Local

What a difference an administration makes! The EPA is working once again to protect the environment here in New Mexico and elsewhere. Specifically, the EPA is reconsidering the air (pollution) permit granted to the Desert Rock coal-fired power plant near Farmington, NM. This move revisits several exemptions made to existing air quality rules and allows the EPA to incorporate its new Supreme Court mandated role in regulating CO2 emissions. I don't think we can breathe easy yet, but fossil fuel air pollution just had a significant setback.

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What does Earth Day mean to you? Is it a call to action, urging each of us to respect and protect our planet? Or, is it just another marketing ploy, seducing us into buying another 'recyclable' gizmo? Some folks have grown so jaded by the commercialization of Earth Day (sound like another holiday to you?) that they are saying Screw Earth Day! Scientists and environmentalists have been ringing the alarm bells so loud and long that deafness has become an occupational hazard.

The first signs of spring are popping up across town. Irises are sprouting in the front yard and garlic is appearing in the backyard. We're still two months away from the last average frost date, but many of the hardier plants are showing new growth, swelling buds and sprouting leaves. I expect we'll still see some snow, even well past the Spring Solstice. But, that's life in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.

What: Global New Energy Summit
When: March 22 - 24, 2009
Where: Buffalo Thunder Resort, Pojoaque, NM

This past week in the kitchen, I applied the old adage about life giving you lemons. In this case, I made limoncello and lemon curd from the Meyer Lemons that came with our Beneficial Farms CSA box. After my dark night of the soul regarding the squandered persimmon opportunities, it felt great to maximize use of something.

Ladies and gentlemen, it was all about the squash this week. How to use it, can one type be substituted for another, what can it be served with, how long does it take to cook, etc. I had a mound of butternut squash sitting in the pantry that were tumbling out every time I opened the door. Having a several pound squash land on your feet several times is an excellent inspiration for finding a good use for it.

Persimmons are very pretty. They are a lovely dusky orange color and their stems look like a blooming flower. I admired them for quite some time on my kitchen counter before I reminded myself that they were food and fresh fruit does not last forever. I pureed them after cutting out a few squishy bits and the equally lovely puree went in to the refrigerator. It came out for a spectacular batch of persimmon muffins and then went back to sit some more. By the time I was ready to use more, it was too late. The puree had been colonized and had to be pitched (at least in to the compost bin).

What: Tony Forrest Telemark Workshop
When: January 31 and Feb 1, 2009
Where: Ski Santa Fe

This amazing Telemark Workshop is now in its 22nd year. We hope you will come and join Tony Forrest and a host of other fantastic instructors to learn the latest in telemark technique. New tele skiers are welcome, however the workshop is not for someone who has never skied downhill (alpine or tele) before.

The Tony Forrest Telemark Workshop includes four hours of lessons each day.
Class: Saturday and Sunday, January 31 and Feb 1, 2009
Time: 10 am - 3pm