 Bring Your Garden to the Table
From tiny patio herb gardens to larger community plots, this site is part of a movement, a movement back to growing and making our own fresh, delicious, healthy food. Our mission is to share gardening tips and recipes with others who share our passion for sustainable agriculture, even in the smallest urban settings.
We also feature travel ideas, classes, workshops and other great ways to learn about gardening and cooking from the experts, and publicize ways to support organic farms and farmers markets, and the restaurants and hotels that use local produce.
If there's anything you'd like to see or ideas you'd like to submit, please send them to
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. Also feel free to check out our Facebook page, which features links to events and stories of interest to gardeners and cooks, in addition to those posted here. |
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Written by Ann Shepphird
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Tuesday, 24 January 2012 09:27 |
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 Odds are that when you think of local produce from New Mexico you think of chile peppers, as the state is famous for growing some of the best (and hottest) peppers in the world. One of the restaurants that takes advantage of the local peppers -- and many more local products -- is the Corn Maiden at the Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort & Spa. Known for its rotisserie, the signature dish is the Corn Maiden Classic ("k'uchininak'u" in the local Tamayame language), which features New Mexico Chorizo Sausage, Fresno Chile Chicken and Red-and-Green-Chile-rubbed New Mexico Heritage Beef. The Corn Maiden makes a point of sourcing its meat from New Mexico Ranches that have been chosen for their humane treatment of cattle and their dedication to preserving ranch lands and wildlife habitat. Other locally sourced items at the resort, according to Executive Chef Cheryl Scantlebury, include cheese, pecans, pistachios, pinon seeds, blue corn flour, honey, jams and jellies, bolita beans, pinto beans and herbs from their own Tamaya Herb Garden.
The Corn Maiden's Chef de Cuisine, Sam Reed, also sources as much seasonal produce as possible. During a recent visit, he took advantage of in-season beets and butternut squash (and, yes, peppers) to create an amazing beet bisque -- and was kind enough to share the recipe. Enjoy!
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Written by Megan Brown
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Saturday, 14 January 2012 08:52 |
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 Starting a successful garden begins with choosing the right land. Whether you're planning to start a garden in your backyard, or perusing land for sale to start a community garden, knowing what makes good ground and what doesn't can be difficult. If you aren't quite sure what type of land is best for your garden, check out these tips to get a starting point and learn the basics of choosing the perfect location for your new plants!
Check the Surface: You can learn a lot just from judging a plot of land by its soil. If you do not own the land, be sure to obtain permission from the landowner before treading on their grounds. Feel the soil and give it a look. Loose, dark soil is best for growing all types of plants and also good for proper drainage. Basic home soil tests can also give you a feel for the land and what amendments it might need before it's ready for gardening.
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Written by Ann Shepphird
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Tuesday, 03 January 2012 15:52 |
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 Maui food. I only have to say the words and your mouth begins to water thinking of all the fresh products -- from local fish to Maui onions -- available on the island, doesn't it? Obviously, the best way to get Maui food is to, well, go to Maui -- and enjoy it yourself at one of island's many food outlets, which range from local stands to fine dining restaurants (some of which were featured in our story "Celebrating Agricultural Abundance on the Island of Maui").
A new one to add to the list is Ko at the Fairmont Kea Lani, Maui, which translates to "sugar cane" in Hawaiian, and celebrates both the agricultural abundance of the island and the mix of cultures that came together during the plantation era. Even better, Ko's executive chef, Tylun Pang (pictured above at Otani Farms), sources 90 percent of his produce from regional farms, including Hali'imaile Farms, Escobedo Farms, Kula Farms, Keaau Farms, Evonuk Farms, CN Farms, Allen Nago Farms, Anuhea Farms, Kamuela Farms, Shishido Farms, Pacific Produce and Island Paradise Farms. As Chef Pang says, "Listening to the farmers and fishermen and their stories helps me understand what they produce and what's being caught. I can then use my knowledge and training to take the flavors to the next level."
Ko is currently undergoing a multimillion-dollar renovation and will reopen in the spring so until then -- and for those who'd like to bring some of those flavors home -- Chef Pang has written a book called "What Maui Likes to Eat" (click on the Amazon link on the right if you'd like to order) that is filled with recipes and stories from the island. Even better, 100 percent of the sales from the book are donated to the local culinary academy on Maui. And, Chef Pang was kind enough to share one of his signature recipes with us. See below for his Kobe Beef Poke, which uses island favorites such as Kula onion, Maui raw sugar, Hawaiian alaea salt and Japanese cucumber. Enjoy!
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Written by Ann Shepphird
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Sunday, 18 December 2011 14:25 |
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 On a recent visit to El Pinto -- the Albuquerque institution known not only for its restaurant (which has grown over the years to the point where they can serve up to 2,700 plates a night) but also for its all-natural green and red chile salsas and sauces (found in markets all over the U.S.) -- I learned a few things of interest to the GardenstoTables crowd: 1. El Pinto partners with a farmer in Hatch, New Mexico, to grow as many of their chiles as possible organically, which are then hand picked and roasted; and 2. How to make traditional tamales, a Christmas tradition in Mexican and New Mexican households. (Seen here in this great video by PilotGirl Productions' Sonja Stark: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFSptE8i-VE).
If you've ever wanted to try your hand at making Christmas tamales, the folks at El Pinto were kind enough to pass along their recipe, which was passed down from the owners' grandmother, Josephina Chavez Griggs. Once you see all that goes into making a traditional tamale, you'll realize why it's only made for holidays: It's a lot of work. And, okay, it's a lot of lard (which you'll see in the video), too. But also filled with good things such as as onions, garlic, chiles and masa. And absolutely delicious. Enjoy.
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