col u m b i a 970.728.1292
9 1 9 H i s tori c M ai n Ave nue 9 7 0 . 2 5 9 . 2898
make your online reservation at www.cosmotelluride.com
make your online reservation at www.cosmodurango.com
Minimally invasive procedures.
Maximum outcomes. The Orthopedic & Spine Center of Excellence. At your Mercy. Mercy’s Orthopedic & Spine Center of Excellence is focused on patient results. Our fellowship-trained orthopedic and spine surgeons and their skilled teams have years of experience performing minimally invasive total joint replacement and complex spinal procedures. Offering advanced services is one more way we serve the region. That’s your Mercy. 1010 Three Springs Blvd. Durango, CO 81301 (970) 247-4311 | mercydurango.org Centura Health complies with the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and no person shall be excluded from participation in, be denied benefits of, or otherwise be subjected to discrimination in the provision of any care or service on the grounds of race, religion, color, sex, national origin, sexual preference, ancestry, age, familial status, disability or handicap.