300 Days of Sunshine

Happy Spring!  Between gardening, biking, and traveling, April has been a busy month in our household! As there is still a risk of frost overnight, my garden remains indoors for a few more weeks, but I'm starting to see some sprouting seeds!  My rhubarb, peppers, and cherry tomatoes sure are determined little creatures.  I haven't seen much from my regular tomatoes or carrots yet, but as long as a few of my plants grow I'll be satisfied.  We did have a small incident the other day involving a dog and a cat who thought they were master gardeners.  (They no longer have access to the sunny front bedroom.) Baby tomatoes! Rhubarb and peppers Kua watches closely over her crops Man down! I got a late start on training for the Half Century (50 mile) bike ride this year because I didn't sign up for my usual spin class, but I squeezed in a 30-miler earlier this week and I'm determined to get back on track with a training schedule before the May...

This month's ethnic recipe brings us to my region of the world: northern New Mexico, where culinary traditions and powerful flavors represent a blend of Hispanic, Native America, and Spanish influences.   This unique recipe from the Santa Fe School of Cooking uses dried Ancho chile peppers stuffed with chorizo and refried beans, with a really delicious tomato-oregano sauce.  I served it with Spanish rice, green chile corn bread, and fresh avocado.  This was definitely the best New Mexican dish I've made at home!  Hope you enjoy it as much as we did! Boiling the juice, vinegar, spices, and piloncillo cones Prepping the chorizo and tomato sauce Soaking the dried chile peppers Spicy tomato sauce and chorizo/bean mix are cooking! Getting ready to put the stuffed peppers in the oven Enjoy! Ancho Chile Relleno with Spicy Tomato Sauce From Santa Fe School of Cooking's  Flavors of the Southwest INGREDIENTS: 6 drie...