Inka Chips and a Quechuan Style Ginger Avocado Dip

South America….magic realism… real magic – it’s been in my blood since I’ve been born. Back in 2000, I had the glorious good fortune to travel to Ecuador and be immersed in the Cotopaxi tribe’s culture in the Andean Highlands for a short, yet timeless time… We merged with Pachamama, sacred feminine presence of the…

Cream of Roast Apple and Carrot Coconut Curry Soup

In this in-between-crazy-mixed-up-seasonal-phase here in northern Colorado, the calendar says spring, and the first garden plantings have begun. Then two nights in a row we had winter – skiffs, dustings, plus measurable snows! Irregardless, seventeen hills of high yield russet potatoes; red, yellow and white onions; snow, sugar snap and early shelling peas; plus mesclun…

Tempeh and Wild Mushroom Stroganoff

Stroganoff….. with a little twist. I’ve been making this recipe for years. At times, in restaurant and guest ranch venues, it has been made with elk or venison. This recipe is a crowd pleaser. And rich, earthy fragrances fill the kitchen. What more could you ask for? 2 pkg. traditional tempeh, cut into thin slices 8…

Scalloped Kale and Yukon Gold Potatoes

Late summer, I was glad one of my Paonia garden kale transplants had thrived in the new garden. Baked a little summer comfort food dish one of those kinda-chilly-for-August nights. And an even more excellent dish now in winter months. Matched with a pile of sliced taters, the earthiness of the kale melds with ((butter!!))…

Favorite Photographs of the Year

Memories of 2013 from Pachamama’s Beautiful Food archives…from Paonia to Ft. Collins, Colorado. Thank goodness for gardens! Out of the thousands of photos I took, I hope you enjoy these mementoes. Click on the first image to view as a slideshow. I’m beginning to more earnestly focus on the Pachamama’s cookbook, going through recipes, gleaning…

Leek Gratin with Asiago Jarlsberg Mornay Sauce

Late fall and winter actually become easier to bear when it’s finally snowing, and just beautiful to be outside! What eases the early darkness of this season even more for me is, coming back indoors, watching a fire in the fireplace, and – let’s face it – the amazing foods of the season! Freshly pulled leeks are…

The First Magical Ear

I am so grateful to everyone with passion. For it is passion that makes life such a rich amazement. “Carl Barnes, a part-Cherokee farmer living in Oklahoma had an uncanny knack for corn breeding. More specifically, he excelled at selecting and saving seed from those cobs that exhibited vivid, translucent colors. Exactly how long Barnes…

Curry Pickles of Joy

Crunchy and absolutely delicious, these are the curry pickles of summer. Yes, these may be the pickles of your dreams. For one thing, if you grow salad style cucumbers, (we have a “burp-less” variety) and your vines are doing VERY WELL this season like ours are, you may at this point of the season have…