Dija Know… Joe’s Restaurant Newsletter -137 April 2017

Dija Know… Joe’s Restaurant Newsletter -137 April 2017

Sheila   (archives available at JoesDining.com)

Seeds – Life – Mankind’s Birthright (so we thought)

 

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♦  I don’t know when you pay your taxes, but I always wait ’til the last moment.  It leaves my wallet a little thin at this time of year.  And for those of you who might be in the same boat – here it comes!  Joe’s Fifth Annual Burger Week, where we roll back the prices to . . . oh I would say . . . 1998, on any two-topping beef burger.  Now this, as you probably know, is not just any burger.  It’s made with locally raised, grass-fed-and-finished beef on a substantial Fano brioche bun for just $7.99!  You pick your two toppings.  Watch for Roland’s new burger creations!

 

Seeds – life’s most fundamental and yet aggressively threatened element.  Marches, demonstrations, protests, court cases, websites – every way imaginable that we the people can voice our distain for the egregious and well-funded growth of GMO seeds seems not enough to stem the tide.  Monsanto and its ilk, forge ahead unhampered by the FDA’s ignorance or silence or outright fraud; and continue to force their deadly agenda on our food supply.    GMO seed is sold by license (!!!) to farmers.  Seed that is sterile and will not produce more seed, seed that blows to and contaminates neighboring organic crops, seed that requires glyphosate (Round-Up) and other Monsanto and Bayer products to even grow.  And seed that often fails.  Witness the one-every-30-seconds suicides of Indian cotton farmers when their GMO crops fail.  The appalling irony? – they often choose to die by ingesting Round-Up.  Today multinational corporations (Big Ag) select seed varieties based purely on financial interests; they control 82 percent of the world’s food-seed market.  These entities (FDA and the Big Ag lobbies) argue that GE food is safe.  It is not.  The American Academy of Environmental Medicine wrote, “There is more than a casual association between GE foods and adverse health effects.” They cite specific scientific evidence pointing to potential organ damage from GE “foods” (liver, kidney, spleen and GI system), accelerated aging, immune dysregulation, infertility … and the list goes on and on.   What can we do at this late hour as GMO crops invade and engulf our farm and ranchlands?  Saving seeds is of course a most natural and ancient tradition.  Neighbors and families have traded and shared particularly hardy and delicious seed varieties for as long as we have been gatherers.  We can grow our own gardens.  We can shop the Farmers Market – bless them for their diligence in growing and protecting heirloom varieties.  And of course we can eat in restaurants whose chefs procure a large percentage of their food purchases from the local growers – not just a token bag here and there.  It has fallen to small farmers and home gardeners to preserve thousands of years of biodiversity.  And it’s up to the rest of us (non-gardener types) to spend our food dollars consciously – in a manner that promotes local commerce and sustains our own health and well-being.  Only that way can we push back against the GMO machine – displacing them by our insistence on good unmessed-with locally-grown food from seeds that have a real identity and a noble heritage. Some resources that may help: “Seed to Seed: Seed Saving Techniques for Vegetable Gardeners,” by Suzanne Ashworth

Seed Savers Exchange – an organization whose mission is to promote saving and sharing of heirloom seeds.

  DiJa know?  Farm and Food subsidies.  A decade ago, an American woman’s waist, on average, was close to two inches smaller than now.  Eighteen year olds are 15 pounds heavier than they were in the 1970s.  One reason is federal subsidies for food production.  Sadly, the Department of Agriculture is in bed with agri-business (Big Ag), and legislation protects the profits of these large industries at the expense of public health.  In fact, the agriculture lobby is more powerful than even the pharmaceutical industry! And the ramifications of their political clout are just as hazardous to your health as that of Big Pharma.  The food crops currently subsidized are corn, soy, wheat and rice. What does that make?  A fast food diet!  I’ve said this previously, but it bears repeating – pay now or pay later.  Any amount of time and money you save today by eating at a fast food restaurant, you’re bound to repay later when you’re too ill to enjoy an active life.

♦  Sometimes we take leaps to sustainability and sometimes we inch forward.  You may have noticed our new take-out containers.  It has taken for-ever to find one that is not produced in China, that does not collapse under the pressure of a feather, that is somewhere near affordable, that is truly biodegradable, not just the beige color that indicates but does not promise, biodegradability.  We hope you find them as satisfactory as we do.

♦  Sunday morning – go ahead sleep in.  What’s in your fridge?  Open the door and you’ll see Joe’s delicate smoked salmon, whipped cream cheese and thick chewy Wolf’s bagels.  Reach far enough back and there’s a bottle of champagne!  How does that happen?  Well… you planned ahead.  Saturday you called Joe’s and we packaged everything (but the champagne) for you.  You smarty pants!  Name this service and get it free for a month!  Ask your waiter.

 

  Some of the farmers & ranchers who supply Joe’s: They get their seeds from heirloom seed banks, family and friends, their fertilizer from animals and compost and their agronomic advice from tradition:  Monte Vista Organics, Jacona Farms, Green Tractor, Camino de Paz, Synergia Ranch, Romero Farms, Shepherd’s Lamb, LaMont’s Buffalo, Sweetgrass Co-op

 

 Richard Eeds broadcasts the Morning Show live from Joe’s each 1st Friday of the month from 7:30 – 11am, on Hutton FM 101.5.  Richard keeps New Mexicans abreast of the times.  During the broadcast get a surprise discount on your breakfast.  Just ask!

 

  Joe’s Red Room is always perfect for your parties and meetings, seating 20-36 people comfortably.  Call 471-3800 to reserve all or part of it

 

 DiJa know?  Sheila’s wellness studio here in Rodeo Plaza soft-opened in late January and is swingin’ now.  With three cutting edge technologies and a program that takes 20 minutes a week, we are addressing bone loss, muscle loss, balance, posture and joint wear and tear – successfully.  All this without invasive procedures or questionable pharmaceuticals.  It is a results-oriented, science-based program for men and women of all ages as well as for athletes and dancers who wish to improve their performance in a trackable, not subjective, manner.  Take advantage of limited time opening membership fees and a free introduction.  www.DancingBones.us

 

  Easter Sunday.  Yes indeed Roland will create some beautiful, delicious and seasonal specials for Easter Sunday.  Please make your reservations to assure your preferred seating time.

 

A Tuesday night tradition at Joe’s – Spaghetti and Chianti Night.  $29.95 for two will get you Caesar Salad, Spaghetti with homemade Bolognese and a great ½ ltr of Chianti.  Quite a deal!  The Bolognese sauce is made with our grass-fed-and-finished regional beef.
 Anthony and Molly Manzanares of Shepherd’s Lamb will be hosting an open house at their sheep ranch on April 29 from 11 to 4pm.  The ranch is in Tierra Amarilla.  If you haven’t been there, it’s gorgeous!  That is of course, where Joe’s gets our lamb burgers and tender lamb shanks.  All are welcome. www.organiclamb.com

  Why are we at Joe’s so persistent about this “buy local” stuff?  Many factors 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 reach is long- from designing

the (GMO) seeds to planting, fertilizing,  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.  Santa Fe is fortunate to have one of the very best Farmers Markets in the nation.  Here at Joe’s we 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, $60,000.  Each year since 2012 we have far exceeded $100,000 per annum (over 30% of our purchases).
Land, economy, health – inseparable.

  Joe’s will give you $10.  What’s the catch?  Well the way we figure it, if you cut out the middleman by NOT using a credit card, we can give that back to you and then some.  Credit cards costs the retail merchant about 3-5% and extra time & paperwork.  Now let’s be real – in today’s world you can’t function without them.  But there are alternatives that reduce our dependency on the Big Banks and actually save all of us.  We have a couple of suggestions: (1.) 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 gift card – purchase $100 gift card with cash or check or silver or gold coin, get a $10 free bonus! Your $100 gift card will actually buy you $110 worth of meals at Joe’s. 


Giggles – some fun quotes

Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four essential food groups: alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.- Alex Levine

Don’t worry about avoiding temptation. As you grow older, it will avoid you.- Winston Churchill

I have never hated a man enough to give his diamonds back.- Zsa Zsa Gabor

We could certainly slow the aging process down if it had to work its way through Congress.  – Will Rogers

 

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