Dija Know… Joe’s Restaurant Newsletter -103 June 2014

Joe’s Restaurant Newsletter #103, June 2014

 

 

Food from Farm to Restaurant starts with our local farmers and ranchers (and friends!)

 

 

SFCA_2014

All throughout June Joe’s is promoting and donating to the work of Farm to Restaurant. F2R is a program under the umbrella of the better-known Farm to Table organization. F2R facilitates local food sourcing between Santa Fe restaurants and local growers and educates the public about the benefits of eating locally grown. This reinforces the critical link between our local growers and the vibrant health, on many levels, of our Northern NM community.

What is Joe’s doing? And how can you help? We are planning a Farm to Restaurant Charitable Prix Fixe event. Throughout the month of June we will offer a prix fixe meal for two for 49.00 every day starting at 11AM. 10% of these sales will then be donatedto F2R. So feel free to spend more than the bargain price of 49.00 for two!! How will it work? You and your dining companion will choose any one appetizer, any two entrees and any one dessert from any of our menus (from our regular menu or from “daily specials” menu.) The single exception is that if you choose the full rack of lamb there will be a slight up charge. No coupons or other offers will be accepted on this event. We are intending to send a nice chunk of cash to this worthy program, so think about how this can fit into your dining choices for June. (Hint – Fathers’ Day falls on June 15). Many thanks in advance from all of us at Joe’s.

 

Last newsletter I started a series on what we now call superfoods. I profiled chocolate (raw cacao really) last time. Today I will share info about another of my favorites – quinoa, that little seed that is becoming so popular among “20 somethings” in internet cafés. And with good reason! Yes, quinoa is a superfood, full of protein, iron, fiber and an abundance of other attractive phytonutrients. Historically it was a staple food among the ancient inhabitants of the Andes, who cultivated the nutritious plant even at an elevation of 12,000 feet. It withstands severe weather conditions and along with maize, quinoa was one of the two mainstay foods for the Inca Empire. It is making a big comeback is now being cultivated in many countries. Besides it’s great nutrient profile, it has great appeal and benefit for those on gluten free diets. It appears to be a grain, it acts like a grain, tastes and smells and quacks like a grain but it is not! It’s a seed. And Halleluiah, quinoa is something nutty and flavorful that seems like it should be a “dangerous” carb, but it is not! It’s a gluten-free seed in the same family as spinach and beets. It comes in several pretty colors and is really not so hard to prepare. Now, as to its being a superfood – – mydefinition of a superfood is one that is so densely packed with nutrition that #1. you could almost live on it if you had to and #2. its splendid nutrition justifies its questionable taste! Well in the case of quinoa, it actually tastes good. And here’s a bunch of good news about it. Because it’s not a grain it’s Kosher for Passover. Who knew?! It’s pretty darned packed with antioxidants, and two important flavonoids. And as for its anti-inflammatory properties, there are at least 6 unpronounceable anti-inflammatory compounds in quinoa. This anti-inflammatory property has shown up positively in animal studies. When fed daily there was a reduction in inflammatory problems such as obesity. I would guess that human studies will shortly be underway. Quinoa has some valuable heart healthy fats and furthermore cooking and boiling does not seem to affect the quality of these fatty acids. One truly stellar quality of this “fake grain” is its superior protein content. Grains such as wheat, oats, barley, rice and millet fall short of the entire amino acid list that would make them complete proteins; which is why vegetarians depend so heavily on beans (and heaven forbid, tofu) to combine with grains to create a complete protein. Not necessary with quinoa! A bowl of this marvelous seed will stand alone with its complete protein head held high. What a boon for vegans and vegetarians.
“Strong intake of protein and fiber are two dietary essentials for regulation of blood sugar.” So where I am I going with that fact? Well, to type 2 diabetes of course! With the runaway increase in this condition, most markedly in children and teens now, we need a diversified arsenal to mitigate the onset of this disease. Quinoa fills the bill.
So…in summary, can you say heart disease, can you say cancer, diabetes? allergies? gastro-intestinal disorders, celiac? There is something in quinoa for everyone!

Let’s shed some light on a subject that has been very controversial in Santa Fe – – the minimum wage/living wage. It has been so spun, twisted and misconstrued that not even those who should know, do know – or pretend not to know for purposes of their own. (Some calculated fudging of the facts was recently witnessed at an official county hearing). Here are the facts, as they currently exist, in Santa Fe. Everyone who is employed on a W-2 in Santa Fe (busser, gardener, dishwasher, newspaper seller, retail salesperson, waiter…you name it) is guaranteed a minimum of $10.66 per hour. Hands down, bar none. If an hourly worker is not receiving a minimum of $10.66/hr, the law is being broken, period. It is a common misconception that waiters are paid $2.13 per hour. Well they are and they aren’t. On their pay stub, it will say 2.13 per hour. However, if the waiter does not take home, including their declared TIPS, 10.66/hour, the restaurant owner must reach into his/her pocket and make up the difference. So you see the $2.13/hour is irrelevant. Waiters normally earn more than $10.66 per hour. As they should! It’s a harder job than it may appear and a good waiter does make it appear effortless. Just like a good dancer, musician, athlete, etc. Anyhow…I digress. Up until April 26, there has been quute a big difference between minimum wage in the County and minimum wage in the City – the City wage being significantly higher. This of course has had all kinds of ramifications. An invisible boundary has dictated that operating costs of an employee-dense business in the City have for many years been significantly higher than those costs in the County. This playing field is now leveled.
So, dems da facts.


Joe’s own “melt in your mouth” French chocolate truffles. $1.99 @ or 6 for the price of 5 — $9.95


Why do we keep hammering on this “buy local” theme? There are many factors that are out of our hands when it comes to our food supply. Most of what ends up on the American dinner table derives from a shockingly few giant agribusinesses. Their influence reaches from designing the (GMO) seeds to planting, harvesting, processing and shipping. We as consumers cannot with confidence hand over the entire stewardship of our food to these few multinationals. Our passion here at Joe’s is for a local sustainable food supply – food produced by growers who are accountable for what they grow. KYG – Know Your Grower. We are able to look our local farmer in the eye and ask him about his growing practices or even visit his operation. This gives us the confidence that we are eating food that is healthy,wholesome, non-genetically engineered, often better than organic, humanely treated and minimally processed. It is grown with a smaller energy-use footprint and transported short distances. We cannot divorce human health, the economy, ecology, personal (perhaps spiritual) satisfaction or honorable work from food. Food is fundamental. What we eat, where it comes from, the stewardship of food animals, the nurturing and building of soils – all these factors affect us at a cellular

and visceral level … whether we slow down enough to be aware of it or not. We so are fortunate in Santa Fe to have one of the very best Farmers Markets in the nation.

Here at Joe’s we do our best to offer this bounty to you, keeping dollars in the community. In the interest of transparency, in 2008 Joe’s spent $30,000 on local foods. In 2009 that increased to $60,000. And since 2012 we have far exceeded $100,000 per annum. During the growing season as much as 95% of our produce is locally sourced.
Land, economy, health – inseparable.

*Here are some of the farmers/ranchers we have developed long-standing partnerships with – Monte Vista Organics (Dave and Loretta), Camino de Paz Farm & School (Greg & Patty), Shepherd’s Lamb (Antonio and Molly), La Mont’s Buffalo (Monte and Lana), Green Tractor Farms (Tom and Mary), Synergia Ranch (Mark), La Montanita Co-Op, Sweetgrass Co-Op, Matt Romero Farms.

Tired of still paying for BB’s (big banks) bailouts? Tired of lining the pockets of the uber-rich Wall Street bankers? And still no convictions? DiJa know… in 2011 a congressional audit of the Federal Reserve found that the Fed gave 16 trillion dollars from American taxpayers to bail out the “too big to fail” banks with a hefty portion of it going to obscene CEO bonuses. Can you imagine — had this staggering figure been re-directed to the people of the US, how different the picture could have looked today? Manufacturing starts, job creation, skills training, roads and bridges repair, national parks, education, etc. Every time we use a credit card, part of that 3%-5% fee contributes to the BB’s. Now let’s be real – in today’s world you cannot function without a cc, but there are still (legal) alternatives that can save money and reduce our dependency on and subsidies to the BB’s. We have a couple of suggestions: (1.) Are you on Joe’s Check List? If you are a “regular” and wish to pay by check, please ask your waiter to get you on the list. (2.) Joe’s own credit card/gift card – purchase a $100 gift card with cash or check, get a $10 free bonus!
Light Bulb Giggles
—How many Kardashians does it take to change a light bulb? Just one. She holds the light bulb and the universe revolves around her.
—How many Einsteins does it take to change a light bulb? That depends on the speed of the change and the mass of the bulb. Or vice versa. It just might be easier to leave the bulb and change the room. It’s all relative.
—How many Zen masters does it take to change a light bulb? Two. One to change the bulb and one not to change the bulb.
—How many New Jersey Teamsters does it take to change a light bulb? 50. You got a problem wit dat?

Joe’s
2801 Rodeo Rd (at Zia Rd) Santa Fe, NM   87507
505-471-3800      
www.JoesDining.com
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