Hard to believe another season of vibrant growers’ markets has mostly been put to bed. So what does a locavore accustomed to locally grown produce do during the chilly months ahead?

Wasn’t food technology supposed to help us eat better, faster and cheaper? Guess again. Better? Fast food carryout and supermarket convenience meals are usually loaded with fat, sugar and salt. Even so-called healthy prepared meals are often lacking dietary fiber and essential vitamins and minerals. Faster?... Read the full story on our link.

Choosing great food at your local growers’ market is relatively easy: fruits and vegetables are at their peak of ripeness and have mostly been picked within 24 hours of your visit, ranch-raised meats are wholesome and delicious, and specialty foods like cheese, jam and bread often have been prepared with local ingredients.... Read the full story on our link.

Looking for your summer mojo? Your local growers’ market just might be the place to find it — or if it isn’t lost, to receive a boost. If mojo is the combination of happiness and meaning that excites and motivates us, growers’ markets have it all: delicious foods to feed our bodies, stimulating conversations to feed our minds and the knowledge that we’re supporting local agriculture to feed our souls... Read the full story on our link

Is there anything more American than mom, baseball and apple pie? Maybe not, but summer backyard parties and picnics come close, making them the perfect time to spotlight local flavors from your growers’ market... Read the full story on our link.

Perhaps it’s time to be reacquainted with locally grown beets found at most markets from June through October. Their big bulbs are dark red, golden or pink-and-white striated chioggia. They usually look dusty until scrubbed clean.

Who doesn’t feel like kicking up her heels when spring arrives? The season of rebirth may be particularly important for those who garden or enjoy locally grown food. While a number of Albuquerque-area markets don’t open until June or later, the Los Ranchos Growers’ Market and the Corrales Growers’ market have shed their winter schedules and returned to weekly market gatherings.

Community supported agriculture is an increasingly popular way for people to buy local food regularly. Weekly boxes of produce from a grower or growers are the hallmark of CSAs. If you’re considering buying a share in a CSA, ask questions, particularly about the farming practices... Read the full story on our link.

Shoppers who venture to local growers’ markets can find a taste of summer awaiting their discovery. That’s because of dedicated growers such as Madelyn Hastings of Duke’s Raspberry Ranch in Edgewood. She grows enough raspberries during the season to keep the rest of us flush in raspberry delicacies all year... Read the full story on our link.

Every burger in our house ends up as a cheeseburger — every burger, that is, except for hamburgers made with meat from Soaring Eagle Ranch. As soon as my family members tasted the meat, they pronounced those hamburgers too good to cover with cheese — ever... Read the full story on our link.

Planning your meals around vegetables isn’t always easy. But when you have fresh, delicious vegetables, consider giving them center stage. Leafy greens deserve our attention for a number of reasons. They are delicious and versatile. Their health benefits are numerous... Read the full story on our link.

Maybe it’s a Santa Fe thing, but during the past five years a certain little Japanese pepper — the shishito — has gone from unknown to überpopular. After you eat them, these peppers will have a place in your heart. All the best peppers seem to have this magical quality that leaves you craving more. Consider just two examples: Italian frying peppers and chile peppers... Read the full story on our link.

Heirloom tomatoes may be one food that doesn’t need much coaching for perfection. Grown for their amazing array of flavors, heirloom tomatoes are too delicate for shipping... Read the full story on our link.

Sometimes shopping at growers’ markets is as easy as ABC. That’s especially true in peak season here in New Mexico, and with prolific growers such as Linda Martin of Appleton Farm in the South Valley... Read the full story on our link.

Strawberries signal that summer has arrived — especially when you’re savoring sweet berries grown in New Mexico soil. While New Mexico-grown strawberries may look smaller, they pack an incredibly sweet punch that is distilled by our dry climate and plentiful sunshine.

If you’re a fan of fresh, sweet asparagus, head to the local markets now. The bunches that growers bring are so delicious, even they can’t resist them... Read the full story on our link.

April at your local growers’ market is a sure sign that spring has arrived. This is the last month markets will be operating under winter hours, and it’s a great time of year to get back in the habit of eating locally grown food. Spring is always about fresh greens — lettuce mixes, arugula, pepper cress, pak choy, collards, Swiss chard, spinach, kale, mustard greens, micro greens, even cilantro... Read the full story on our link.

Jeffrey Lee knows baking. Elaine DiFederico knows horticulture. This husband-and-wife team, also known as Hand to Mouth Foods, knows how to serve the best of both worlds to people at Albuquerque-area growers’ markets... Read the full story on our link.

What makes a food trendy isn’t always easy to identify. But when a relative newcomer shows up on the plates in high-end restaurants and the Whole Foods’ produce section, that newcomer apparently has arrived. You may not have noticed microgreens yet, but they have been seen recently at a number of local growers’ markets, such as the one in Los Ranchos. Read the full story on our link.

Getting in the spirit — holiday or otherwise — is always easy when the cooking ingredients you start with are as fresh as a fat snowflake landing on your eyelash. While most of the regular farmers’ markets have closed for the season, a precious few remain open straight through our coldest months.

It’s too bad so many of us think about pumpkins only during Halloween and Thanksgiving. Pumpkin has fallen into that category of food that tends to be known in its canned form these days. Fine for some recipes (like a quick pie), it lacks the delicate taste of fresh. For culinary pleasures, such as pumpkin soup, pumpkin butter or pumpkin-stuffed ravioli, nothing replaces fresh... Read the full story on our link.

Today was my Julia day. My plan was to try five varieties of locally grown eggplant, but how to prepare them was the conundrum... Read the full story on our link.

Eric Garretson and Scott Espe of Worthwhile Farms grow five varieties of potatoes in La Madera, not far from the hot springs of Ojo Caliente. All varieties have a creamy, full-potato flavor that doesn’t let your mouth forget for a minute how amazing fresh, local food can be... Read the full story on our link.

Because all chile is not created equal — though most is delicious — the best way to find your favorite is to visit a farmers’ market, taste samples and buy small bags to take home... Read the full story on our link.

Sweet corn is synonymous with summer. When the corn comes in, people line up at growers’ markets and farm stands for fresh-from-the-field ears by the dozen... Read the full story on our link.