WHEN NEW MEXICO MEETS MICHIGAN
WHEN NEW MEXICO MEETS MICHIGAN
Chronicle: Albuquerque, New Mexico, September 1, 2024 and Traverse City, Michigan, September 5, 2024
Greetings chroniclers! Thanks so much for following my adventures in eating, traveling and experiencing life through the lens of food. It means the world to me that you’re here.
Last week I went to Traverse City, Michigan for my nephew’s wedding. It was my first visit to Michigan.
The week prior to the wedding, I went to a farmer’s market held every Sunday at The Rail Yards here in downtown Albuquerque. It was my first visit to that particular market.
After buying some peaches, corn, hydroponically grown salad greens, and honey, I was walking to my car when I noticed a young man standing next to a sign advertising free tours of the Rail Yards themselves.
When I arrived at the Rail Yards, I was sort of stunned that I hadn’t been there before and didn’t know of its history. Sure, I’d heard of the Rail Yards, how the area has been undergoing a renaissance, but somehow, this was my first visit to the market and the Rail Yards. As I shopped for produce, wandering amongst various vendor displays set up in the enormous buildings, I was so curious about the space itself, to learn of its history.
I approached the tour guide, asking him if I had time to put my goodies in the car before the tour started.
Here’s what I learned about the Rail Yards:
The Rail Yards were built in 1880 as a maintenance and repair point during the western expansion of the Atlantic & Pacific railroads. In 1883 the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad took control of the yards after a series of buyouts and mergers.
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From 1912-1924, the rail yard employed 25% of Albuquerque’s workforce, the largest employer in town.
The rail yard complex encompasses 27.3 acres located in what is known as the Barelas neighborhood.
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Depression era employment fell but grew to 1500 during WWII when the switch from steam to diesel engines was put on hold.
By the 1950’s, once the conversion to all diesel engines was complete, the rail yard was mainly responsible for upkeep of the rail lines.
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In the 1990’s, the rail yards were relegated primarily as a storage facility until the city of Albuquerque took ownership in 2007.
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Beginning in 2014 the Rail Yards Market runs on Sunday mornings from May-October.
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The Wheels Museum, “dedicated to collecting, preserving, and creating educational exhibits in Albuquerque and New Mexico…Our collections embrace the history of the railroads, the impact of the rail yards on Albuquerque, as well as automobiles, horse and wagon, and other modes of transportation.”, opened on-site in 2008.
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The Rail Yards have served as the backdrop for films like Terminator Salvation, The Avengers, as well as various scenes from Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul to name a few.
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Pretty cool, huh?
I got a two-fer that day…locally grown produce and a whiz-bang free tour.
The peaches I bought were a little underripe, but I figured they’d ripen soon enough. I let them sit at room temperature in a ceramic bowl, but these peaches proved to be stubborn. By Wednesday, they still weren’t ripe.
Off to Michigan I went at the crack of dawn on Thursday. When I got home on Sunday, guess what? The peaches were still not terribly ripe. They had some give, but I was convinced they wouldn’t be as delicious as I wanted them to be. When I eat a peach, I want the juice to run down my arm as the flesh tears away from the pit. That’s the sign of a great peach.
I want the peach to taste of summer, of sunshine.
Anything less is just a bummer.
So, what’s a girl to do with peaches that don’t want to ripen? I did the only thing I could think of. I decided to turn those obstinate peaches into chutney, a fruit based relish if you will, and add the dried Balaton cherries I brought home from Michigan.
In case you didn’t know, Michigan and cherries go together like Idaho and potatoes, like Maine and lobster, like Seattle and coffee.
Balaton cherries are tarter, a bit on the sourish side, and harder to get outside of Michigan. I’d never heard of them up until a few days ago when I did some shopping and sampling at Cherry Republic in Traverse City.
If you can’t find dried Balaton cherries, or any kind of dried cherry for that matter, no need to worry. Just use your favorite dried fruit like apricots, or dates, or raisins.
That’s the beauty of chutney. Chutney can go in any direction you steer it.
Chutney is a fruit based condiment originating in India. Usually, it is served alongside lamb or chicken, yogurt or naan, the flatbread of India. It’s also delicious as part of a cheese board or spread on a cracker with goat cheese.
Chutney is all about the balance of flavors. Chutney is where the acidity of vinegar bumps up against the sweetness of brown sugar, the spiciness of ginger, heat from dried pepper flakes or chopped fresh peppers.
Chutney reminds me of marriage.
Marriage combines personalities, needs and desires. It’s similar to combining flavor profiles. Sometimes you need to add some spice, some heat. Other times maybe it’s sweetness or depth you’re looking for. And there are endless combinations to create something new that’s always changing.
This recipe is for a small amount of chutney. I barely had a pound of peaches to work with. So, it’s perfect if you’re unfamiliar with chutney and just want to give it a try.
PEACH AND DRIED CHERRY CHUTNEY
1 pound peeled peaches, underripe are ok.
½ cup packed brown sugar
½ cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
½ small onion, diced
1/2 jalapeño, chopped
1 clove garlic, smashed
½ teaspoon salt
1/3 cup dried cherries cut into small pieces. Alternative, use your favorite dried fruit.
HOW TO:
Choose a pot big enough to hold the peaches. Fill it with water and bring to a boil. Add washed peaches and let boil for about 5-7 minutes. Drain and let cool for a few minutes. Using a sharp paring knife, peel skin off peaches and discard.
Chop peeled peaches into small bite-sized pieces and place into a bowl with the chopped jalapeño. Set aside.
In a small saucepan combine brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, grated ginger, chopped onion, smashed garlic clove and salt.
Bring mixture to a boil and then turn down heat allowing mixture to simmer. Add chopped peaches and jalapeño and cook for about 30 to 45 minutes.
Turn off heat.
Add dried cherries or whatever dried fruit you’re using.
Stir to combine and let cool before transferring to a glass jar or container.
Keep in refrigerator for 4 weeks