I'm going to take a guess and say that seeing other people's gardens is almost as interesting as cat photos, as in, not at all. But please indulge me. This is my first home garden in years and it was from a home garden and being a frustrated home cook that Rancho Gordo was born. We were lucky enough to find a spring on our property and were able to send the water, by gravity, down to these raised beds. We added a battery-powered timer and now without using any household electricity or water, we have vegetables. So far we've...

The experiments with smoke continue. Previously I smoked plum tomatoes with great success. Now we're testing tomatillos. After peeling off the husk, I quartered them and smoked them with cherry wood. They were perfect! I used these cooked tomatillos to make a green salsa in my molcajete with salt and garlic. After they were mashed, I added some raw white onion and chopped cilantro. It was a little different but perfectly delicious. Next time I want to try this with hickory or oak wood. I'm still smitten! Toiro site for Donabe cookware.

You know I love a new toy. I've written about clay donabe pieces from Toiro before and I'm strictly a tourist. The pots are an investment but for someone like me who still is haunted by the Napa fires last year, grilling and barbecuing is just not an option. The Ibushi Gin stovetop smoker is perfect. It's very easy to use and I am looking at every ingredient in my kitchen as a potential experiment. This last weekend I used crap Roma tomatoes from the grocery store. I salted them and added some of our Oregano Indio. I would guess...

As always, some of the best dishes come from trying to use up leftovers. I’ve been on a carrot kick. I like them. I want to love them, but they tend to go bad before I can finish them. I was determined not to let that happen this time! Carrot and Mayocoba Soup ¼ pound pancetta, cubed 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus about a spoonful to garnish 1 onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped 1 sprig fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme) 2 bunches of carrots (approx 1.5 to 2 pounds), peeled and chopped 3 cups...

Rancho Gordo Supper in Orange County to Highlight Heirloom Mexican Beans, Support High School Art Program On Sunday, July 8, Rancho Gordo, renowned purveyor of heirloom beans, will hold its first-ever supper in Southern California at Alta Baja Market in Santa Ana. The special event will feature three courses prepared by some of Rancho Gordo founder Steve Sando's favorite SoCal restauranteurs: Delilah Snell and Richard Lu (Alta Baja Market, Electric City Butcher), Evan Kleiman (Angeli Caffe, KCRW's Good Food) and Carlos Salgado (Taco Maria). Each course will highlight different Mexican heirloom beans offered by Rancho Gordo, recently featured in the...

It feels pretentious and corny for me of all people to talk about hope but I came across this scene at the base of the redwoods at my place. We lost a barn, a small building and a lot trash left by the previous owner. The blackened bark goes up about 15 feet from the fire. The trees looked like goners but they're happily send out these little green clumps of hope. We seem to be dealing with a scorched earth kind of politics these days. This photo gives me hope.

I spent a good portion of my youth vacationing in Liguria. I was lucky enough to have a friend's Italian mother to indulge me with my fascination for all things Italian and of course, I was a wee bit obsessive, much to her amusement. We ate really well. I don't remember this salad but it easily might have been served along with her other magic dishes. After seeing a video of Asian shrimp being injected with some gross substance so that they'll weigh more, I've turned to wild caught shrimp, both fresh and frozen. Happily, they're more readily available and...

This one: Cooked cactus paddles (nopales) radishes corn off the cob Yellow Indian Woman beans oven roasted tomatoes Rancho Gordo wild rice Banana vinegar extra virgin olive oil thyme The best tomatoes are "in season" but if you're in a bind, take romas and cut them in half. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle sea salt and fresh thyme over them and slowly cook them in a low oven, about 275F for an hour or two. Need some help with the nopales after foraging?

We get letters! I've been meaning to share this one for awhile. One pot of beans means many meals. Make your beans on Sunday and eat well throughout the week. It's very simple recipe. Hi Steve, I always find your newsletters to be inspiring! The one pot = 3 meals concept is my idea of meal planning! My husband and I own a cattle ranch in a remote area of Oregon and trips to town, especially during the winter months, can be weeks apart. In the summer we operate a small, destination resort on our ranch, but during the winter...

Part of the fun of being featured in The New Yorker was hearing from people all over the world and their stories about beans and/or Mexico. One of the most surprising contacts was the wife of Alfred W. Crosby, Jr, a professor and historian from California who wrote the seminal book, The Columbian Exchange: Biological and Cultural Consequences of 1492. (Greenwood Press, 1972) It's a fascinating book and of course I went straight to the index to look up "beans" when I got my copy. The bean was-third of the alimentary trinity that supported Meso-American civilization when the Spaniard arrived--the...

There's not much original about loving beans and greens. They're a natural combination. The greens are fresh and healthy, and if I have my way, a little bitter. They are offset by the creamy, indulgent beans. My grocery store carries them in their organic section. I hope yours does, too. You can always ask the produce manager to bring them in if they don't already. I don't tend to see them at the farmers markets. They are considered a weed. I normally just saute a little onion and garlic in olive oil to start but I had a fennel bulb...