I love a farmer’s market. But due to equal parts depression and laziness I had yet to make it to one this summer. I also hadn’t done much cooking. Cooking requires energy and my reserves were low. Just thinking about the chopping, the sautéing and the dishes made me weary. I would argue, if asked, that the dishes are the most arduous. The funny thing is that I actually enjoy cooking. I like grocery shopping. I love the idea of combining ingredients together to make something new, and, let’s be honest, I’m a big fan of eating the finished product.
I woke up on a recent Saturday morning and decided it was time to hit the Farmer’s Market at the Railyard and the farm stand at Reunity Resources. I was going from no markets, to two in one morning. Who had I become? I was amped up from a trip to Best Daze a couple of weeks ago when, for a short period of time, the dispensary was selling $1 grams. I bought a strain, Northern Lights, which had been described as energetic and productive. Well, I bought multiple strains because, again, they were $1 each. My plan was to hit up both markets, load a bowl of Northern Lights and start cooking.
I drove out to Reunity Resources, walked along the path between the plants and flowers, and wondered why I hadn’t been here once this season. Then I remembered that my intermittent depression had overstayed its welcome and all summer I had grocery shopped when the store opened to avoid the crowds so I could get in and out as quickly as humanly possible. The farm stand was a sight for sore eyes. There was the usual fair, but even more options like new tinctures, clothing, baked goods and an assortment of stickers.
I loaded my basket with pears, asian pears, collard greens, dinosaur kale, yellow onions, parsley, garlic, ground bison, Yoder eggs, and a sticker that says, “eat the pastryarchy,” because I couldn’t resist. It was an expensive load, but I convinced myself that if it got me out of my cooking rut it would be worth it.
At the Railyard market I found roasted green chile, purple potatoes, poblano peppers, cucumbers, beets, miniature plums and garlic. Yes, I bought another round of garlic because I only bought two bulbs earlier and was concerned that wouldn’t suffice. When I spotted the roasted green chile, I envisioned green chile macaroni and cheese. The poblanos were so plump I was inspired to roast them and stuff them with the macaroni and cheese.
As I was finishing up at the market my elote sense kicked in when I spotted someone nearby eating freshly roasted corn on the cob with all the fixings. My heart skipped a beat. I found the elote stand at the edge of the market right beside the water tower. I rushed to get in line. I had planned on taking the elote on the go and eating it on my walk home. But as soon as I looked down at the elote in my hands I thought better of it. I parked myself against a post beside the tracks in the shade and devoured one of the world’s greatest snacks. It was utterly delicious and undeniably the best $7 I spent all day.
Later, after smoking a bowl of Northern Lights, I started boiling water for the macaroni. I roasted the poblanos until they softened. I caramelized yellow onions and shallots and then added two bulbs of garlic. I realize that may sound like a lot of garlic to some, but know that I talked myself out of using three bulbs. I chopped up the kale. Yes, I was putting kale in the macaroni and cheese. Kale is something I’ve convinced myself I enjoy. And after finding ways to sneak it into dishes, I actually do like it. I’m trying to tell myself the opposite about chips, that I don’t like them, but so far that narrative has yet to become factual. I chopped up the majority of the extra hot roasted green chilis and added them to the mixing bowl.
After adding the cooked macaroni to the concoction, I started making a roux. Once the roux browned I stirred in hemp milk. Before you ask, using hemp milk was not an attempt to tie more cannabis products into this story, but was literally all I had on hand, as I forgot to purchase milk. I figured non-dairy milk in a cheese sauce, although still full of dairy, would be a little less problematic to my slightly lactose sensitive tummy. I added cheddar and Dubliner cheese to the sauce. I combined the sauce with the contents of the bowl and poured it into a pyrex pan and then topped it with more cheese sauce. Maybe it’s a result of the earlier pot smoking, but while the macaroni and cheese was baking I had the idea to finish the stuffed poblanos in the air fryer. The finished product led to a crispy outer layer of the poblano with a crispy top layer of the macaroni and a gooey macaroni and cheese center.
As I ate, I watched the final episode of season two of Dark Winds. When I finished eating I paused the episode in the middle to wash the dishes. I couldn’t believe myself. Once the kitchen was clean, I finished the episode and passed out with ease.
The next morning, as I was leisurely drinking coffee and enjoying the feeling that I didn’t need to get to the grocery store in a hurry, I decided to make myself brunch. I partially roasted and then pan-fried the purple potatoes, adding onion, green chili and some more kale. I scrambled a couple of the eggs from Yoder. Those eggs are pricey, but damn, they are tasty.
Not only did I cook two meals in 24 hours, but I also washed and dried two sets of dishes in that amount of time. My little kitchen sparkled and the refrigerator was full of leftovers. It turns out, with a little help from some grass, I had managed to pull myself out of my depressive fog and cooking slump. Was I cured? Probably not. But I had refound joy in exploring two farmer’s markets and cooking seasonally. I had spent the weekend doing something fun that was worth my time and energy. I was completely satiated.
Shake: Odds & Ends From New Mexico and Beyond
- The Cannabis Control Division of New Mexico has recalled dozens of marijuana products due to concerns that products were contaminated. KRQE reports the recalls were issued after cannabis flowers tested positive for a prohibited pesticide. The dispensaries in which products were pulled from the shelves include Loud Cloud, LLC, R. Greenleaf Organics Dispensary, House of Blaze, LLC, Everest Apothecary – Manufacturing Albuquerque and Everest Apothecary. The affected products were available in Albuquerque, Las Vegas, Los Lunas, Belen, Carlsbad, Alamogordo and Sunland Park.
- Ohio’s Cannabis Control Division is not pleased with dispensaries handing out free food and beverages from an ice cream truck and an online advertising slogan saying, “Can you take me higher?” According to the Associated Press the division has proposed $212,000 in fines for five Ohio dispensaries. The proposed fines were also for a “Free Ice Cream” advertisement on social media and the use of a sign that wasn’t attached to a dispensary. The majority of the fines stem from marketing campaigns over the summer, ahead of August 6, when dual-use dispensaries opened for recreational customers. So far 98 dispensaries have met their new licensing requirements and can now sell to recreational users. Ohio voters voted to legalize recreational marijuana back in November 2023.
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