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Home » In Town

Exploring the Real Food Scene in Santa Fe

By on March 21, 2011 – No Comment

Santa Fe is a soulful place for me.  I’ve traveled here often since I was a kid and, upon arriving, my pulse slows down a bit and my breath deepens.   It is one of the few places where I don’t feel like I have to have a plan and a busy day usually means I have a spa appointment or dinner reservations.

I recently visited Santa Fe with a friend; a short girls trip before a week with the family in Taos for Thanksgiving.  We stuffed ourselves with red and green chile dishes (The Ore House on the Plaza, The Shed, Geronimo), wandered through the charming shops and even made our way up the hill to the Ten Thousand Waves spa.

Posole at the Ore House
Posole at The Ore House
The big adventure for me this trip was to visit the Santa Fe Farmers Market.  I had heard terrific things about the market when I attended the Edible Institute last year, but my schedule didn’t allow me to stop by.  I wasn’t making that mistake again.As it turned out, the market was across the street from our hotel, a few blocks off the square, in the the Santa Fe Rail Yard shopping area.  The indoor/outdoor facilities allow the market to operate year round and on this crisp November morning, the Saturday before Thanksgiving, the market was packed with people shopping for their holiday feasts.

Thanksgiving turkeys waiting for pickup
Turkeys waiting to be claimed

We found a diverse array of products including fresh produce, meat, baked goods, preserves, flowers, and, of course, green chiles.   The spicy aroma of the roasting chiles followed you through the market.

Chiles in the roaster
DSCF4082

I was intrigued to find sunchokes (also known as Jerusalem artichokes) and dried beans.  We bought green chile mustard, green chile powder, green chile dip mixes and even a green chile croissant, which we promptly devoured.

Sunchokes at Santa Fe Farmers Market
New Mexico Pinto Beans
Green chile croissants

I bought goat cheese from The Old Windmill Dairy and raspberry jam from Duke’s Raspberry Ranch for the family to snack on during our week together.

Duke's Raspberry Ranch Sauce and Preserves
Artisan goat cheese

The Santa Fe Farmers Market was delightful and a terrific way to kick off a Saturday in one of my favorite cities.   I can’t wait to visit again.  Maybe next time I’ll get the green chile quiche or maybe the green chile preserves.  So many possibilities!

View the full photo set on Flickr.

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