Food

Indian Market feast: recipes, menu, and dinner party tips

By ELLISE PIERCE

Santa Fe Indian Market (August 22-23) is about the art, the handmade pottery, the silver and turquoise jewelry. And it's about the food.

For me, it's about fry bread and green chiles and red ones, too, on everything — from eggs to pizzas to the more traditional enchiladas. But that's just the tip of the tamale.

Santa Fe is a foodie town. Your next great meal is just down the aisle at Indian Market or right around the corner in town. Something about the place seems to inspire innovative food. We don't know what it is — the mountains, the air, the desert, the light, those bundles of dried chile peppers hanging seductively — but chefs seem at their creative best here.

Everyone who puts down restaurant stakes in Santa Fe seems to catch the Southwestern spirit, putting their own twist on New Mexican and Native American cuisine. Who better to provide a party menu for an Indian Market get-together than the chefs who call Santa Fe their culinary home?

We asked Mark Kiffin at The Compound, Eric DiStefano at Coyote Cafe, and Martín Rios, formerly at Geronimo and now at work on his brand-new eatery, Restaurant Martín (set to open in September), to share a few dishes that they might serve at an Indian Market party at home. The charge: to create a menu that's fresh, seasonal, and easy — dishes that anyone could make in a couple of hours.

The result? A deliciously fun fiesta to usher in autumn.

 

Chef Mark Kiffin, The Compound

"Tomato and apple is something that people don't often think of together," says The Compound's chef Mark Kiffin, "but the apple granita picks up a little bit of the coolness as you swirl it into the soup, and it also keeps the cool soup cold. Granitas are very simple and easy to make. This apple granita is a great dessert, too, and you can give it to your kids. Granitas are simply fruit, sugar, and water. You freeze it and just scrape it with a fork."

• Heirloom yellow tomato gazpacho with Granny Smith apple-basil granita

Granny Smith apple-basil granita
3 pounds Granny Smith apples
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves

Core and slice apples, but leave the peels on for color. In a food processor, purée the apple with the lemon juice and ginger until smooth. Add the basil leaves to the processor and run until smooth and green.

Remove from processor and stir in the sugar. Adjust taste with more sugar or lemon if needed for desired sweetness.

Pour into a flat glass or stainless steel baking dish and freeze. Once it starts to freeze, remove and "grate" with a fork. When completely frozen, grate again, then cover with Saran Wrap.

Gazpacho
3 pounds ripe yellow tomatoes
1 English cucumber, peeled, seeded, and coarsely chopped
1 jalapeño chile, halved and seeded
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 small red onion, minced
1 small yellow bell pepper, minced
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
Juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt to taste

Score an "X" on the end of each tomato, then place in a small pan of boiling water for 30 seconds. Immediately plunge into ice water. Peel and core the tomatoes and cut into large pieces, reserving the juice.

In a blender, purée the tomatoes, jalapeño, cucumber, and juice from the tomatoes. Salt to taste and chill.

For the relish, toss the cilantro, red onion, and bell pepper together. Add olive oil, vinegar, and lime juice. Salt to taste. Chill.

To serve, divide the soup into chilled bowls. Place 1 scoop of the granita in each bowl and top with the relish.

• Strawberry and peach crostada with vanilla bean anglaise

"You can use these same techniques and style and just change the fruits," says Kiffin. "I made this last night with apricots and blackberries instead of strawberries and peaches. You might want to do apple and pear in the fall and strawberry and rhubarb in the spring. The key is to use whatever's ripe and whatever tastes best."

Pie dough
2 cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
¾ cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2 tablespoons water, approximately

Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor or mixer. Add the butter in pieces until it begins to look like coarse cornmeal. Gradually add just enough water to form the dough. Divide into 6 pieces, and roll out into circles. They don't need to be exact; in fact, a rather rustic look is preferable. Chill circles until ready to use.

Vanilla bean anglaise
2 egg yolks
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup milk
½ vanilla bean, split and scraped

In a bowl, whisk the yolks and sugar until they are smooth and light yellow.

In a saucepan, combine the milk and vanilla bean. Bring just to a boil over medium heat. Temper the egg yolks with a bit of the milk, then add the rest of the milk mixture to the yolks, whisking continuously.

Return mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens just enough to coat a spoon. Do not allow to boil.

Pass through a fine mesh strainer. Chill.

Crostada filling
1 cup fresh strawberries, cored and sliced
4 peaches, pitted and sliced
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons almond paste
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk mixed with 1 tablespoon sugar for wash
Powdered sugar

Whisk the egg, and mix in almond paste. Spread evenly in the center of the pastry circles. Lightly toss the fruit with the sugar and cornstarch, and evenly distribute among pastry circles.

Crimp dough edges, and brush with the milk-sugar wash. Bake in a 400-degree oven for approximately 15 minutes.

Drizzle with the vanilla bean anglaise, dust with powdered sugar, and serve warm.

 

Chef Martín Rios, Restaurant Martín

Chef Martín Rios has made a name for himself on the Santa Fe restaurant scene — enough so that when he hung up his toque at Geronimo to open his own place (scheduled to be ready just in time for Indian Market), he decided to call his new place Restaurant Martín.

"Scallops are in season this time of year," says Rios of his main-dish pick for an Indian Market meal with friends. "A beautiful salad with tomatoes adds color and brightness to the meal. Then, give it a nice kick with the jalapeño remoulade."

• Pan-seared diver sea scallops with japapeño remoulade and salad of heirloom tomatoes

Jalapeño remoulade
½ cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons shallots, minced
3 tablespoons vegetable stock
2 jalapeños, seeded and minced

Combine all ingredients together and set aside.

Heirloom tomato salad
6 heirloom tomatoes
3 tablespoons hazelnut oil
Zest of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon mint
1 teaspoon rosemary
1 tablespoon chives
2 teaspoons shallots
2 ounces sliced almonds
Salt and pepper to taste

Cut tomatoes into ¼-inch dice and chop herbs. In a small bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well. Let marinate for a half-hour, allowing the flavors to combine. Refrigerate.

Pan-seared diver sea scallops
12 large diver scallops
Olive oil
Mixed spring greens

In a medium-size sauté pan coated with olive oil, sear the scallops, about 3 minutes on each side.

Place spring greens on the center of each plate, and top with the heirloom tomato salad and two scallops. Drizzle the remoulade around the scallops and serve.

• Strawberry mojito

"To me, mojitos are one of the most refreshing drinks for summer and outside barbecues," says Rios. "Any other seasonal fruit — raspberries, blueberries, mangoes — could be substituted for the strawberries."

(1 serving)
5 mint leaves
4 strawberries, quartered
2 teaspoons soft brown sugar
2 ounces golden spiced rum, such as Sailor Jerry Spiced Navy Rum
2 slices of lime
Ice cubes

Crush the mint leaves and sugar until smooth with a muddler (a bartender's tool used like a pestle). Add the rest of the ingredients and serve over the ice cubes.

 

Chef Eric DiStefano, Coyote Cafe

Chef Eric DiStefano opens his Indian Market meal with one of the most popular things on the Coyote Cafe menu: the chipotle-spiked crab cakes with mango salsa.

"I tried to balance this party menu," DiStefano says. "This is a two-, three-hour dinner. For Indian Market, I wanted to do something hearty. Indian Market is toward the fall, and the bread pudding is hearty, so is the rib-eye."

• Grilled rib-eye steaks with roasted squash and garlic grilled rib-eye steaks

6 rib-eye steaks
½ cup oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
Salt and pepper

Rub meat with oil, salt, pepper, and garlic. Let stand for an hour in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature before grilling.

Roasted squash
1 acorn squash
2 zucchini
1 butternut squash
2 cipollini onions
Salt and pepper
Olive oil

Peel and cut squash into 1-inch cubes. Slice onions in half and separate into rings. Rub olive oil, salt, and pepper on squash and onions, and roast in a 400-degree oven for 30–45 minutes, or until the onions begin to caramelize, stirring occasionally.

Garlic butter
¼ pound unsalted butter
¼ cup wild garlic, minced
Juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon salt

Mix all ingredients and cook over low heat until butter is melted, then let simmer for about 2 minutes. Set aside.

Grill steaks to desired doneness, then let rest for 10 minutes. Slice against the grain and serve atop the roasted vegetables. Drizzle a little garlic butter on the steak and serve immediately.

Maple bread pudding
4 cups brioche, or bread of your choice, cut into 1-inch dice and left out to dry for 1 hour
4 eggs
1½ cups heavy cream
½ cup real maple syrup
¼ cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla
2 teaspoons cinnamon
½ cup piñon nuts, toasted
Butter to grease baking dish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients except bread and whisk until smooth.

Add bread and put into an 8 x 8 butter-greased ceramic dish or into individual ramekins in a water bath. Bake uncovered for 15 minutes or until top begins to brown. Cover with aluminum foil and cook for another 30 minutes. Check doneness with a fork — it should come out clean. Let rest for 10 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream. 

Indian Market style

Tabletop tips for styling your Santa Fe-inspired party

You don't have to live in Santa Fe to pull off a perfect Indian Market-themed dinner party. In fact, even if you don't own a single serape or kachina doll or piece of American Indian pottery, you can still pull it off — and with loads of flair.

Think color. Think connection to Mother Earth. The oranges and yellows of New Mexico's dramatic sunsets. The earth tones of Santa Fe's adobes. The blue-greens of the Sangre de Cristos. The reds of bunches of drying chile peppers.

Fiestaware —  fiesta-ready by nature  — has the perfectly colorful personality for this party. Or go for a dressy-casual vibe with mismatched blue and white plates — ours came from flea markets and eBay.

Tie bits of raffia around napkins to add contrast, texture, and the feel of fall hayrides. For centerpieces, go natural: a chile wreath or ristra, a scatter of Granny Smith apples, a galvanized bucket of Indian corn, or a basket of different-hued heirloom tomatoes — nature's bounty makes for a simple, beautiful table. Arrange with votive candles and tin cups of mums on vibrant layered cloths or table runners, and we're calling this table set.

Fall is coming and bringing with it all the fun of the changing season. So make the table festive and make your guests smile. Before they've finished their first mojito, your party will already be a memorable one.

— E.P.

Issue: September 2009