WHAT's New at the Rail yards market?

Past Recipes

Butternut Squash Soup  & Pumpkin Scones

Butternut squash, or cucurbita morschata, belongs to the Cucurbitaceae (pumpkin) family, grows on long trailing vines, and hails from South and Central America. One of the sweetest winter squash, it is also one of the most popular. The fruit and seeds are edible, as well as the blossoms which bring honeybees to aid in pollination. Pale on the outside, butternut is a golden orange on the inside from yellow-orange phenolic pigments in the skin and pulp. Full of antioxidants, vitamins, fiber, protein, and minerals; this winter fruit is great for heart health, eyesight, and even brain health!

Arepas con Queso

If the tamale lived in Northern South America, it would be called an arepa. This food originates in Venezuela from the Timoto-Cuica people, and is prepared using a cooked then dried corn flour, called masa. Just like with tamales, the flour used is different than what is used to make tortillas. Instead of being made into a longer shape, arepas are formed into patties and split to stuff with meat, eggs, cheese, vegetables, beans, fish . . . anything! A staple especially in Colombia and Venezuela, but also Panama, Ecuador, and some of the islands in the area of Puerto Rico, and Dominican Republic, arepas are often a part of every meal of the day. Now that you’ve got everything to do it yourself . . . which meal you choose is up to you!

Poutine de Burque

Though it’s not clear who the originator was, poutine emerged from Quebec in the late 1950’s with three simple tenets . . . fries, cheese curds, and brown gravy. Served at diners called cantines in Quebec, or ‘potato shacks’, the dish, though at first receiving mixed or even negative reviews, has definitely caught on with the rest of the world. There are even festivals held across Canada and the Northern US, dedicated to what some say is a Québécois slang word for ‘mess. Down here at the Rail Yards Market in New Mexico, we did to poutine just what we’re supposed to do . . . add green chile! And ‘tis the season. For some extra nutrients, and to keep it farm fresh, we’re mixing in the kale and green onions. We hope you enjoy this Canadian transplant!

Green Chile Stew

Undisputedly the most famous and celebrated crop of New Mexico, the green chile we eat today has a long and flavorful history. Original varieties like the Zia Pueblo pepper have been grown for centuries in the area, and all had their distinct characteristics. When the Spanish arrived, they introduced growing techniques that changed how the crop was propagated, and in time that lead to selective breeding experiments by Dr. Fabián Garcia at what is now known as NMSU. These new peppers had a special heat to them that has since evolved, capturing the hearts {and tongues} of native New Mexicans and visitors alike.

Eggplant Parmesan Gratin

An often misunderstood an overlooked treasure, eggplant is a versatile vegetable that we often overlook. Did you know that eggplant is part of the nightshade family, which include tomatoes, potatoes and bell peppers? It also packed with nutrients like vitamin B, is a good source of dietary fiber, and there's research that points to this produce having powerful health benefits due to its high amount of antioxidants. Eggplant's rich texture makes a perfect addition to many recipes, and it can be fried, baked, or even steamed.

Peach Pecan Salad

Grow the Growers is a program of Bernalillo County that ‘is committed to strengthening the local food economy by creating job opportunities and nurturing the next generation of farmers and increasing the availability of locally grown food throughout the county. Grow the Growers is a farm training and business incubator program created to attract new and emerging farmers into professional food production.​’
Kyle Bacoccini is in the first class of growers and has taken the initiative to sell the group’s produce at both the Downtown Growers’ Market and the Rail Yards Market. From field to {vendor} table, he’s putting in almost 60 hours/week, but he’s enjoying the work he’s doing and the people that he gets to meet at the market. Kyle looks forward to next year when he gets to sell what he grows on the land he’ll get access to upon completion of the program. “I want to help make it so that people can afford good, local food,” he says.



Rail Yards Tempura

Origins of Tempura: Japanese ancient deep-fried food was either simply fried without breading or batter, or fried with rice flour. Our Rail Yards tempura is gluten free and without eggs, however, toward the end of the 16th century, a method using flour and eggs as a batter was acquired from the Portuguese missionaries and merchants from region of Alentejo, who resided in Nagasaki and made fritters. It came about as a way to fulfill fasting requirements for Catholics surrounding the Ember Days (in Latin: Quatuor Tempora). Hence, the etymology of the word, tempura. {Wikipedia}

Stuffed Squash & Seared Peppers

Tomato Culture: Their words are so beautiful, we’ll let them speak for themselves . . . “Heirloom tomatoes fuel our passion and dedication; but they also symbolize a more authentic, soulful way to live our lives. They provide a conduit to all the things we care deeply about as a company: challenging the status quo; delivering joy, meaning and satisfaction to others; slowing down to enjoy life’s simple pleasures; fostering a healthy relationship with food; working the earth sustainably; connecting to and appreciating history and the cycles of time.” They grow and operate with seven principles, “which draw from the concepts of permaculture and organic farming, we are working towards building a sustainable, self-maintained agricultural system, spanning field to plate, that happens to produce the best-tasting tomatoes you’ve ever tried. In the process, we hope to inform and inspire people to make choices that promote a healthy earth and healthy humans.”

Green Chile Enchiladas

Tio Frank’s Chile Sauce: Frank’s mom, Emma Dean Najar, opened her first restaurant in 1991 on North 4th St. It was small and only had 4 tables but she loved it and it was always her dream. She became known for her chile and the restaurant was successful for three and a half years, until she lost her only daughter to leukemia. Emma Dean closed the restaurant and Frank moved to Albuquerque to take care of his sister’s three kids. After a year of Frank and his mom thinking of how they could support themselves, while getting their chile to everyone who loved it, they decided to start jarring it. Using some of the best flavor in the state, this sauce is the product of a family truly working together. 

Rail Yards Nachos

The beautiful Dragon's Tongue green and purple beans that top off this week's New Mexico nachos are grown by Simple Revolution? Farm!. They are a small, sustainable bio-intensive and Permaculture farm in the South Valley, run by the awesome urban homesteaders, Scott and Patricia. They grow a large variety of food for their family to eat and to sell, focusing on heirloom varieties. They also raise pigs, chickens, turkeys, grow oyster mushrooms, and make an assortment of medicines, soaps, and health tonics. Wow! "The value of biodiversity drives our decisions. We integrate the patterns of our daily lives and our animals with our farm." They've been farming for 20 years and counting.

Pasta Verano

This week's corn is from Farmer’s Daughters, a New Mexico Farm-To-Table company that partners with the best restaurants, breweries, and food trucks to serve the freshest ingredients from local farms. Farmer's Daughters come from a 4th generation New Mexican family that has been farming in Corrales, New Mexico on the central Rio Grande for over a century. Their mission is to maintain, preserve, and protect New Mexico's agricultural heritage through the cultivation of the land, offering its bounty to others, hosting community events, and providing educational opportunities to the community. And, of course, they also sell their produce and farm products at local farmers’ markets like Rail Yards Market!

Peach Gazpacho         w/ Zucchini Hash

You get some awesome peaches from Montoya's Farm in this basket. Here's a bit on their story:

Tonie Montoya has been farming since he was 6 years old. Today, he and his family work together to manage their 600 tree orchard of peaches, plums, cherries, and apples, as well as their garden of tomatoes and peppers, amongst other crops. Even his granddaughters are involved! Traveling extensively throughout the Western US, and learning from the people who work the orchards, Tonie has mastered the art and science of producing prize fruit. With his 60 years of experience in the field {literally}, he admits that at the end of the day, it’s hard work that makes it happen. He hopes to see more people growing their own food and canning it as time goes on, ‘just like the old days’.

As always, the Rail Yards Recipe Basket is a great way to eat seasonally and support Tonie and a number of other local producers. Come by the market and get yours! Sunday, 10-2

Rainbow Stir Fry

We hope you have the thyme this week, 'cause our delicious, cheesy, gluten free biscuit definitely does, and it only takes 10-20 minutes to bake! A flavorful savory treat, complete with Chinampa Farms radishes, and Virginia's rosemary.  Add the Purple Haze carrots, French green beans, and fried egg on the side, and you've got a filling, healthy, local meal!

As with every Sunday, the Rail Yards Market has your ticket to eating seasonally and affordably, with a 6-step recipe box packed with everything you need to make it happen for two people. Only 15 get made, so come claim yours early. In the meantime, let's learn more about the fine folks who grow the radishes for this week.

Before Chinampa Farm was founded in the South Valley 5 years ago, the De la Rosa family were growing for a decade prior in Durango, Mexico. Their skill and passion is clearly demonstrated by a quick glance at their table. From chile, to purple haze carrots, banana peppers, to cilantro and lemon cucumbers. More than anything, they're having fun over at Chinampa, trying out new organic hybrids that excite them, and doing what they love to do. "This is our hobby, but we just happen to get paid for it a little bit," says Rafael, the son {Rafael is also the dad}. "It's hard work keeping it all in check, but it feels good to grow our own food in our backyard. When we want to eat, we don't have to go to the store . . . it's right there. It's an important skill to have." In addition, they're glad to bring their abundance to market, and get to be a part of helping a lot of people eat well. 

Blue Corn Tortilla    "Beet Burger"

This week we've put together a simple plant-based beet and Anasazi bean {and onion} 'burger' for you, served on a blue corn tortilla with daikon microgreens and coriander chutney . . . curry spiced potatoes on the side. It's delicious! The three ingredients in the burger make a mix that is easy to form into patties, and flip in the frying pan.


Though we always do, with this recipe we're really bringing in our vendor community to make it possible. The beets are grown in the East Mountains by Mountain View Growers {more on them in the 'Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food' spotlight}, the daikon microgreens by Fidel at Los Jardines de Moktezuma, onions by Harvest Gifts, and potatoes from Amyo Farms. Then, we've got Tortilleria Cuauhtemoc with the blue corn tortillas, and the talented Vernon and Cassie duo with My Sweet Basil, debuted at the Rail Yards Market this Sunday, and bringing their coriander chutney with them. The Anasazi beans come from Frank Storey, but after a rendezvous on Monday, have been taken back to San Felipe Pueblo to be prepared with the expert care of Tara Benavidez. There's a lot of story in this little box we're putting together . . . and a healthy, filling meal for two, as well. Only 15 of them, for now, so come get yours on the early side! When you build off solid, flavorful ingredients like this, you can't go wrong. Catch you this Sunday, eh.


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10am-2pm, Sundays, May-October

777 1st Street SW
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87102
Email: RailYardsMarket@gmail.com
Voicemail: 505-600-1109