Santa Fe in Autumn Means Southwestern Cuisine At Its Best

Yes!!!!!! Autumn is finally here. My favorite time of the year. The days are shorter, so a hot day doesn't last very long. The nights are cool and crisp. And, perhaps best of all, it's harvest time in northern New Mexico.


In honor of all of this we thought you might like to take a mental journey to Santa Fe and let your spirit soar. The skies are crystal clear blue now, and the pinon pine trees are putting their perfume in the air as they offer up their ripe pine nuts. Farmers all along the ancient Rio Grande are harvesting their produce and bringing it to the farmers market in Santa Fe and to the world-class restaurants all around "the city different." No other time of the year offers as wonderful a mix of sights, smells and flavors.

The piquant aroma of roasting chiles, the colorful red chile ristras, the multihued southwestern wreaths made of natural materials such as dried chiles, dried flowers, Indian corn, rice grass and winterfat sage. It is all truly amazing. It's amazing to witness the creativity that all of this natural beauty brings out in people such as the artists, craftsmen and chefs that abound in and around the city.

Southwestern cuisine has its roots all the way back in Spain (the Mediterranean influence brought by the Spanish conquistadors), in Mexico and in the American Indian pueblos in New Mexico. Northern New Mexico farmers add freshness today that comes from local produce. This blending of cultures, flavors and freshness has given Santa Fe chefs a heavenly mix of ingredients. They have responded by creating a cuisine that is unmatched anywhere according to many, and they have attracted people from all over the world who come and enjoy the food and the atmosphere.

Since we are talking so much about the food, the chefs and the restaurants, we thought a meal would be in order to complete your mental journey to Santa Fe. Here is but one combination out of many. See what you think.

Appetizer

Spring rolls stuffed with shiitake mushrooms and marinated cactus pads served with spicy chile dipping sauce and flatbread that is scented with olive oil and brioche studded with bits of chile.

Main Course

Poblano chile relleno, a crisp shell that contrasts well with its stuffing of mushrooms and quinoa, the now trendy and ancient New World grain. Salad of black beans and pinto beans, in an enticing vinaigrette. Chilean sea bass perfectly cooked, moist and delicious, served over corn and roasted sweet peppers.

Dessert

Coffee ice cream that tastes like a rich, dark roast, accompanied by a thick caramel sauce made with goat's milk and a scrumptious phyllo-pinon crisp.

Even if you think you probably would not order some or all of this, you get the idea. Wonderful combinations. Wonderful flavors, and the chance to experience the creativity that has led to "Southwestern Cuisine", the famous cuisine that is unique to the Southwestern U.S. and, especially, northern New Mexico. We hope you have had a good journey, and that you will travel back again and again in your mind as you cook up your own great dishes in your own kitchen, especially now that autumn has officially arrived. Yea!!!!!!