From Carlsbad to El Paso, through the pecan groves and dairy farms of Las Cruces, we are camping in the foothills of the beautiful Florida Mountains for our last week in New Mexico. We’ve enjoyed the interfused cultures and all the new discoveries we’ve made in the borderlands of Texas and New Mexico.
The roadrunner is the official state bird of New Mexico, which helps explain why artist Olin Calk built a 20 foot roadrunner, from recycled materials, in 1993. Back then it stood at the city landfill in Las Cruces to call attention to “consumption, recycling and just looking at stuff we throw away.” In 2001, the roadrunner was moved to a rest area along interstate 10. We were glad we got to see this unusual piece of art.
Mark and I aren’t foodies but we do enjoy discovering regional cuisine as we travel. A New Mexican regional treasure is the Hatch Chile; a Chile that can only be grown in the Hatch Valley just north of where we are camping.
New Mexican green chilies are thought of much like grapes are in different wine making regions around the country. Some argue that there isn’t a Southwestern cuisine without New Mexico’s green chilies. The folks who live here seem to think they make everything taste better: from the expected green chiles stews and enchiladas to the less expected green chilies pizza or burgers and perhaps completely unexpected green chilies donuts and milkshakes. Thank goodness all the local grocery stores stock this versatile pepper for the traveler just passing through.
No comments:
Post a Comment